Week 12 Uniform Matchup Rankings

Before I get going, Bill just posted a GREAT blog on what the Cowboys have in store this year's Thanksgiving game, please check it out!

14) Panthers-Dolphins:  CAR in black/silver, MIA in white/white.  You don't want to see the Panthers suffer in all black, so this usual combo at Miami is proper.  And the Dolphins surprise absolutely no one in all white.  It is a rather so-so encounter.

13) Broncos-Patriots:  DEN in white/white, NE in navy/silver.  Though these two are perennial contenders, this matchup is not really giving me the excitement.  Lot of navy, slivers of orange and red, and a dose of silver.  Patriots had the chance to pull a coup and go all navy, but that - alas - was a pipe dream. So is this matchup.

12) Bears-Rams:  CHI in white/navy, STL in navy/navy.  A little much on the navy.  A case of nice unis separately, but together, too much darkness.  Rams in white pants would have bumped this matchup some.  It is still pretty good as I see it, though.

11) Jaguars-Texans:  JAX in white/black, HOU in navy/navy.  Another freakishly dark matchup. At least the Jags goofy helmet breaks the dark monotony.  I like the Texans rare all navy look, but it could have been helped if the Jaguars had gone all white for this one.

10) Steelers-Browns:  PIT in white/yellow, CLE in brown/brown.  A new wrinkle in this 60+ year old rivalry. Browns go all chocolate for the second time this season and do it against their nemesis, who wear their usual whites and yellows.  Not nearly as excited as when the Browns wore the all brown look earlier, but it does drop a log on the fire against their close neighbors.

9) Buccaneers-Lions:  TB in white/pewter, DET in honolulu blue/silver.  A lot of metal, but the pewter mixes well with the silver.  And the red and black trim blends well with that magnificent Lions blue and a touch of black.

8) Jets-Ravens:  NYJ in white/white, BAL in purple/black.  The Ravens carry the load in this pairing.  I am pleased to see the Ravens break out the purple and black, which is definitely the best look for them against the Jets head to toe whiteness.  Had the Jets at least considered either green pants and or even green socks, could have been better.

7) Saints-Falcons:  NO in white/black, ATL in red/white.  Long time rivals usually look good when playing each other, and this game is no exception.  While there's plenty of black to go around, there's a lot of red and gold to trim.  Sharp matchup.

6) Cowboys-Giants:  DAL in white/mint, NYG in blue/white.  The Giants know when to wear their new white pants.  This was and is a good opportunity.  The white pants save the game from gray/minty overkill, and it does seem to make the blue jerseys pop a little and really works well off the Cowboy normals.  A-OK matchup.

5) Chargers-Chiefs:  SD in white/navy, KC in red/white.  Nothing out of the ordinary in this traditional matchup, but it is a good one.  Chargers look good with the white jerseys and navy pants, trimmed neatly in yellow when matched up with the Chiefs red and yellows.  I'm fond of this one.

4) 49ers-Redskins:  SF in white/gold, WSH in burgundy/yellow.  Reds and golds.  In various tones.  Niners wear the rather generic whites, but the bright red numbers and trim go well.  The Redskins in burgundy, with helpings of yellow.  I like how this one works.  Not too much of the reds, golds, and even whites, but a perfect blend of the shades.  Good one.

3) Titans-Raiders:  TEN in white/navy, OAK in black/silver.  For whatever reason, I think this is winner.  Not too much of any good thing here.  Raider sleek in silver and black, Titans looking good in the white and navy combo with columbia blue on the sleeves.  I enjoy this one.

2) Vikings-Packers:  MIN in white/purple, GB in green/yellow. Classic look in my eyes when I see the Vikes in delicious purple (pants wise) while the Pack go in the sweet green and yellow combo.  Very colorful, not too much darkness or white.  Rather sweet, I think.

1) Colts-Cardinals:  IND in white/white, ARZ in red/red.  After a year's absence, the Cardinals red slacks return, and they picked the perfect opponent to do so, the white-white Colts.  The Cardinals go all red and it contrasts sharply and perfectly against the stark white, and the Colts slight blue trim.  Good move.

We at the Gridiron Uniform Database would like to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

What's Longer Than 'Once in a Blue Moon?' - UPDATE

Our friend at Uni Watch, Phil Hecken, posted some breaking news earlier.

On Thanksgiving Day the Dallas Cowboys will not wear white jerseys at home.

On Thanksgiving Day the Dallas Cowboys will not wear their fauxback navy jerseys at home.

