NFL Pre-Merger Throwbacks

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One thing I dislike about the NFL in general is their insistence on ignoring the 46 years of NFL football that occurred before the AFL/NFL merger. That's why the Steelers are considered to have the most championships, and the Packers (12 championships), Bears (9 championships), and Giants (7 championships) are never acknowledged to be ahead of them because most of those titles "weren't in the modern era." (Never mind that eras are subjective by nature...)

Anyway, I'd like to see teams throw back to the forgotten years of the NFL - the pre-merger years. The Pats seem like the ideal team to try this with. The red Pat Patriot uniforms certainly aren't ugly, but they're completely overexposed. We've seen them way too much. I'd love to see the Pats try something different, by throwing back to New England's first NFL team, the Boston Yanks, who played at Fenway Park in Boston and the Manning Bowl in Lynn during their five seasons in Boston.

I modeled this throwback after this uniform although I did take liberties - adding contrasting pants and sleeves. TV numbers and NOBs have been left off for historical accuracy but the NFL Equipment badge remains because I figure the NFL would still like to brand their product. The helmet was a complete guess on my part - I've never seen a picture of the real thing so I made up a more modern one.

I might make this a series, so stay tuned. I am quite interested in the early years of the NFL, after all. Comments in the meantime?

[J Blackhawk]

Love the color scheme here! My only suggestions would be scaling down the Y on the helmet, and perhaps institute a little gold piping along the shoulders?

Great start.

[Lights Out]

New York Giants and Jets

Giants unis based on these, Jets unis based on the uniforms of the Giants' original in-state rival, the Staten Island Stapletons, who wore these white uniforms (I think). Stripe colors and pants color might not be exact, they were guesses on my part.

Comments?

[UnclearInitial]

Maybe yo should leave the yanks helmet white or make it brown, love the giants one

[north dakota]

Giants one is the best

[aci]

I like the risk you took for the Jets by putting the stripes on the under-sleeves and not on the jersey itself.

[Lights Out]

Thanks! I chose to put the stripes on the undersleeves because I was trying to simulate how the jerseys of the time were long-sleeved while still attempting to conform to the constraints of a modern template.

Glad everybody enjoys them!

[oldschoolvikings]

Duluth Eskimos. please

[dgthree]

Providence Steam Roller! former NFL champs.

[IceCap]

The New England Patriots were never the Boston Yanks, and the New York Jets were never the Staten Island Stapletons. Therefore those teams should not wear those throwbacks. The NFL has a short 16 game season. When you consider standard sets, mixing and matching home and road pants/jerseys, alternate coloured alternates, and true throwbacks the uniform schedule is cramped enough as it is. No need for teams to trot out throwbacks they never actually wore.

While the rendering is very well done (as is the case with most, if not all, of your work) I just can't get behind the idea.

[Lights Out]

I realize that the Patriots and Jets were not those teams, but that doesn't necessarily mean that the Pats shouldn't pay tribute to their predecessors in Boston-area NFL football and that the Jets can't pay tribute to the Giants' original rivals. Hell, it beats seeing the Pats trot out Pat Patriot for the millionth time, or the Jets bring out those ugly Titans uniforms every season.

Granted, this could only work as a planned event like the 1994 throwbacks. But I think as a one-off or at the most, a uniform worn once every three years or so, the uniform schedule won't suffer too much.

I'm definitely going to make Duluth, as the Redskins are a continuation of that franchise anyway. However, I'm not sure about Providence, as there's no other New England NFL team to wear their uniform, and the Pats already have the Yanks in this series.

The next three throwbacks are going to be:

Duluth Eskimos (Washington Redskins)

Minneapolis Marines (Minnesota Vikings)

Dayton Triangles (Indianapolis Colts)

[JH42XCC]

Nice work on the Pre-Merger throwbacks for the Patriots (Boston Yanks), Giants, and Jets (Stapletons).

[Number 8]

The Giants look like a football version of the Montreal Canadiens

[lost_limey]

Really hoping to see the Canton Bulldogs

[PhilliesPhan1325]

They look really good so far. That plain all white helmet would be odd to see.

Hopefully we'll see the Pottsville Maroons

[Buster]

I wonder how rabid Red Sox fans would feel about the name "Boston Yanks" today.

[JH42XCC]

The Giants look like a football version of the Montreal Canadiens

The '33 Giants jerseys were inspired by the NHL's Montreal Canadiens jerseys.

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Washington Redskins

Based on these Duluth Eskimos duds, but a front number was added to conform to regulations. Comments?

[aci]

Wow, the Redskins franchise loves their race-based nicknames, eh?

That set looks pretty good, never would have imagined black, white and brown together, but I suppose you can't really do anything about the leather pants and bucket in a throwback.

[BlueSky]

Washington Redskins

Based on these Duluth Eskimos duds, but a front number was added to conform to regulations. Comments?

Like the unis, but why Washington? Seems the Vikes should wear these since Duluth is in Minnesota.