2011 NFL sideline caps

[phutmasterflex]

Doubt each cap would be that fancy. More than likely they'll just be the stretch kind that MLB players wear after winning a championship.

I don't know about that. Wouldn't it make more sense to use 59Fifty's instead since they are New Era's biggest sellers?

I love those monograms that New Era used to use for the NFL. If they brought those back for the sideline caps, I'd be a very happy man.

True, but I would assume they wouldn't use the 59-50 model just so they can be more affordable to the general public. Also, they need to be more sweat absorbent like the 39-30. But that's my guess.

And yes to alternate logos that aren't official! New Era and Nike do that very well.

[ONUV]

awful. who knew true religion was a nfl sponsor?

[TBGKon]

Doubt each cap would be that fancy. More than likely they'll just be the stretch kind that MLB players wear after winning a championship.

I don't know about that. Wouldn't it make more sense to use 59Fifty's instead since they are New Era's biggest sellers?

I love those monograms that New Era used to use for the NFL. If they brought those back for the sideline caps, I'd be a very happy man.

True, but I would assume they wouldn't use the 59-50 model just so they can be more affordable to the general public. Also, they need to be more sweat absorbent like the 39-30. But that's my guess.

Yeah, but the MLB on-field 59Fifty's are made of a performance material, and sweat absorbent.

[phutmasterflex]

Doubt each cap would be that fancy. More than likely they'll just be the stretch kind that MLB players wear after winning a championship.

I don't know about that. Wouldn't it make more sense to use 59Fifty's instead since they are New Era's biggest sellers?

I love those monograms that New Era used to use for the NFL. If they brought those back for the sideline caps, I'd be a very happy man.

True, but I would assume they wouldn't use the 59-50 model just so they can be more affordable to the general public. Also, they need to be more sweat absorbent like the 39-30. But that's my guess.

Yeah, but the MLB on-field 59Fifty's are made of a performance material, and sweat absorbent.

Agreed. But the 39-30 costs less (I assume) and the players aren't wearing them throughout the entire game. So I think any of the 39-30 material seems more likely I think.

[vmd9]

It's a harder job than it looks. 1. The NFL won't let you make the same (or similar) caps each year, so there constant reinventing of the wheel/fixing what isn't broken. 2. The NFL generally sees the cap customer as decidedly progressive, which automatically puts the designer in a hole, in my opinion. 3. I don't mind this cap. I like stripes. Something you don't normally see on a cap. 4. No reason to call out the designer for being a novice. If you knew how many meetings and revisions these designs went through, you'd pull your hair out. When you design licensed apparel, you often grow to hate your own work because the final product is always miles away from your original idea.

Who cares? The "Star Wars" prequels no doubt took a lot of "hard work" and were directed by "non-novice" George Lucas. Doesn't change the fact that they sucked.

This type of attitude is actually the main reason these things continue to suck. It's kind of rude to go around bad mouthing a designer you've never met based on a product the likes of which you know next to nothing about how it was produced. If I had designed that cap, would you call me a novice to my face? No, you'd probably go about it in a much more constructive way and tell me that you don't really like it that much and explain why. I don't see why it's okay to disrespect the designer because he or she is faceless (to you). Put yourself in the other person's shoes every once in a while.

And given the circumstances I outlined in the post that you derided, I'd say the designer did an admirable job. Your George Lucas comparison is not valid, either. He had complete artistic control over how those prequels played out, and he blew it, so it is his fault, and they did suck. No decisions regarding licensed apparel are made by the person who created the design, so it's not really fair to put it all on the designer.

I agree with you 100% Some people around here think because they can use the fill tool in ms paint or ps filters that they are amazing designers. I don't see how anyone can critique design by bashing the designer. I'm sure that would go over well in design school!

Hats to me would be tough to design. Most of the NFL hats as of late look like they belong in nascar with all the random designs and the ones made by New Era are also a bit over the top. I've always felt the more simple the better. I love MLB caps for that reason. Never understood why people keep the brims flat, but thats a whole different argument.

My favorites were these:

[CAB]

I like these. I don't see what's so bad about them, I think it's a refreshing different look from what we've seen in sideline hats in the past. If you ask me, they all seem somewhat similar (like the one above. Although the older ones certainly aren't bad. If the stripes are different for every team, then these would be the coolest hats I've ever seen. Even if they're the same I'd still like this and probably buy one. Everyone gets all butthurt because they think they could've done a much better job. It's not like it's a baseball team switching to a cap full-time, just buy a different hat if you don't like them.

/minirant

[andrewharrington]

I like these. I don't see what's so bad about them, I think it's a refreshing different look from what we've seen in sideline hats in the past. If you ask me, they all seem somewhat similar (like the one above. Although the older ones certainly aren't bad. If the stripes are different for every team, then these would be the coolest hats I've ever seen. Even if they're the same I'd still like this and probably buy one. Everyone gets all butthurt because they think they could've done a much better job. It's not like it's a baseball team switching to a cap full-time, just buy a different hat if you don't like them.

/minirant

I agree. I'd like to see everyone sit down and come up with a few unique, creative and attractive cap designs (no, it's not allowed to be a solid colored cap with the team logo on the front). I don't know what the other hats look like, but I think you'll see some team-specific designs for the other sideline apparel.