Instead, they will wear their beautiful, navy jerseys that...wait for it....wait for it...MATCH!

For the first time, they will wear their regular road navy (the road jerseys didn't actually become navy until 1981 and were basically royal blue before that) jerseys at home. The regular blue/navy jersey has not been worn at home since 1963 when they last wore their standard royal blue home jersey - their original uniform.

10/13/1963 -  Detroit at Dallas - courtesy of Getty Images

11/21/1993 - NFL's first throwback uniform - courtesy of Getty Images

During the NFL's 75th Anniversary Season in 1994, teams began the trend of wearing what would become known as throwback jerseys/uniforms. The New York Jets actually wore a throwback uniform the previous year in honor of their Super Bowl III triumph, however, they wore their regular green helmets instead of a white throwback design. In 1994, the Cowboys assembled a fairly accurate throwback to their early 1960s design, except they chose to wear the normal silver helmet instead of using a white one. They only wore the combination once for a Monday Night game against Detroit.

9/19/1994 - Detroit at Dallas

In 1994 the Cowboys also designed a white, alternate 'fauxback' jersey.  A navy, alternate 'fauxback' jersey followed in 1995 (worn again in 2001).

Left - 1994 NFL 75th Anniversary white 'fauxback' - courtesy of Getty Images
Center - 1995 navy 'fauxback' styled alternate jersey - courtesy of Getty Images
Right - 2004-2012 navy 'fauxback' styled alternate jersey - courtesy NFL.com

From 2004-2012 the Cowboys utilized a different 'fauxback' uniform. This one was basically a navy version of the Cowboys' first uniforms worn from 1960-63 replacing the royal blue that was used back then.

Anyways, I got to thinking about how infrequently the Cowboys actually use their gorgeous navy jerseys - rarely more than once or twice per year in recent years. Then I began to wonder...how many teams are there in the League that have never faced the Cowboys in their navy jerseys?

Since the end of the 1963 season, the Cowboys have essentially had the same home and road white and blue combos, with the aforementioned change from royal to navy in 1981. We are talking about 50 years of Dallas Cowboys football!

Here's what I found for teams making the Cowboys wear the regular, non-throwback, non-fauxback, blue jerseys...

Washington (29) - 1964, 1981-94, 1996-2000, 2002-09
                           * - twice in 1982 including NFC Championship Game
St.Louis/Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals (26) - 1964-66, 1970-83, 1989-94, 1997, 2000, 2002
Philadelphia (16) - 1971, 1973, 1980, 1983, 1985-89, 1992-93, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2006-07
                            * - 1980 was the NFC Championship Game
Cleveland (10) - 1964-70, 1979, 1988, 2008
New York Giants (7) - 1980-81, 1983-87
Carolina (5) - 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2012
                   * - both 1996 and 2003 were playoff games
Los Angeles/St.Louis Rams (4) - 1969, 1978, 2008
                                                 * - twice in 1978 including NFC Championship Game
Miami (3) - 1978, 1996, 2007
New Orleans (3) - 1967-68, 1971
Pittsburgh (3) - 1966-67, 1969
San Diego (3) - 1983, 1986, 2013
Tampa Bay (3) - 1990, 2003, 2009
Baltimore/Indianapolis Colts (2) - 1970, 1981
                                                     * - 1970 was Super Bowl V
New England (2) - 2003, 2011
Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans (2) - 1974, 1982
Atlanta (1) - 1989
Buffalo (1) - 1984
Denver (1) - 1980
Houston (1) - 2002
Jacksonville (1) - 2006
New York Jets (1) - 1987
San Francisco (1) - 1979

That's 123 times in about 50 years, averaging a little more than twice per year. This also means that there are nine teams that have never faced the vaunted, navy jerseys. That list will drop to eight should the Cowboys follow through and wear the navy jerseys this Thursday against the Raiders.  Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, Detroit, Green Bay, Kansas City, Minnesota, and Seattle would remain.

This list could remain intact for a while as most of these teams are not known for wearing white jerseys at home too often. The most likely to do so would probably be Baltimore or maybe Cincinnati. The others, not so likely.

The most the navy/blue jerseys have been worn in a single season is five times in 1983. They have been worn on four occassions in a season ten times (1966, 1978, 1980-82, 1986-87, 1989, 1996, & 2003).

It's odd. Watching Cowboy games in Dallas, when the cameras pan the audience, I usually see a lot more navy jerseys than white. (I actually see the same thing viewing Dolphin home games, too, with their fans opting for the aqua jerseys. Look for it!)

