The NFL has alternate uniforms figured out

[Kevin W.]

The NFL is looking to tighten the restrictions on alternate uniform use. I'm guessing this might be part of a greater preemptive action to prevent Nike from doing anything crazy when they take over the uniforms in 2012.

It would be nice if the NCAA did the same and quashed this Nikegon nonsense.

[sportsfan0518]

The NFL is looking to tighten the restrictions on alternate uniform use. I'm guessing this might be part of a greater preemptive action to prevent Nike from doing anything crazy when they take over the uniforms in 2012.

It would be nice if the NCAA did the same and quashed this Nikegon nonsense.

Wait no alternate uniforms during SNF and MNF?????? Huge mistake.

[Legend]

Wow, gotta love unwarranted steps taken by a league that can't even figure out it's finances.

Yes, lets not let teams wear jerseys on a larger stage that may allow them to be seen by more and thus purchased by more to help the distorted finances of the league.

And of course, taking away celebrations and alternate jerseys just continues to show how stupid this sport is getting, and why I'm not sure how much I care it won't be on.

Teams should be allowed to wear whatever they wwant whenever they want. This league is getting absurd with their rules about color matching bull and what socks can or can't be worn. Yet they have a whole month with pink?

What a freaking joke.

[phutmasterflex]

Partially good because some teams who have ugly alternates (like Arizona) can't blind an entire country with their nonsense. But some teams have good alternates that I think are good (like Houston).

But this makes sense in terms of brand recognizability

[BigDmo]

No, the NCAA doesn't need to adopt nazi-like uniform rules

It makes the NFL stale and boring and would certainly make NCAA football just as boring visually.

Nice shot at Oregon too lol, clever

[Kevin W.]

No, the NCAA doesn't need to adopt nazi-like uniform rules

You say "nazi-like," the rest of us say "sensible." God bless Godwin's law.

I'm not even going to bother arguing your second point because we've already been down that road plenty of times. You're wrong and that's it.

[vmd9]

No, the NCAA doesn't need to adopt nazi-like uniform rules

It makes the NFL stale and boring and would certainly make NCAA football just as boring visually.

Nice shot at Oregon too lol, clever

I agree, I get so tired of the teams that wear the same two uniforms all season. There has to be some variety and at least mix it up a little bit. As much as I love my Browns, they're all white uniforms bore the hell out of me. Home Brown/White is perfect, but please they need to bring back the orange and brown pants!

If I had my choice I'd say each team can have 3 jerseys, 3 pants, and 2 helmets max. Of course, most teams only have 2 different sets, but a lot of teams can get creative. I've always thought teams could have some cool alternate helmets like a red falcons, blue chargers, silver seahawks, black panthers, and red or white texans.

One of the things I like better about NCAA is the variety, and most fans love the alternate jerseys.

[MidnightSun]

this imo is pretty stupid.

the rules are fine the way they are, they're pretty restricted as it is. there's no reason why a team shouldn't be able to wear their alts on monday night or in week 12, in fact a lot of teams (like the Texans) wear their alts against specific teams and that would eliminate that.

dumb.

[TalktoChuck]

I'd hardly call it dumb. In a business as big as the NFL brand recognizably is crucial. And making sure that your teams wear their primary uniforms when playing on national television will help a ton with brand recognizably. This is also why they limit teams to one helmet (besides throwbacks), so that they can be instantly recognized by fans. This, while not a necessary change, definitely is not a dumb one.

[BigDmo]

No, the NCAA doesn't need to adopt nazi-like uniform rules

You say "nazi-like," the rest of us say "sensible." God bless Godwin's law.

I'm not even going to bother arguing your second point because we've already been down that road plenty of times. You're wrong and that's it.

LOL. All hail mighty Kevin.

Didn't mean to strike a nerve with my 'wrongness'. I forgot I'm not entitled to an opinion since I'm an Oregon fan.

Where's Ice_Cap to call you out for breaking out Mr. Broad Stroke

[tajmccall]

No, the NCAA doesn't need to adopt nazi-like uniform rules

You say "nazi-like," the rest of us say "sensible." God bless Godwin's law.

I'm not even going to bother arguing your second point because we've already been down that road plenty of times. You're wrong and that's it.

[Lights Out]

This is so stupid. Why does Goodell feel the need to create an overly-strict rule for everything? He's going to ruin the NFL at this rate.

[Hat Boy]

I agree, I get so tired of the teams that wear the same two uniforms all season. There has to be some variety and at least mix it up a little bit.

