Throwbacks

[Punch]

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.

Why do I keep seeing this "lack of computers" crap mentioned? You don't need computers to create simple and classic designs. In fact, I'd say the use of computers to design uniforms has been the downfall of many concepts in the 2000s.

[Byron19]

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!

That year SNL also had Hartman, Myers, Sandler, Rock, Spade and Farley on their roster.

Not really the greatest analogy.

[M4One]

Like others have said, it's all about money. Money they make from another jersey they can sell and money they don't have to spend to come up with a new original design. I think in some cases, they are almost forced to introduce one because their current set sucks so much that fans just aren't buying them. I point out the Edmonton Oilers as an example of this.

[IanPhoenix]

I can understand the arguments that some have made (money, memories), but teams can sell them without actually wearing them during play. People can still buy the merchandise for memories. Wearing a throwback won't suddenly make the team better. Players and chemistry make the team better, not digging up threads from the past.

[carlosgg6]

I thing the thrownbacks are better than the Nike´s Pro Combat Concept....isn´t new regular uniforms and did´t have any historical base.

I never see LSU or Texas using his "new" pro combat uniform.

[JQK]

I'm a Rangers fan...

Well, there's your problem right there...

[rainmaker17]

I think the way the NFL used to do Thanksgiving throwback week was perfection. Even the website went retro. One big splash into it, then back to the standards. I hope it comes back.

[infrared41]

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.

That about sums it up. All I can add is that with football the throwback is usually far superior to the current look... well, most of the time anyway.

My question is why do people get so bent out of shape over throwbacks? Some of you guys act like throwbacks are causing you physical harm or keeping you from getting laid or something. Us old timers don't hate the new "modern/updated" clown suits anywhere near as much as you all hate the throwbacks and classic looking uniforms,

[carlosgg6]

But some throwbacks are better than the "new" versions:

better than

better than

better than

better than

That is my opinion

[Cujo]

better than

Well that's a given. ANYTHING is better than the current Bills' monstrosity. Quite possibly the worst uniform in the league's history.

[carlosgg6]

Well that's a given. ANYTHING is better than the current Bills' monstrosity. Quite possibly the worst uniform in the league's history.

Dont kill me but i like the bills current jersey, isn´t better than the old ones, but better than the jaguars current jersey.

[IanPhoenix]

I'm a Rangers fan...

Well, there's your problem right there...

Well, unlike you, I respect people's decision to support a team. Who cares what team you like? Just be a fan of the game

[Jhero34]

im sick of the throwback trend too!! i miss the 90's creativity and boldness to design something new

personally i think its easier for a team to just go backwards then try something new which in my opinion is just getting done a little bit too much

however i dont mind taking classic logos and updating them to make a new look with and old feel, like the padres with the friar or the athletics with their elephant, but i do not want anymore straight out of the 70's or 80's anymore! time to get a bit more creative teams

[Darth Danielus]

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.

^ Well put.

"Trends" in general annoy me, and all these fake-throwbacks kinda annoy me too. But more often then not, teams are returning to a vastly superior look, so I'm not complaining too much. Certain design elements common to "throwbacks" just trounce the newfangled styles anyway. It isn't progress at all if you go from something great, to something inferior. I believe 'regress' is the word for that.

[fishheatcats]

I like throwbacks as alternates or teams wearing them on special occasions. In some cases, such as with the Sabres, the old looks way better than the new.

There are the obvious monetary reasons for teams to have throwbacks, because people will buy them.

But I think it also offers fans a way to protest a really crappy new team identity. For instance, based on their website and all other marketing and promotional stuff, it's likely in the future the Florida Panthers will redo their whole identity to match their Pens-knockoff 3rd jerseys. It's garbage and I'll never buy any new stuff with that logo on it. The tickets I have for the season opener state "BLUE OUT! WEAR YOUR BLUE!", to which I will respond by wearing my white classic Panthers sweater.

I do think it's stupid when teams wear throwbacks that have no real connection to their teams. Like when the Heat wore the ABA Miami Floridians jerseys in the Shaq era. Or when baseball teams wear jerseys from obscure minor league teams that predate their existence. I have a 1957 Miami Marlins Satchel Paige jersey, I bought it because it's cool as hell, but I wouldn't want the current team to wear them because it really makes no sense.

[John in KY]

But some throwbacks are better than the "new" versions:

better than

Um - that isn't the Charger's throwback; that is their alternate. This is the throwback:

[Panthers]

I don't care for NFL throwbacks at all. For the 75th Anniversary, or special occasions, they make sense.

Why would the Rams not honor their past with gold jerseys or even white jerseys and the blue/white helmet?

How about the Jets? They would need to lighten the green to kelly green to honor the 69 team.

The Giants would have to wear a blue jersey with white stripes from neck to end of jersey (many teams wore this style including the Eagles -kelly/white, the Packers, gold/navy).

By the way, not to knock the Bears' throwbacks, but I have a picture of Bill George and the Bears wore white numbers, not orange numbers.

[dfwabel]

I don't care for NFL throwbacks at all. For the 75th Anniversary, or special occasions, they make sense.

Why would the Rams not honor their past with gold jerseys or even white jerseys and the blue/white helmet?

How about the Jets? They would need to lighten the green to kelly green to honor the 69 team.

The Giants would have to wear a blue jersey with white stripes from neck to end of jersey (many teams wore this style including the Eagles -kelly/white, the Packers, gold/navy).

By the way, not to knock the Bears' throwbacks, but I have a picture of Bill George and the Bears wore white numbers, not orange numbers.

Since he was drafted in 1951, and the uniforms are based from the 1940's, does that really matter?

Chicago Bears official page on the throwbacks

Bears Uniform History (unofficial page)

[johnnygriswold]

I love throwbacks if they're done right. I also love modern style if done right. It's all a matter of "done right". Some teams nail it, others don't.

[29texan]

Some teams look good in modern uniforms. (Houston Texans.....)

Other teams look good in older era uniforms. (Dallas Cowboys.....)

I think it's best to leave it at that.....