One thing is certain, if it happens, the uniform match-up Thursday afternoon will be a pairing never before seen in the history of regular or post-season NFL games.  Who knows. Maybe wearing these navy jerseys at home will bring the team luck and may start a trend of Dallas wearing them more often at home next year. One can only dream.

Bill Schaefer

***UPDATE***
It seems I beat our Timmy B. to the punch as he was in the middle of organizing the same type of article. He passed on to me the following photo of the last time the Cowboys wore their regular blue jerseys for a home game...December 8, 1963, at the Cotton Bowl, against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Week 11 Uniform Matchup Rankings

 Here they come, for the 11th time.

15) Falcons-Buccaneers:  ATL in white/white, TB in red/pewter.  More of the bland, I'm afraid.  Red in acceptable doses, and black and pewter compliment well, but placed together, these two sets just simply come up short. 

14) Jets-Bills:  NYJ in white/white, BUF in blue/white.  Lots of white for all.  Jets continue to eschew (who "eschews" anyway??) any semblance of green, like pants and/or socks, when wearing white shirts this season, and even with the Bills in blue, it cannot help. 

13) Cardinals-Jaguars:  ARZ in white/white, JAX in black/black.  Bummer.  Cardinals could have worn red pants, Jags could have worn teal jerseys.  Stark contrast here.  But, the red-heavy white jerseys of the Cardinals does play somewhat well off the Jags teal sleeves.  Not one of my faves for the week.

12) Raiders-Texans:  OAK in white/silver, HOU in navy/white.  Another mundane matchup.  Raiders with their somewhat generic look in white and the Texans in a good set of navy and white. So, not a visually appealing game from here, though some may certainly dffer.

11) Colts-Titans:  IND in white/white, TEN in columbia blue/white.  The Titans, since they formed their current identity in 1999, have worn a possible 8 out of 9 uni combos.  At last, they wore the ninth and final combo, light blue jerseys and white pants.  And it would have worked against virtually any other team but the Colts. Just a lot - a lot - of blue, and plenty of white.  While I commend the Titans for breaking out this unique combo, it just comes up short against the Colts in the all whites.

10) Redskins-Eagles:  WSH in white/yellow, PHI in green/white.  I know that the burgundy pants have been mothballed, but I think sporting them here would have a bit of dash for this encounter.  Eagles greens make this palatable.

9) Chargers-Dolphins:  SD in navy/white, MIA in white/white.  With the Dolphins in hopeless all whites, it's up to the Chargers to hold the fort, and surprisingly...they do. As I eyed clips from this game, it's actually a pretty good matchup.  Add a pinch of powder blue, yellow and orange, it's enough to overcome some serious whiteness.

8) Patriots-Panthers:  NE in white/navy, CAR in black/silver.  Aw, I was so hoping to see the Panthers in that all black look with the carolina blue socks.  Tonight wasn't the night for that, but it wasn't bad.  A spinkling of red and carolina blue accessorized well. A moderate dose of silver, certainly not overkill.

7) Packers-Giants:  GB in white/yellow, NYG in blue/gray.  Predictable, but palatable.  Yellow, green, blue, gray and a sprig of red makes this a better than normal matchup.  Not much else to add.

6) Ravens-Bears:  BAL in white/black, CHI in throwback navy/white.  This game will be remembered more for the lengthy weather delay than the unis worn.  But the Bears in the dull but powerful 40's throwback with not a speck of white on the navy jerseys and the Ravens with sleek black slacks make this matchup a rather eye appealer to me.

5) 49ers-Saints:  SF in white/gold, NO in black/black.  So so glad the Saints went all black for this one.  It just would have been way too goldy for me had the Saints went with the metallic pants.  The all blacks swing nicely off the gold, white and red trimmed Niners.  A top half matcher.

4) Browns-Bengals:  CLE in white/brown, CIN in alternate orange/white.  I know this game created UGH's cuz the Browns rocked the ugly brown pants, but actually, this detail really pumped this matchup very well. With the Bengals dressed in orange, it was a plus for a good display of color, even if it was a little jarring to others.

3) Chiefs-Broncos:  KC in white/red, DEN in orange/white.  Aaaah, so nice.  I think I've found my second favorite uni, the Broncos in orange. What's my favorite? I think if you read these installments enough, you'll be able to tell, but I digress.  With the Chiefs in the dynamic white/red combo, this is a sweet visual for me.


