Then and Now

[IceCap]

The Broncos, when they wear their alternate orange jersey, look superior to what they used to have. It's simple, unique, and modern. Modern can be bad (current Bengals, Bills), but the Broncos do it right.

Disagree. I think they need a mix of the old and new. Keep the current colors and logo but dump the "modern" stripes. For example, keep the blue helmet but put more traditional stripes or a single stripe on it. I think that would improve it a great deal. They had such a great idea with the color combo but they totally blew it with the "modern" striping.

Every concept I've seen that mixes the new colours and logo with traditional striping looks amazing. The only thing that keeps me hesitant from advocating something like that is the fact that they won two Super Bowls with the current scheme. So add the championship legacy to uniforms that aren't bad compared to some other sets in the league, and I can live with it. That is, of course, assuming they drop the navy jerseys for orange.

More or less... Someone found a shot of The Titans in the dark blue jerseys with white pants and it looked killer. If they went with that full time they'd have one of the best uniforms in the league. The Oilers always looked great.

No question, every Oilers uniform I've seen has been pure class. The Titans though, they also look amazing, just in a different way. If they went with traditional navy-powder-navy helmet stripes they would be set.

I may be in the minority here but I think the Texans took a great logo and color combo and totally underachieved with the uniform. It's just boring.

The Texans set, to me at least, is the epitome of an instant classic, uniform wise. It's modern enough to not look out of place for an expansion team, but it's traditional enough that it won't look dated after five years.

The Bills current throwback look is absolute perfection. That said, I really liked the Joe Ferguson era set the best. If that was the '76-83 look then I totally agree.

Yep, the Ferguson set is the '76-83 look.

The one thing about the classic throwback look I can't accept as a possible full-time primary is the logo. I know it's a classic mark, I know it's got tradition behind it, but I just find the standing buffalo dull when compared to the current mark.

Overall, any previous Falcons set is better then the current Falcons set. I will say, however, that I prefer the new logo. Pick one of the previous sets, and use the current logo and you have a winner.

Except the black helmet Glanville era uniforms. I like the old logo better but then again, I've never seen it on a good looking uniform or helmet. Their current look is ridiculous.

I hate their current look with a passion. It's like the antithesis of what a uniform should be. It's not unique, it's not memorable, it's not not instantly recognizable, and it will look dated in five years when current trends past.

The all-black pseudo-Raiders look was a massive downgrade as well, but compared to the current set, I'll take it.

I may be in the minority again but I really liked the Coryell era look. I think if you took that design with the current dark blue it would look really good. The Chargers are another team who took a good idea and totally blew it with their latest update. They ruined a perfectly good uniform.

The Coryell uniforms are nice. There are just a few inconsistencies design-wise that have always bugged me. Still, I'll take them over the current mess.

The Redskins' current look is alright. It's not bad, it's not outstanding. It's perfectly fine. That being said, the Spear throwback look is superior.

The spear throwback they did a few years back may have been the best NFL uniform ever. Their current look is pretty solid.

Those spear throwback were amazing. I wonder why they never really committed to it as a full time alternate.

[infrared41]

Most the new are better than the old. The old have no style. They're just templates. Stripes here. 2 colors. Yay. Done. Enjoy your uniform that looks like everyone else's but with your very own colors!

This board seems to love ANYTHING old and bland though. Which is really odd on a design based board.

Some people can see bad fashion as it's happening while others don't realize how stupid something looked until years later when they're looking at old pictures and laughing at themselves. Take from that what you will.

[Gothamite]

Nobody's going to do the Packers?

1940s > 2009

[dirwuf]

I still prefer the older ones...especially the logo.

[infrared41]

I still prefer the older ones...especially the logo.

Agreed on the jerseys. I'm cool with either logo. The Dolphins' current look isn't bad at all but they have got to get rid of those numbers. They should do the old numbers with the current logo etc.

[lbr218]

My few cents on unis that deserve to be discussed:

My favorite current uni set is, surprisingly, the Dolphins'. I like their road (color) set much more than home, and I don't LOVE how huge the navy drop shadow is, but I like the accent of navy and their helmets are absolute perfection IMO. I love white helmets and the colors in general.

My favorite team, the Eagles, don't have one of my favorite uniforms, but they also don't have one of my least favorite uniforms. I like their Kelly Greens MUCH, MUCH better than their midnights, but that is because my favorite color in general is kelly green. I hate their overuse of black, especially the horrid alternate uni. IMO, if they used their old colors (plus a LITTLE black as an accent) on their current uni template, it would be in my top 5 favorites. I am too young to personally remember anything about the days from when they wore kelly, as they redesigned when I was five years old (that'll make you feel old, now won't it?) and I didn't exactly care about football before I entered kindergarten.

I hate the unis of my hometown team, the Falcons, but I think all of their previous ones are incredibly boring. I like the gold stripes that they put on the helmet in 1967 (and throwback), and think they should add it as a very minor accent color. Believe me when I say I don't like the gold because of the reason it was put there, but rather because of the aesthetics of it. I am of the firm belief that every team should have enough colors to make their uniform exciting (and marketable) without overloading. Red, black, white, and gold would make an interesting combination that is somewhat unique. It cant hurt for them to have somewhat of a redesign. They don't have any "winning history" behind their unis. Fine, keep the colors, just make the unis BETTER!

Jaguars: NO NO NO. Their unis were fine before, even if a bit nineties-ish. OK, well maybe not their unis, per se, but their colors. Teal, gold, black, and white were nice and interesting. When they took out the gold this year it ruined everything. They could have modernized their unis without getting rid of the gold.

