Being young, and not knowing there was a pattern that existed in its determination, I used to wait with increased fervor to catch that first glimpse of a jersey. I wanted to find out if the picture I'd created in my mind's eye of what this year's big game was going to look like was right or wrong.
Was what I'd hoped for going to be correct or was I going to be disappointed in what I was going to watch?
When Tim, Rob, and I were first organizing this site and we'd determined that we'd include a semi-periodic blog, I set out to brain-storm a few topics that I would enjoy reading/seeing.
To be honest, after doing some uniform tweak concepts and the "If Now Was Then" concepts, this current series was one the first ideas I actually had...namely, "Did We Get the Best Looking Game" from a uniform point of view?
Over the remainder of the season, I will be illustrating five games each week - what they looked like AND what they could have looked like. I will include my stance and preference as well as give you, the viewer, the opportunity to cast your vote for each year's game for the ACTUAL combo or the ALTERNATE combo.
While the ACTUAL combos will accurately depict any patches worn during the game, the ALTERNATES I've put together will not be sporting those patches.
We'll show you each Super Bowl ACTUAL and ALTERNATE combos and then give you a chance to vote for which one you like better, and we can determine once and for all if they "got the right matchup." Let's start at the beginning...
1966 (I) - Kansas City (AFL) vs. Green Bay (NFL)
ACTUAL - This was the game we saw in 1966. As the established league, the NFL was awarded 'home team' status and wore their typical green over yellow combination. Kansas City would not break up their mono-white road apparel for another two seasons.
ALTERNATE - However, what if the NFL had allowed the AFL to be the home team? True, there would have been a lack of the green but having the white jersey for Green Bay and the white pants of the Chiefs balances the whites out a little better.
EDGE: ALTERNATE
1967 (II) - GreenBay (NFL) vs. Oakland (AFL)
ACTUAL: A Silver and Black debut. Although they probably wish to forget their performance, I just can't picture the Raiders debuting in the title game without their black jersey combo.
ALTERNATE: By itself, this combination would not be bad. However, compared to the opposite combination that we did get for this game, it finishes in second place.
EDGE: ACTUAL
1968 (III) - N.Y. Jets (AFL) vs. Baltimore (NFL)
ACTUAL: Not much to go on between the two choices here as both teams feature mono-white road combos. This combo takes a marginal lead due to the Jets' road jerseys having more green on the sleeves than the Colts' have blue on their road jerseys.
ALTERNATE: The Colts' road combo just doesn't have as much color to play off of the Jets' green. There's just too much white here.
EDGE: ACTUAL
1969 (IV) - Minnesota (NFL) vs. Kansas City (AFL)
ACTUAL: Like the alternate for the game two years earlier, by itself, this pairing is not bad.
ALTERNATE: However, compared to the alternate pairing here, the addition of the red pants would clearly have put this combo over the top.
EDGE: ALTERNATE
1970 (V) - Baltimore (AFC) vs. Dallas (NFC)
ACTUAL: The fact that the NFL had a rule that said a team's color jersey was there de facto home jersey seems a bit silly. The silly like Earl Bennett getting fined for "wearing 1-color cleats when the color in question is, in fact, a team color" kind of silly. In hindsight, I'm kinda glad we got to see this pairing. We'd never get to see this combo pairing today as the Colts wear blue at home and the Cowboys still prefer their whites.
ALTERNATE: Had the Colts been the home team, this would have been the pairing we'd have seen. Pretty good look, if I do say so myself. Especially considering that the Cowboys' blues and silvers actually matched - once upon a time!
EDGE: ALTERNATE
So, after the first five games, I put the score at ALTERNATE - 3, ACTUAL - 2.
See you next week for games 6-10.
Bill Schaefer
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