2) Lions-Steelers:  DET in white/silver, PIT in throwback yellow-black/khaki.  Sorry, Lions, but almost all of the attention is focused on the Steelers in the "1934" (but as we all know they're actually 1933) throwbacks.  For the third (and hopefully NOT the last) time in two years, the Steelers wear what many call the bumblebee jerseys and they are so far outside the box, that they work wonderfully.  If the Lions would have petitioned the NFL to wear their honolulu blue tops, WOW. They didn't, but it's still a visual thrill.

1) Vikings-Seahawks:  MIN in white/purple, SEA in navy/navy.  So pleased with the Vikes to use the purple pants so liberally this season and when going against the Seahawks in all navy, I get all happy.  The trim colors go so smoothly as well. A dandy matchup.

 We shall return...next week!!

"Silver and Gold, Silver and Gold..."

Just a couple lines from an animated Christmas presentation from my childhood. Maybe "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" or "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town." Not sure which. Pretty sure it was Burl Ives singing as a stop-motion snowman, though.

Back on Thursday, this photo was posted on Uni Watch showing the Lions in their dugout at Tiger (Briggs) Stadium. It clearly shows 3 Lions players wearing the golden helmets worn in 1953.

We know that, in 1953, the Lions broke with tradition and wore gold helmets for all but 1 game (They wore royal blue helmets for a night game against the Colts). We have come across several photos of the gold helmets. Most, if not all, photos of these golden helmets show unusual splotches of green. This characteristic is evident in photos of Bobby Layne's gold helmet as well as Doak Walker's gold helmet on display in the HOF.

                   

We would like your assistance. Can anyone out there inform us how far beyond the 1953 season these 'gold' helmets were still being worn? 

It is my belief that during the next three seasons, 1954-56, some players may simply have told the equipment manager "Don't paint mine silver. Keep it gold." This would explain why all of the silver helmets are nicely painted and completely silver while others still remained golden. We think the dugout photo above is most likely from 1956 - as evidenced by the presence of the TV numbers on the sleeves (Thanks, Tim!). * - As a side note, isn't that an absolutely remarkable shade of blue on those jerseys?

The only problem with this logic is that most of these helmets were reportedly painted on the inside of a clear plastic outer shell. Notice inside both helmets above that the inside of the shell is, at the very least, grey in color.  It is this 'silver' paint inside the helmet that is possibly the culprit here that has purportedly 'degraded' into gold. If this is the case, it would have likely been impossible for an equipment manager to strip this 'silver-paint-gone-bad' out from the inside of the helmet and repaint it on the inner shell with a fresh coat of silver. To me, this indicates that the dugout photo must have players mainly in NEW silver helmets with a few players opting to keep their (possibly) more comfortable, broken-in 'gold' helmets from the 1953 season.

A May 2009 UW lead article also includes one other important snippet of information that I think has been largely overlooked...

"Another issue, which needs edification, is the 'amateurish' greenish splotches [that] adorn the helmet’s shell. One might think that a professional football helmet would never have such discoloration. While that assumption is probably correct even for the 1950s, there is a plausible explanation. The gold paint used during this period was not pure; it was a blend of yellow, golds, and copper. The copper pigments had a tendency to degrade and turn green." The effect of which we still see today on pennies that develop a greenish residue over time. Captions for photos of these helmets have referenced this fact that the gold paint of the era included copper in it. Over time, the copper oxidized and produced green splotches on the helmets

If the helmets were painted on the inside with silver paint and they 'degraded' to the gold color we see, why then are the green splotches - evidence of copper found in 1950s gold paint - present? In addition to my duties as this site's graphic engineer, I make my living teaching high school math, not chemistry or metallurgy. Unless 60-year-old silver paint also contained characteristic amounts of copper like the gold paint is supposed to have, why did the green form at all? Just because the appearance 'turned from silver to gold,' that doesn't mean the chemical composition of the silver paint turned into gold paint. If they were truly painted with silver paint, no green splotches should have ever formed.

Another theory has also been uncovered. On the Helmet Hut website, a question was asked about these very same gold helmets. The response claims that it is not the silver paint that transformed to gold but rather the interior of the clear plastic shell, itself.

This is a great question and our answer may be challenged by readers who believe differently. It is our humble opinion that although some pictures of 1950s Lion's helmets seem to indicate otherwise we believe that the team never wore gold colored helmets on the field. Some fans believe the Lions wore gold helmets to commemorate the multiple NFL championships the team won in the 1950s.

