Looks that are TOO similar

[TheRealPepman]

[DolphinManatee]

I tried.

[Fox]

Here's my favorite team:

The University of Wisconiana-Louishoma Cardinal Crimson Cornbacks Knightpack.

To me, the only one that's really too close is Indiana and Oklahoma. The both have interlocking letter helmet logos, Sooners and Hoosiers sounds similar (maybe that's a stretch) and the font for their wordmarks above the numbers are way too similar. At least some of these other teams have parts of the uniform that make them distinctive.

[Sport]

I'm almost certain that Indiana was deliberately trying to look like Oklahoma.

[OnWis97]

Here's my favorite team:

The University of Wisconiana-Louishoma Cardinal Crimson Cornbacks Knightpack.

To me, the only one that's really too close is Indiana and Oklahoma. The both have interlocking letter helmet logos, Sooners and Hoosiers sounds similar (maybe that's a stretch) and the font for their wordmarks above the numbers are way too similar. At least some of these other teams have parts of the uniform that make them distinctive.

I tend to agree. When Indiana first came out with those uniforms, they looked even more like OU. I wonder whether they actually modeled them after OU. Otherwise, yeah, there are a lot of teams that use red as a school color.

I don't feel that the Wisconsin/Nebraska situation is as bad as some think, as you look at the number fonts, the thickness of the sleeve stripes, the double-stripe on Wisconsin's helmet, etc., though the "Nebraska-copying" move that Alvarez did could be scaled back.

Edit: I was typing this as McCarthy was saying the same thing. What's funny is that I like this Indiana uniforms enough that I don't care. I think they did a double-stripe down the helmet for a year. Maybe they need that back, go red with the facemask, etc. just to distinguish themselves in some way.

[OnWis97]

Actually the similarities I hate most come from templating. The below uniforms are not similar in terms of color, etc, but they have the same exact tire-tread pattern and wordmark style/font. This was one of my first lessons on the idea of the designs being about the manufacturer more than the team/school.


Actually, the first, I think was this:


Some of the templates of today are not so obvious, but still, I'd rather teams get more involved and that their uniforms not be used as manufacturer billboards. Yes, you can easilly tell Clemson and Minnesota apart, but I'd still call them "too similar".

[TheRealPepman]

Actually the similarities I hate most come from templating. The below uniforms are not similar in terms of color, etc, but they have the same exact tire-tread pattern and wordmark style/font. This was one of my first lessons on the idea of the designs being about the manufacturer more than the team/school.

Actually, the first, I think was this:

Some of the templates of today are not so obvious, but still, I'd rather teams get more involved and that their uniforms not be used as manufacturer billboards. Yes, you can easilly tell Clemson and Minnesota apart, but I'd still call them "too similar".

They were all Converse schools. They were doing what Adidas and Nike's been doing now for their schools.

[DC in Da House w/o a Doubt]

Speaking of looks that are too similar... those designs on the shorts and:

[pepis21]

Asseco Prokom Gdynia:

and old Trefl Sopot logo:

Dallas Mavericks:

and Anwil Wloclawek:

[hockey week]

Actually the similarities I hate most come from templating. The below uniforms are not similar in terms of color, etc, but they have the same exact tire-tread pattern and wordmark style/font. This was one of my first lessons on the idea of the designs being about the manufacturer more than the team/school.

Actually, the first, I think was this:

Some of the templates of today are not so obvious, but still, I'd rather teams get more involved and that their uniforms not be used as manufacturer billboards. Yes, you can easilly tell Clemson and Minnesota apart, but I'd still call them "too similar".

They were all Converse schools. They were doing what Adidas and Nike's been doing now for their schools.

Well in that case:

I hate that these two teams use the exact same template. It's one thing to have a template, it's another to have them nearly exact in said template.

[prof]

[AndrewPF]

Can anyone honestly tell what team this next guy plays for? Probably, but it shouldn't be this hard.

others?

Easy one, the Bills ...

The white ski-mask totally gives it away. That's Henry Jones, looks like the 1992 uniform set

Idk who ski-mask guy is, but #29 is Tito Wooten of the New York Giants.

(is your mind blown?!)

You're right, and I don't know how this is even a question. Judging by the first photo, the stroke around the Gmen's numbers was much thinner than that on the Bills', so for our purposes right now, it's very easy to see that we're looking at the Giants. That said, for someone at the time who didn't analyze uniforms like we do, this must have been terribly confusing.

[Lights Out]

How did the NFL even ever approve those Bills and Giants uniforms? One would think they could have easily noticed how overly similar they were and made one team switch to a different design. Did they just not care?

[IceCap]

How did the NFL even ever approve those Bills and Giants uniforms? One would think they could have easily noticed how overly similar they were and made one team switch to a different design. Did they just not care?

It was a different time. Branding wasn't what it is today.