Really? The 8 days a year you have to see your Browns in white/white is so horrible for you?

there's no reason why a team shouldn't be able to wear their alts on monday night or in week 12,

dumb.

If MNF is your big showcase game and you want to showcase your brand to the most people possible, you can't have the Jets wearing Titans throwbacks. I am not saying it is good or bad for us, but the way the NFL markets/brands itself, it makes sense.

[rams80]

Ehh...the league's trying to focus on its core branding. Nothing wrong with that. The problem with the 3rds is that some of them are glorified fashion jerseys, others are BFBS randomness, and most of the rest are throwbacks to any period from the 90s (Rams) to the 30s (Packers) and all that in between. Given the NFL's penchant for trying to push single standardized identities, the 3rds are unworkable.

Besides. These are athletes who are getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars at minimum to play. If they need clothes to get keyed up for a big primetime game....

/They don't need clothes to get keyed up.

[Billy B]

I get where the NFL is coming from if they do adopt these rules. You have to realize how big of an audience that the NFL has and that not all of the fans know all of the alternates or every team's history of throwbacks. If you turn on MNF and the Jets are in Titans uniforms or the Packers are in their 30s throwbacks, there will be people that have no idea who is playing. I'm not saying that these rules are all good, but I can definitely see why the NFL would want stricter uniform rules.

[hormone]

What about the teams like the Rams who have 3 sets of pants? Would they have to pick a strict set to appear with each jersey?

[Gothamite]

Ehh...the league's trying to focus on its core branding. Nothing wrong with that. The problem with the 3rds is that some of them are glorified fashion jerseys, others are BFBS randomness, and most of the rest are throwbacks to any period from the 90s (Rams) to the 30s (Packers) and all that in between. Given the NFL's penchant for trying to push single standardized identities, the 3rds are unworkable.

1929, actually.

I think the NFL is 100% correct with this proposed rule, and I hope that it is adopted as-is. Sure, create an alternate if you want to sell more merchandise. But on the big stages, you wear your best uniform. If that's your alternate, then make the alternate the primary.

Frankly, I'd get rid of the alternate pants as well. There aren't enough games to justify being that bored with uniforms.

Alternate helmets or road/home helmets would weaken the overall branding of the league. No other sport can identify its teams by a uniform component.

If I have any complaint with the NFL, it's that they don't enforce the uniforms regulations enough. See "jersey sleeves, linemen's".

[BBTV]

I'm a little shocked that people don't get what's behind this. It doesn't make any sense that the only time anyone ever gets to see the Texans, they don't look like the Texans, or the Jets look like the old Titans, etc. NFL teams used to have the strongest brands in all of sports, and for the most part still do, but it's better to get this under control before idiot owners start going too far. In this era of revenue sharing, the strength of each team's brand is important to all of the other teams, so handling this at a league level is perfectly appropriate. Besides - if you need "special" uniforms for big games, all that does is send the message that your regular uniforms aren't special and the games you play in them aren't important.

[Blue Falcon]

You have to realize how big of an audience that the NFL has and that not all of the fans know all of the alternates or every team's history of throwbacks.

Heresy!! Sacrilege!!

If you turn on MNF and the Jets are in Titans uniforms or the Packers are in their 30s throwbacks, there will be people that have no idea who is playing.

I agree in the cases of the Jets wearing the blue-and-mustard Titans uniforms, and the Broncos in the brown-and-mustard unis, and the Eagles in the yellow-and-light blue 1930s uniforms.

Those teams could easily have used throwbacks that were more readily identifiable with their current brand...the Eagles in the 74-95 unis, or the 94 throwbacks would have been fine...the Jets should have used the 78-89 Sack Exchange unis, while the Broncos should have just used the 68-96 Orange Crush unis.

[TheOldRoman]

I'm a little shocked that people don't get what's behind this. It doesn't make any sense that the only time anyone ever gets to see the Texans, they don't look like the Texans, or the Jets look like the old Titans, etc. NFL teams used to have the strongest brands in all of sports, and for the most part still do, but it's better to get this under control before idiot owners start going too far. In this era of revenue sharing, the strength of each team's brand is important to all of the other teams, so handling this at a league level is perfectly appropriate. Besides - if you need "special" uniforms for big games, all that does is send the message that your regular uniforms aren't special and the games you play in them aren't important.

Absolutely correct. Now, hopefully Goddell starts enforcing rules that are on the books, particularly with socks and sleeves covering pads. If players are willing to take a $15,000 fine every game just to wear wrong socks, triple it each time they wear the incorrect look. It will sink in with them when they are playing entire games for charity.