The Lions have primarily used Riddell helmets since the late 1940s. Up until the late 1950s the Riddell helmet shell was made from a clear or see through soft plastic material trademarked "Tenite" by the company. This helmet was referred to as the "RT" or "Riddell Tenite" model. (In the early 1960s Riddell changed their helmet model name to "RK" or "Riddell Kralite" when they switched to a non clear harder plastic material they trademarked "Kralite.") The earlier 1950s clear plastic "Tenite" shells were painted at the Riddell factory on the inside surface of the shell prior to installing the interior suspension. It is interesting to note here that Riddell used clear shells painted on the inside surface long before helmet companies such as Macgregor, Kelly or Maxpro featured the same technique.

The clear soft "Tenite" plastic shell would yellow as it aged. After years of aging the original brilliant silver luster Lion's helmet appeared to turn gold when the highly reflective silver paint was viewed through its yellowing but still translucent plastic shell. If you look at the center ridge of a 1950s Lions helmet it will still appear silver compared to the remainder of the helmet which has seemingly turned gold. Regardless of aging the center ridge retains its original silver appearance because it was originally a separate strip of non clear plastic that was painted silver on its exterior surface. Riddell used this plastic strip as a trim piece to cover the joint where the two halves of the helmet shell were glued together.

Here is some interesting additional information regarding the 1950s Lion's helmets. In the early 1950s NFL teams played several night games and a white colored football was used. The league barred the Lion's from wearing their silver helmets for night games because they felt the white ball when viewed under stadium lighting was too easily camouflaged by the Lion's silver helmets. To comply with the league ruling the Lions painted their helmets blue for night games and then repainted them silver for daytime games until 1955 when the white colored night football was replaced by the conventional brown leather football for all games.


In February 2012, a thread was created in our own Forum. 

In it, a gentleman posted an email he received from the Lions saying that the 1950s helmets had blue stripes (we posted photos showing they did not) and were never intended to be gold. As we were able to prove that the blue stripe never existed, that pretty much calls into question the accuracy of the Lions' recent statement regarding the lack of an intention to 'go to gold helmets.' But another part of this email is even more interesting. 

"For night games, they had to paint their helmets blue because the they too closely resembled the white ball under the lights."

If my bachelor's degree grasp of the English language is still functional, I take this to mean that each player had one helmet. For night games, they were painted blue. Whether this painting was applied to the inside or outside of the helmet makes little difference. The team had the ability to change the color of the helmet. These helmets had to have, at one point, been made gold in color and thereby displaying the tell-tale green residue from the copper used in gold paint. Perhaps some element of gold paint prohibited the team from being able to strip the gold paint from the inside of the shell despite efforts to change its appearance - visible by the grey interiors shown above.

True or not, both the email from the Lions' and the Helmet Hut information still claim that the team was able to paint the helmets blue for night games so why did they not feel the need to change they 'goldening' helmets to the silver they should be unless they wanted them to be gold? Since the helmets were gold for the entire season, it is not likely that on the morning of Week 1 of the 1953 season, the Lions' equipment manager arrived for the game and magically all of the helmets had turned golden overnight. This process had to have taken place over time meaning the team could have changed them if they wanted to - just like wanting to paint them blue for night games.

The other question then is, if the majority of the players had nice silver helmets, why did some retain the 'golden' ones? Sure the reason could be as simply as personal comfort as stated above. But maybe something more devious was at hand.

We already know that back in the 1940s the Lions experimented with wearing 2 different colored helmets - one color for linemen and one color for 'skill' players. It was thought this was done to help the quarterback identify targets downfield. Could these players be wearing the gold helmets amongst the rest of the team's silver ones for some alternative purpose similar to this?

Our lead photo above clearly shows that the majority of the team pictured had pristine silver helmets while a few are of the 'gold' variety. The dugout photo is NOT from 1953 (ie. the TV numbers). 

Whether or not these helmets were INTENDED to be gold or not, it doesn't change the fact that they WERE gold. A modern day comparison, of sorts, would be this year's Minnesota Vikings helmets. The team states that the intention is to match the purples of the helmets with the purple of the rest of the uniform. Clearly the matte purple on the helmets does not match the rest of the uniform and we at GUD depict that. 



What the Lions' dugout photo does is confirm that these gold helmets existed and were clearly different from the standard silver versions.                      
                           
Different theories can exist as to why they ended up the color they were. Did they start silver and turn to gold? Did they start as gold and later develop the characteristic green splotches due to the presence of copper in gold paint? We may never know the 'why.'

The only thing needing clarified remains...If this photo is, indeed, from the 1956 season, it likely indicates that the gold helmets must still have been in use for 1954 and 1955, as well. Just how long after 1953-56 were some Lions still wearing these 'gold' helmets?