Giants: They need more of a balance between their homes and aways. Just SOOOOO boring and unbalanced. Add some red to the homes, and some blue to the roads, and get rid of the gray pants.

Panthers: They have not ever updated (aside from very minor things). They have my favorite color scheme in the NFL, but they have to modernize a little, and especially change the point on their helmet to a regular stripe.

[illwauk]

Most the new are better than the old. The old have no style. They're just templates. Stripes here. 2 colors. Yay. Done. Enjoy your uniform that looks like everyone else's but with your very own colors!

This board seems to love ANYTHING old and bland though. Which is really odd on a design based board.

Not only that, but I've seen plenty of instances on where, when a uniform design is actually creative and not going for the stale, bland "classic" uniform effect, it is decried as "too Arena." I didn't know Arena was a dirty word!

I think much of the love for older designs has more to do with the fact that so many modern uniforms look like cluttered messes that bland templates look better by comaprison. The Bills throwbacks are a primary example.

But I've noticed that whenever a new technology comes through in the manufacturing of sports uniforms, it often gets use for the sake of using it without regard to how well it fits the particular teams identity. There was a lot of this in baseball in the 70s and basketball in the 90s. Football experienced this a lot in the 2000s, but it seems to be getting better. I never understood the hatred of the Vikings uniforms for this reason... the striping pattern actually incorporates the horns that have been part of their identity from day one.

[CrookedThumb]

Seattle 1976>2009

[Sport]

Are there any uniforms out there that are upgrades? I prefer traditional designs, but this is getting ridiculous.

edit: here's one new>old

[Lights Out]

You think the new one is an upgrade for the Rams? This is one of the few instances where I think the old is way better than the new. The old blue-and-yellows had character and an interesting design, plus a winning history. The new ones symbolize failure more than anything and look ugly doing it, IMO.

[logocruncher]

I'm surprised at the popular dislike of the Chargers current set. I think it's a wonderfully cohesive look to bottom, and incorporates just the right level of yellow and powder blue in my opinion. I also think the new lightning bolt set against a contrast-colored background is a unique and classy look, and the helmet is a significant upgrade over the old one. I'd just like to see them get rid of the leotard look, get a white-on-white alternate look, and they'd have some of the very best in the NFL.

As for the Texans, I too am a big fan of their uniforms. Classy, simple, and understated. The number font is decent, and I love the integration of colors. They're probably the best "modern" uniform set in the league. I can even live with the non-matching pants striping.

[BBTV]

Are there any uniforms out there that are upgrades? I prefer traditional designs, but this is getting ridiculous.

Yes, plenty. Of course that is all based purely on subjective opinion, and there are some out there that are different from yours and some of the other posters in this thread.

[IceCap]

I'm surprised at the popular dislike of the Chargers current set. I think it's a wonderfully cohesive look to bottom, and incorporates just the right level of yellow and powder blue in my opinion. I also think the new lightning bolt set against a contrast-colored background is a unique and classy look, and the helmet is a significant upgrade over the old one. I'd just like to see them get rid of the leotard look, get a white-on-white alternate look, and they'd have some of the very best in the NFL.

The Chargers haven't gone with the leotard look since they went to their current set.

[scraw28]

[Quillz]

I'm glad the Ravens got busted for plagiarizing because those shield logos were terrible.

[infrared41]

Are there any uniforms out there that are upgrades? I prefer traditional designs, but this is getting ridiculous.

There have been quite a few "the now look is better" posts in this thread. Hell, despite my hatred for most "modern" uniforms and my love of all things throwback, I actually admitted that some of the "now" looks are better.

[infrared41]

I'm surprised at the popular dislike of the Chargers current set. I think it's a wonderfully cohesive look to bottom, and incorporates just the right level of yellow and powder blue in my opinion. I also think the new lightning bolt set against a contrast-colored background is a unique and classy look, and the helmet is a significant upgrade over the old one. I'd just like to see them get rid of the leotard look, get a white-on-white alternate look, and they'd have some of the very best in the NFL.

The Chargers haven't gone with the leotard look since they went to their current set.

And the current look is still a downgrade over everything that came before it.

[Quillz]

Are there any uniforms out there that are upgrades? I prefer traditional designs, but this is getting ridiculous.

edit: here's one new>old

Of course there are uniforms that are upgrades. And there are uniforms that are downgrades. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

For example... I much preferred the Rams' brighter blue and yellow uniforms, because they were the colors that wore when they were in LA. To me, those colors represented my city's old football team. I don't like the darker navy blue and gold as much because it represents a new city for the franchise, and in recent years, futility.

The way I see it... The misplaced LA Rams of St. Louis won a Super Bowl in the blue and yellow. The St. Louis Rams blew the Super Bowl and fell all the way to 1-15 in the navy blue and gold.

[BBTV]

Rams with gold side panel (esp on the white jersey) > current Rams. Any Rams w/ gold pants > any Rams with non-gold pants.

[elsephen]

I'm surprised at the popular dislike of the Chargers current set. I think it's a wonderfully cohesive look to bottom, and incorporates just the right level of yellow and powder blue in my opinion. I also think the new lightning bolt set against a contrast-colored background is a unique and classy look, and the helmet is a significant upgrade over the old one. I'd just like to see them get rid of the leotard look, get a white-on-white alternate look, and they'd have some of the very best in the NFL.

The Chargers haven't gone with the leotard look since they went to their current set.

And the current look is still a downgrade over everything that came before it.

You think so?