Throwbacks

[IanPhoenix]

This throwback phase is just getting annoying. Why does everyone insist on digging up logos and jersey styles from the past? Most of them don't look very good anymore (Buffalo is an exception--the slug had to die), and combining old styles with new technology doesn't really change anything. Time moves forwards, not backwards.

[dfwabel]

This throwback phase is just getting annoying. Why does everyone insist on digging up logos and jersey styles from the past? Most of them don't look very good anymore (Buffalo is an exception--the slug had to die), and combining old styles with new technology doesn't really change anything. Time moves forwards, not backwards.

$$$

They know that people will buy them.

[Byron19]

You will never go broke selling nostalgia. Especially if the present team sucks and the memories you're peddling are from a better era.

[IanPhoenix]

This throwback phase is just getting annoying. Why does everyone insist on digging up logos and jersey styles from the past? Most of them don't look very good anymore (Buffalo is an exception--the slug had to die), and combining old styles with new technology doesn't really change anything. Time moves forwards, not backwards.

$$$

They know that people will buy them.

Yes, but people will also buy new stuff too.

I'm a Rangers fan and after hearing about and seeing their new vintage-looking alternates (Sean Avery leaked a pic on his site), I do not plan to buy one.

[dfwabel]

This throwback phase is just getting annoying. Why does everyone insist on digging up logos and jersey styles from the past? Most of them don't look very good anymore (Buffalo is an exception--the slug had to die), and combining old styles with new technology doesn't really change anything. Time moves forwards, not backwards.

$$$

They know that people will buy them.

Yes, but people will also buy new stuff too.

I'm a Rangers fan and after hearing about and seeing their new vintage-looking alternates (Sean Avery leaked a pic on his site), I do not plan to buy one.

The Rangers and NHL will not miss your money as the will gladly take the dollars from thousands of others.

[andrewharrington]

This throwback phase is just getting annoying. Why does everyone insist on digging up logos and jersey styles from the past? Most of them don't look very good anymore (Buffalo is an exception--the slug had to die), and combining old styles with new technology doesn't really change anything. Time moves forwards, not backwards.

$$$

They know that people will buy them.

Yes, but people will also buy new stuff too.

I'm a Rangers fan and after hearing about and seeing their new vintage-looking alternates (Sean Avery leaked a pic on his site), I do not plan to buy one.

They're not concerned with the one person who won't buy it. They're concerned about the rest of the people who will show up in droves to buy it. If you keep the same ol' alternate lying around for too long, sooner or later, everyone who's going to buy one already has one, and you're not selling very much new merch that way. So, instead of alienating all those fans by changing the identity to something more progressive, you tap into the nostalgia. It's a jersey they don't have, for one, which already makes them more likely to buy it. It brings back memories of the teams of the past (maybe your first game came while they were wearing that throwback). It educates people about the visual history of the team and can connect fans of different generations, if only for a few nights per season. The throwback has other functions besides $$$.

[walby2]

Pro sports is 100% emotional. What other reason is there to pay grown men millions of dollars to play kids' games? Throwbacks are a way for people to relive memories to the benefit of those with a financial stake in pro sports.

Really not that complicated. If nobody bought this stuff, throwbacks would disappear overnight.

[Lights Out]

Good idea for a thread in theory, but I can already see the impending onslaught of dennisbergan "throwemback" rants.

Seriously though, I think it goes in cycles. In the '90s, uniform design was all about trying new ideas - some worked really well, others didn't, but at least teams tried. Now, in the 2000s, it's all about the throwbacks as the new ideas of the '90s become dated. I'm sure we'll eventually cycle back to the new stuff, though.

[andrewharrington]

Naw, I think they just figured out that the new stuff they were doing in the 90s was ass-ugly, so they toned it back a bit. They're still making new stuff, it's just not quite as offensive as the stuff from the 90s.

[IceCap]

This throwback phase is just getting annoying. Why does everyone insist on digging up logos and jersey styles from the past? Most of them don't look very good anymore (Buffalo is an exception--the slug had to die), and combining old styles with new technology doesn't really change anything. Time moves forwards, not backwards.

Why throwbacks?

Well there's the monetary rewards, obviously. They sell incredibly well, that's why the trend's lasted as long as it has. You can go on and on about not buying the fauxback Rangers alternate, but hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, will buy one.

Emotional reasons exist as well. Often by throwing back to an era of success teams can get a positive emotional response from fans. This ties in with the money, obviously.