[pcgd]

If you don't like how reebok hats fit, fine. I don't like how the 5950s fit so I understand. But to say reebok doesn't make plain fitted, slouch fit, or adjustable is complete BS. I own one of each of those in the bears.

Blame the buyers (store buyers) too. Go to the hat section on the bears website and you'll see each of those styles I mentioned, plain with a logo on front. Go to NFL shop and it's a different story. What's the difference? The person running the store.

Both are fine because even though few of you like those styles, people buy them. We aren't the target demo....

[Bmac]

[sportsfan0518]

If the Vikings relocate which they should, they should get rid of the worst color combo in sports. Purple and yellow

[elliott]

If the Vikings relocate which they should, they should get rid of the worst color combo in sports. Purple and yellow

Really? This color scheme is classic and the colors work well together. Completely disagree.

[Pizzaman7294]

If the Vikings relocate which they should, they should get rid of the worst color combo in sports. Purple and yellow

Really? This color scheme is classic and the colors work well together. Completely disagree.

how can someone say that? theyve had the purple and yellow since 1961, EVERYBODY knows the purple people eaters, and i got good news for you! they already got a new stadium, so you dont have to worry about them moving!

[JohnnySeoul]

I like these. I don't see what's so bad about them, I think it's a refreshing different look from what we've seen in sideline hats in the past. If you ask me, they all seem somewhat similar (like the one above. Although the older ones certainly aren't bad. If the stripes are different for every team, then these would be the coolest hats I've ever seen. Even if they're the same I'd still like this and probably buy one. Everyone gets all butthurt because they think they could've done a much better job. It's not like it's a baseball team switching to a cap full-time, just buy a different hat if you don't like them.

/minirant

I agree. I'd like to see everyone sit down and come up with a few unique, creative and attractive cap designs (no, it's not allowed to be a solid colored cap with the team logo on the front). I don't know what the other hats look like, but I think you'll see some team-specific designs for the other sideline apparel.

Well said. I can't stand the NASCAR look the NFL has been using over the past few years (the only exception were the beautiful United caps/hats last season). These new striped ones for the 2011 aren't great, but they are also a pleasant change of direction.

[JohnnySeoul]

If the Vikings relocate which they should, they should get rid of the worst color combo in sports. Purple and yellow

hahahaha....wow. That dude has lost his mind.

[sportsfan0518]

If the Vikings relocate which they should, they should get rid of the worst color combo in sports. Purple and yellow

hahahaha....wow. That dude has lost his mind.

It just does not work for me. I'm fine with the purple don't get me wrong but yellow kills every color combo. Remember this?

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

If the Vikings relocate which they should, they should get rid of the worst color combo in sports. Purple and yellow

hahahaha....wow. That dude has lost his mind.

It just does not work for me. I'm fine with the purple don't get me wrong but yellow kills every color combo.

Agree to disagree for sure. What about the Packers?!?

[DeFrank]

If the Vikings relocate which they should, they should get rid of the worst color combo in sports. Purple and yellow

hahahaha....wow. That dude has lost his mind.

It just does not work for me. I'm fine with the purple don't get me wrong but yellow kills every color combo.

Agree to disagree for sure. What about the Packers?!?

Yellow makes these:

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

If the Vikings relocate which they should, they should get rid of the worst color combo in sports. Purple and yellow

hahahaha....wow. That dude has lost his mind.

It just does not work for me. I'm fine with the purple don't get me wrong but yellow kills every color combo.

Agree to disagree for sure. What about the Packers?!?

Yellow makes these:

Redskins going to gold pants is probably the best decision the franchise has made in the last 12 years. What's scary is, that's not that far-fetched of a statement.

[phutmasterflex]

Yellow works fine if the contrasting color is dark and heavy, like the Pack's green or the Redskins' burgundy. It's fine on the Vikes because the purple is a dark color. Maybe a little darker would be nice, but it's fine as is.

[kpbl_design]

Not feelin' em this year... then again, I am a basic one color with team logo flex-fit man.

Harry and Pat have valid points... being on the other side of the fence, I'm sure the majority of people on these boards aren't aware of all the work that goes into presenting a finalized product. I don't think I speak for myself when I say sometimes I can be a little bummed at the end of a project because an idea has deviated so far from its' initial concept and direction. There are a lot of great ideas brought to the table in initial rounds of development, but designers can only do so much to ensure that their concepts reach latter phases of a project.

It's easy to throw little concepts up on these boards and bash them, but I wonder if a lot of people ever consider that an artist probably fought hard (and yes, it is a fight at times to get your point across) to put what they felt was a better idea in front of people that make decisions on stuff like this... Probably not. The truth of the matter is it can be a rather exhausting process at times... There are a few projects I've worked on that started off with so much enthusiasm that drove me to the point where I couldn't wait to be done with it! Season after season, months of conceptualization, revisions, late changes, conversions, etc. can lead to a lot of mental wear and tear at times... it can actually be physically exhausting!

IMO, when dealing with clients like the NFL, NBA, etc., a lot of times, there's a lot bigger discussion than whether or not something "looks good"... and even if it were solely based on that aspect alone, the people making the calls may have a different opinion than yours.

I know I may be preaching to the choir for some of you on here, but due to my own personal experiences on these boards, that's probably why I'm a little less judgmental and heavy-handed when it comes to constructive criticism than some of you are.