Bill Schaefer

Week10 Uniform Matchup Rankings

Just a reminder to visit our newest addition to the GUD, the uniform history of the dearly departed College All-Star Game, which you can find here: http://www.gridiron-uniforms.com/CASGs.html and also the uniform history of the deceased United States Football League: http://usfl.uniformdatabases.com/. Enjoy.

Onto the countdown.

14) Texans-Cardinals:  HOU in white/navy, ARZ in alternate black/white.  As good as the Texans look is here in this game, it is more than canceled by what may be my least favorite uni of all, the Cardinals in black.  The team once known as "Big Red" is reduced to micro red trim and the head of the cardinal on the helmet.  Bottom feeder, this.

13) Rams-Colts:  STL in white/white, IND in blue/white.  Plenty o'white since the Rams chose to go vanilla below the waist.  Plenty o'blue, too, and a touch of gold.  But, really, it isn't that bad.  There was a time when these two played twice annually and all they had was blue and white between the two of them.

12) Dolphins-Buccaneers:  MIA in white/white, TB in red/pewter.  Well, it looks like another year of very drab all white for the 'Fins, which is so very disappointing.  At least the Bucs cover this mess with the unique and strong look of the red jerseys and pewter pants.  Saved from disaster, but not from the bottom half of the rankings.

11) Broncos-Chargers:  DEN in white/white, SD in navy/white.  Seems like lots of navy at the expense of good trim colors that take a deep back seat (orange, yellow and a pinch of powder blue).  So, I guess it's just a rather ho-hummer from me this week.

10) Bengals-Ravens:  CIN in white/black, BAL in purple/black.  Waaay back when, there was a tune called "Black Slacks" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQKxketbUDg and that suits this game. Black pants, black socks and one black helmet.  Too much black?  You betcha!  Ravens shoulda wore white pants and the Bengals coulda worn orange socks.  Woulda been loads better.

9) Eagles-Packers:  PHI in white/white, GB in green/yellow.  Well, here's the dilemma...was very disappointed that the green birds went with an all white look as I so like the white/green Eagles combo, but when paired against the Packers' fab green/yellow, it's probably better because that keeps this from being all greeny.  OK, I'll reluctantly push this up the scale a notch or two.

8) Lions-Bears:  DET in white/silver, CHI in navy/white.  Ancient rivals in ancient tones.  It's a good one, not a great one.  Not as good as when the Bears visit Ford Field.  But this still has navy, silver, and honolulu blue is reduced to a trim color and the orange trim still brighten things up.


7) Jaguars-Titans:  JAX in white/white, TEN in navy/navy.  Titans, after a couple of years of drabbish combos, have let loose once again and rock the all navys for the first time in five years.  Yay!  Off-sets that goofy Jags look.

6) Panthers-49ers:  CAR in white/white, SF in red/gold.  No surprises, and it's just the right touch of metals (gold lids and pants, silver helmets), black letters and numbers trimmed in carolina blue, and those smackin' good Niner red jerseys.  Smart matchup.

5) Raiders-Giants:  OAK in white/silver, NYG in blue/white.  For the first time since 1999, the Giants rock white pants in a game.  The twist is that the stripe combo on the pants keep the gray elements. Strange, but it kinda works.  The choice to go with white trou is solid as it more than off-sets the Raiders normal silver.  Pleasing matchup.

4) Seahawks-Falcons:  SEA in white/navy, ATL in red/white.  I like this one.  Red, white, some black, navy, neon green, make for a wide variety of color, and well versed.  Have always enjoyed the Falcons red jerseys and going against the Seahawks modern whites, this smells like goodness.


3) Redskins-Vikings:  WAS in white/yellow, MIN in purple/white.  Good mix and match colors at play here. No grape juice, just some grapes for the Vikings and the Redskins continue with their burgundy/white/yellow and striped burgundy socks. This be a goody.

2) Cowboys-Saints:  DAL in white/mint, NO in black/black.  Saints always take the time to treat us to an all black look a couple of times a season, something that annoys the heck out of many, but not me.  They know how to make it work.  Paired against the Cowboys white and mint, this fits perfectly.

1) Bills-Steelers:  BUF in white/blue, PIT in black/yellow.  Boy, do I like this color-cade.  Bills in the swe-e-e-t blue pants with bright red trim and the Steelers in the always boffo black/yellow combo.  The best for Week 10.

More to come next week.  Be there!!

