Yellow Helmet Shells

[illwauk]

I've said more than a few times over the years that the thing I like the most about the Packers uniforms is the yellow shells... largely because no one else in the NFL uses them (at least not full time). But today as I was browsing The Helmet Project, I noticed that they're even more rare in the college game. Out of 100+ FBS teams, a grand total of two (LSU and Arizona State) have yellow shells. I thought that was pretty interesting considering how common yellow is as a school color.

I can somewhat understand the lack of yellow in the NFL, since it's so strongly tied into the identity of two of its most successful teams (Packers & Steelers), but Arizona State is hardly a perennial contender in the NCAA and LSU, while a traditionally successful school doesn't exactly "own" the color... it's not like anyone refers to "LSU gold" the way they wpuld "Tennessee Orange," "Carolina Blue" or "Michigan Maize."

So does anyone know if there's something to the lack of yellow shells... or is it just a fluke of coincidence?

[NJTank]

Because for the most part yellow helmets are ugly.

[BBTV]

Because for the most part yellow helmets are ugly.

Brilliant analysis.

I think that it's because most teams with yellow in their scheme tend not to have yellow jerseys, and for the most part, if your helmet and jersey aren't going to match, it's more aesthetically pleasing if your helmet is a darker color than the jersey. The majority of people like the Jaguars look with black helmets and teal jerseys, but what if it was reversed? It'd look silly.

The exception would be if the helmet matched the pants, like in the case of Green Bay and LSU. That's a big commitment to yellow, though, and I'm not sure how many teams really feature the color that prominently in their palattes.

Yellow is one of those colors (like silver and gold) that's light enough that it almost clashes with white, so it'd look silly for a team to have yellow helmets and white pants (just like it looks silly IMO when a team wears silver or gold helmets and white pants (unless they're wearing a silver or gold jersey too.)) A team could wear a yellow helmet, white jersey, and dark pants (like the Patriots road but sub silver for yellow), but a yellow helmet, dark jersey, and white pants would look dumb.

[NJTank]

Have you seen the Steelers Yello Throwback?

Its ugly. Yellow is a secondary color that should not be the primary colors of any team.

[BBTV]

I guess the case is closed then.

Thread over. Mods, please lock it up.

[Jigga]

I guess the case is closed then.

Thread over. Mods, please lock it up.

Judge tNak has ruled!

[oldschoolvikings]

Have you seen the Steelers Yello Throwback?

Its ugly. Yellow is a secondary color that should not be the primary colors of any team.

Wrong

[BrandMooreArt]

yellow is an intense color and is often best used as a trim or secondary color. i too love the Packers,, LSU, and AZ State helmets. their entire uniforms are very nice. but yellow and orange are colors that can just as easily become "too much", especially if they are bright like Michigan's yellow.

[Canadian_Idiot]

Probably for the same reason you don't see many all-gold hockey sweaters.

(no thanks to the Predators, and thank god someone stopped the Stars before they could wear them)

[Coast2CoastAM2006]

Probably for the same reason you don't see many all-gold hockey sweaters.

(no thanks to the Predators, and thank god someone stopped the Stars before they could wear them)

good god thats fugly.

[BBTV]

I guess the case is closed then.

Thread over. Mods, please lock it up.

Judge tNak has ruled!

I'm still laughing... tank you.

[njmeadowlanders]

I guess the case is closed then.

Thread over. Mods, please lock it up.

Judge tNak has ruled!

I'm still laughing... tank you.

That makes 2 of us...

[guest23]

I guess the case is closed then.

Thread over. Mods, please lock it up.

Judge tNak has ruled!

I'm still laughing... tank you.

That makes 2 of us...

I think it's probably because molded yellow plastic just doesn't look good...even the packers moved to a painted shell with a slightly metallic finish...also too much yellow and your team ends up looking like the san diego chicken.

[Spearhead]

I think it's just a fluke. Historically Oregon has worn yellow shells so did Iowa and Miami had them in the 1950s and early 1960s even though yellow wasn't a part of the school colors (that I know of). Did you look below the Div I level in college? Off the top of my head McNeese and Hardin-Simmons wear yellow. I have seen many high school teams wear yellow shells.

However, it is an interesting point. Even Minnesota preferred to wear white shells for a long time over both yellow and burgundy (before finally moving to yellow for awhile).

[GFB]

I think that yellow helmets can be one of the best looks in football if they are paired with yellow pants. Why? Because yellow is such a versatile color:

YELLOW / ROYAL / YELLOW

YELLOW / PURPLE / YELLOW

YELLOW / GREEN / YELLOW

[GFB]

YELLOW / MAROON / YELLOW

YELLOW / BLACK / YELLOW

[Kevin W.]

Yeah, Oregon's had some form of a yellow helmet since the 70s. Since the late 90s, though, it's been an alternate.

[slapshot]

On "How It's Made" one of the segments featured football helmets. Most of the helmets shown from beginning to end were molded yellow plastic.

I don't think yellow helmets are ugly. It just depends on the whole scheme head to toe.

[Quillz]

I've wondered this, too. Yellow is rarely seen as a primary helmet color.

Just makes the Packers look that much more unique, though.

[kbaker19]

I agree that a yellow helmet just looks awful with white pants, and I think that is the main reason why.