[goforbroke]

How did the NFL even ever approve those Bills and Giants uniforms? One would think they could have easily noticed how overly similar they were and made one team switch to a different design. Did they just not care?

It was a different time. Branding wasn't what it is today.

Also don't forget the players did wear different color helmets. The Bills wore white and then red with that design. The Giants always wore blue. Different helmets and Pants make a very similar jersey look like an entirly different uniform. Re-post of what I had earler with current Giants/49ers:

When worn without the helmets and pants, the San Fransisco 49ers and New York Giants jerseys are very similar:

And yet no one is confusing these two teams:

[bleuet]

In some cases, the lookalike is intented, like the swiss Friboug Gotteron HC and the habs.

[pianoknight]

Here's my favorite team:

The University of Wisconiana-Louishoma Cardinal Crimson Cornbacks Knightpack.

To me, the only one that's really too close is Indiana and Oklahoma. The both have interlocking letter helmet logos, Sooners and Hoosiers sounds similar (maybe that's a stretch) and the font for their wordmarks above the numbers are way too similar. At least some of these other teams have parts of the uniform that make them distinctive.

I tend to agree. When Indiana first came out with those uniforms, they looked even more like OU. I wonder whether they actually modeled them after OU. Otherwise, yeah, there are a lot of teams that use red as a school color.

I don't feel that the Wisconsin/Nebraska situation is as bad as some think, as you look at the number fonts, the thickness of the sleeve stripes, the double-stripe on Wisconsin's helmet, etc., though the "Nebraska-copying" move that Alvarez did could be scaled back.

Edit: I was typing this as McCarthy was saying the same thing. What's funny is that I like this Indiana uniforms enough that I don't care. I think they did a double-stripe down the helmet for a year. Maybe they need that back, go red with the facemask, etc. just to distinguish themselves in some way.

+1 on your Nebraska / Wisconsin analysis. As a fan of one of those teams (and a uniform junkie) I have absolutely no problem distinguishing the Huskers and Badgers on the field.

The biggest giveaway is the sleeve. Wisconsin's stripes are thinner and the numbers sort of sit on top of the stripe itself. Both stripes and numbers are crammed into the vertical "side" of the sleeve. Nebraska's stripes take up the entire "side" and the TV numbers are on top of the shoulders.

Also, the Husker jersey patch, worn on the (player's) left chest. That patch has been a staple for at least 20ish years. FWIW, the picture of Rex Burkhead above is from 2011 and the "extra" patch on the right side was an inaugural "Big Red in the Big Ten" patch.

[JaxNoles]

Here's my favorite team:

The University of Wisconiana-Louishoma Cardinal Crimson Cornbacks Knightpack.

To me, the only one that's really too close is Indiana and Oklahoma. The both have interlocking letter helmet logos, Sooners and Hoosiers sounds similar (maybe that's a stretch) and the font for their wordmarks above the numbers are way too similar. At least some of these other teams have parts of the uniform that make them distinctive.

I tend to agree. When Indiana first came out with those uniforms, they looked even more like OU. I wonder whether they actually modeled them after OU. Otherwise, yeah, there are a lot of teams that use red as a school color.

I don't feel that the Wisconsin/Nebraska situation is as bad as some think, as you look at the number fonts, the thickness of the sleeve stripes, the double-stripe on Wisconsin's helmet, etc., though the "Nebraska-copying" move that Alvarez did could be scaled back.

Edit: I was typing this as McCarthy was saying the same thing. What's funny is that I like this Indiana uniforms enough that I don't care. I think they did a double-stripe down the helmet for a year. Maybe they need that back, go red with the facemask, etc. just to distinguish themselves in some way.

+1 on your Nebraska / Wisconsin analysis. As a fan of one of those teams (and a uniform junkie) I have absolutely no problem distinguishing the Huskers and Badgers on the field.

The biggest giveaway is the sleeve. Wisconsin's stripes are thinner and the numbers sort of sit on top of the stripe itself. Both stripes and numbers are crammed into the vertical "side" of the sleeve. Nebraska's stripes take up the entire "side" and the TV numbers are on top of the shoulders.

Also, the Husker jersey patch, worn on the (player's) left chest. That patch has been a staple for at least 20ish years. FWIW, the picture of Rex Burkhead above is from 2011 and the "extra" patch on the right side was an inaugural "Big Red in the Big Ten" patch.

Yeah, Wisconsin is the one scoring all the points...

[Mingjai]

St. Cloud State has nice combination of Canadiens and Blackhawks uniforms:

When the Huskies play Norris division rival Wisconsin, they'll have half of the Original Six covered.

[hockey week]

St. Cloud State has nice combination of Canadiens and Blackhawks uniforms:

When the Huskies play Norris division rival Wisconsin, they'll have half of the Original Six covered.

Again, thousands of examples like this. It's more rare for a college or ACHA or Junior team to have an original identity than one based on a major league one.