The Men against the Boys. The GUD presents the College All-Star Game (1934-1976)

Once upon a time, when the NFL was young and college football was the king of football, a man named Arch Ward, who was a sports columnist for the Chicago Tribune, created the idea of an annual charity game that would be played under the lights of massive Soldiers' Field.  The game would pit the defending National Football League champions against the previous season's consensus College All-Americans, complimented with honorable mentions.  Ward's idea was to have the best of the professionals take on the best of the college players.  It was also intended to show many of the skeptics that the pros were just as good and maybe better than the college stars and put out as high a quality of play as the best of the collegiate players.

1935 All-Stars

The Chicago Charities All-Star Football Game was the formal title of the game, but it came to be commonly known as simply, the College All-Star Game.  Early on, the game was quite competitive, with the All-Stars and the NFL Champs playing on somewhat even terms.  But as the years went by, and the Pros became more sophisticated and two-platoon football became the accepted form of football, the Pros began to dominate.  By the 1970's, the game became a glorified scrimmage for the Super Bowl Champions.  Finally, after the 1976 game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the All-Stars, which was called into the third quarter due to a cloudburst and unruly fans invading the field, the College All-Star Game was laid to rest.

At its peak, the College All-Star Game was arguably as big a football game there was on the calendar, rivaling both the Rose Bowl and the NFL Championship Game in terms of spectacle, importance and popularity.  Radio, and then later, TV ratings for the game were large.  Crowds of 90,000+ were not uncommon, with even a few games featuring over 100,000 fans in attendance!

The Gridiron Uniform Database is pleased to add the Uniform History of the CASG to the site.  Let's do a little synopsis of the uni history of first, the All-Stars, and then the pro champs through the years.

For the All-Stars' first few years, the uniforms were a yellow-gold shade, mainly to represent the "golden" image of the collegiate stars.  

1939 All-Stars

By 1937, the Stars had begun the switch from a "golden" persona to a more patriotic image.  The jerseys changed from yellow-gold to blue with shoulders that had white and red stripes, though the helmets and pants retained the gold.  In 1938, the All-Stars changed to a red jersey with blue shoulders that featured 10 white stars on each shoulder and the pants featured rear stripes with alternating red, white and blue stripes.


By 1939, the All-Stars changed to what would be their signature jersey, a style that would virtually be unchanged for the next 30 years.  The jerseys were royal blue, with white (later silver) shoulders with 10 red stars on either shoulder.  Large white numbers on the front and back, with a rather unique side panel striping that featured sets of red, white and blue horizontal stripes.  The side panel stripes would continue onto the sides of the silver pants from top to bottom, to form a continuous pattern from the armpit to the bottom of the pant leg.  Also in '39, the helmets changed from gold to silver.  

1950 All-Stars

A notable change with the helmet design occurred in 1950.  With the switch from leather lids to plastic, the helmet went from silver to blue, adorned with 4 white stars on either side of the helmet and 2 red stars on the crown of the shell, a rather snazzy look.  The Wilson brand was prominently stamped on the front of the helmet.  

For a couple of years in the late 50's, the All-Stars wore their college helmets from the previous season, before switching to a rather generic white helmet with blue stripes.  In 1969, the side panel/stripes were gone.  The pants went to a rather normal blue/red/blue side stripe.  The shoulders returned to white and were modified with smaller and less red stars.  In 1971, TV numbers were finally added to the sleeves.  In 1972, stars returned to the helmet, and by 1973, nameplates were at long last positioned on the jersey back:

1973 All-Stars

As for the pros, for the most part, they wore their standard jerseys in the early years, and by 1954, the pros would wear their white jerseys for the duration of the CASG.  But there are a few interesting uni items to highlight.  

1937 Green Bay Packers

In 1937, the Green Bay Packers debuted a new design for the CASG, a classic look that would define the Pack for the next 12 years.  The navy jerseys were trimmed in satin and the pants also featured the shiny, shimmery material.  

Only thing is that satin becomes heavy when wet, which can cause a lot of perspiration and on a warm, humid mid-summer night in Chicago, the Packers sweated a lot of collective pounds off.  Legend has it that Packer star back Clarke Hinkle claimed to have lost 30 pounds that night!  The following year (1938), the Redskins sported burgundy jerseys with enormous numbers, perhaps the largest ever seen on a football uniform, gold with white outlines with, of course, satin materials.  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

1954 Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions in 1954 wore a uni combo in CASG that they never may have worn before or since, a blue helmet, white jersey and silver pants.  In 1961, the Philadelphia Eagles sported white jerseys with green northwestern stripes and TV numbers on the shoulders and gray pants, which was certainly not their standard look in 1961. 