Design is also something to be considered. You say it's time to move forward, not backward. What a blanket statement that is. Are you suggesting that teams like the Canadiens and Yankees, with decades upon decades of history behind, abandon their traditional designs in favour of a design that tested well in a focus group this week? Each era has its own trends. In the 70s we saw an explosion of bright colours. In the 90s we had crazy designs with giant logos, teal, purple, black, etc... Now we're in an era of coloured panels and piping. As each trend dies down fans and teams alike realize how dated these looks are, and sanity prevails until a new trend emerges. Throwbacks represent what can be considered classic, traditional designs. Something that'll always look good because it was designed to be timeless. So often after experimenting with a flavour of the month teams will go to throwbacks because they represent a return to "normalcy," to quote former President Harding.

[BrandMooreArt]

besides the obvious money part of it, its really nice to see a design that hasnt been used in 30 or 40 years. its just a change of pace, a visual break from the modern standards. its also good for teams/leagues to recognize their history. i like seeing old designs on modern equipment too.

i love throwbacks

[oddball]

Have you looked at the uniforms and logos today. About 95% of them absolutely suck! Reebok Edge, sucks. Pinstriping on football uniforms, suck. Cuts of football and hockey jerseys suck. We've lost what looks good to progressive uniforms and logos. What ever happened to the UCLA stripes? Gone because of progression. What ever happened to sleeve stripes on football uniforms? Gone because of progression. I'm trying to think of the last new look that I said, "Okay that looks good." Maybe the Cincinnati Reds current uniforms, but those are just a nostalgic style. The uniforms and logos today, tend to be crappy because they are over-designed and they're just so friggin' busy that to see a throwback is to let your eyes relax from the clutter of colors and striping going in every friggin' direction. Give me a throwback that is simple and clean over the over-produced/over-cluttered current crap that is out there.

[BadSeed84]

I agree.

Like the flyers should've went back to these orange jersies imo.

But its not nostalgic enough I suppose, so they felt like bringing back their original orange jerseys where the numbers are bigger than the white strip on the sleeves and the name is in a white box. Also same with the white, as the white jersey from 80-before reebok messed everything up was great. And im so happy I got the best lookin white jersey imo.

Also now the black 3rd doesn't match the 2 jersey's so what are they gonna do? next year change it to the retro template with an orange box for the name on the back? and yes I do like the flyers having a black as their 3rd (they had the best set in the nhl in the late 90s before the black became the main home jersey)

[Rockstar Matt]

This throwback phase is just getting annoying. Why does everyone insist on digging up logos and jersey styles from the past? Most of them don't look very good anymore (Buffalo is an exception--the slug had to die), and combining old styles with new technology doesn't really change anything. Time moves forwards, not backwards.

Why throwbacks?

Well there's the monetary rewards, obviously. They sell incredibly well, that's why the trend's lasted as long as it has. You can go on and on about not buying the fauxback Rangers alternate, but hundreds of thousands, maybe even millions, will buy one.

Emotional reasons exist as well. Often by throwing back to an era of success teams can get a positive emotional response from fans. This ties in with the money, obviously.

Also think of, for example (since I live in LA), people still walk around with Throwback Laker' Magic Johnson jerseys, and their obviously new, not the older jerseys from the 80's, but the people wear them because the team was at the height of its popularity during the Showtime Era, and those people love those old-school uniforms as well.

[Legend]

THANK YOU!

Seriously, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I constantly rant about the throwback trend and am said to be rude because of it.

I don't get the popularity of going back in time full time to the days of plain, dull, and lack of computers. Once in a while doesn't bother me, but this constant throwback trend is annoying as hell.

[hockey week]

As stated with the various trends, the jerseys represent the collective thoughts of each era. I really think a large part of the throwback craze is because people want to remember better times, considering the economic hardships of the present. Why not think back to a happier time, even if the team wasn't necessarily better then (like the Steelers' throwbacks), it's still a break from the present, a longing for good ol' days of our youth, etc.

[GO2HELL]

I love throwbacks but I hate fauxbacks. If you're going retro, go full on retro. Don't take a classic jersey and put a cream version of your current logo on it, (I'm looking at you Calgary flames).

[IceCap]

Also now the black 3rd doesn't match the 2 jersey's so what are they gonna do? next year change it to the retro template with an orange box for the name on the back? and yes I do like the flyers having a black as their 3rd (they had the best set in the nhl in the late 90s before the black became the main home jersey)

Actually I like this. Alternates, in hockey and basketball anyway, shouldn't be simple recolours of the home and road set.

[infrared41]

Why throwbacks? Why not?

[MarkAtnip]

Indeed time does move forward, however that doesn't mean that things always progress forward. There have been many teams that have "Jumped the Shark" so to speak. Did they move forward? Yes. Did they improve? No.

An example that I am sure many of you can understand from 1991... Belushi, Chase and Radner were funny, but this year we have Ellen Cleghorn, Victoria Jackson AND Julia Sweeney! New! Edgy! Trendy! Exciting!!!! SNL is going to ROCK!

They are the same people who said things like "ooh! TEAL!" in the 90's and who say "Black is intimidating" in the 00's.