1969 New York Jets

And in 1969, the New York Jets took to the dimly lit Soldier Field (so bad was the lighting that the ABC telecast was in black & white rather than in color) not in their normal contrasting sleeve numbered jerseys, but instead in a lightweight generic white jersey with green numbers on the sleeves, without names on the backs (NOB's). 

It would be the following season when the Kansas City Chiefs took the field in their normal away combo that NOBs would make their debut in the CASG.

Credits to our graphic engineer Bill Schaefer to compile the visual history of the CASG, the Chicago Tribune archives, the New York Times for verification of the dates and scores of the CASG, and the excellent website mmbolding.com. which features a detailed history of the CASG.
While the College All-Star Game did not live happily ever after, it certainly served its purpose quite well in its day.  And because of its importance in establishing professional football as the dominant form of football and eventually, the dominant spectator sport in the United States, we welcome the College All-Star Game uniform history to the Gridiron Uniform Database.

Week 9 Uniform Matchup Rankings

Before we get into it, just a reminder that you can find the new United States Football League Uniform Database at: http://usfl.uniformdatabases.com/  We also have a link at the the top of gridiron-uniforms.com.  Just click on the red "USFL UD" icon.  We think you'll like it!

Onto Week 9.

13) Chiefs-Bills:  KC in red/white, BUF in white/white.  So the Bills do a WAH, once a rarity, but now the third season running that they have done at least one game in the WAH.  And sadly, this in the all whites.  The Chiefs with the red jerseys at the Ralph, does add needed brightness for this uni clash.

12) Eagles-Raiders:  PHI in white/white, OAK in black/silver.  Eagles surprise with the all whites against the Raiders black & silver standard.  I think the green pants would have certainly been better here, it just makes the Raiders classic unis a bit better by comparison.

11) Saints-Jets:  NO in white/gold, NYJ in white/green.  Saints decide on gold pants instead of black, and likewise, the Jets decide to keep the trunks on the white side.  That doesn't really hurt this matchup, but I would have preferred one of these two squads in dark pants.  But, for a matchup we seldom see, it looks fine.

10) Vikings-Cowboys:  MIN in purple/white, DAL in white/mint.  Rather predictable, but with the Vikings in a more sweet shade of purple than of recent vintage, this becomes a better looking matchup.  Not really a bad pairing, as seen here.  Silvers, purples, blues with a touch of yellow.

9) Falcons-Panthers:  ATL in white/white, CAR in alternate carolina blue/silver.  Falcons in the rather unremarkable all white combo, but the Panther arrive in the awesome carolina blues, a look that desperately needs to be the primary look for them.  It really makes the Falcons dour whites look better.

8) Ravens-Browns:  BAL in white/black, CLE in brown/white.  This is the best possible uni matchup for this game.  All brown would have looked ugly against the Ravens, whether in this combo or in all white.  So, orange, brown, black and gold makes this one actually more halloweenish than the earlier CIN-MIA game.

7) Buccaneers-Seahawks:  TB in white/pewter, SEA in navy/navy.  While I do like the Seahawks in the all navys, I think a shock change to either the white or (preferably) the gray pants would have moved the uni meter firmly up.  Still, the pewter, black and red of the Bucs are a good contrast to the navy, green and light blue of the 'Hawks.

6) Colts-Texans:  IND in white/white, HOU in alternate red/white.  The Texans do it right with the "battle" reds against the Colts rather mundane whites with the solo blue trim.  Texans in navy would have set the snooze button on high,  But the reds set this one off very nicely.

5) Bengals-Dolphins:  CIN in white/white, MIA in aqua/white.  This is one night (Halloween) where the Bengals should have had free reign to wear their orange alternate jerseys with black pants.  But alas, the Bengals wore all white, with orange socks.  At least we got to see the Dolphins rock the brilliant aqua tops for the second time this season.  A good matchup, but boy, what this could have been...

4) Steelers-Patriots:  PIT in white/yellow, NE in navy/silver.  Memories of when these two would seemingly constantly bebattling with high stakes.  Not so much with the Steelers woes this season, but as far as uni pairings go, this is still playoff caliber.  Sharp blacks, yellows, navys, silvers a pinch of red makes this a nifty one.

3) Titans-Rams:  TEN in white/navy, STL in throwback blue/yellow.  The Rams decided to celebrate their 1999 championship team by going to the era-specific togs.  So it's a reversal of what the two squads wore in that memorable Super Bowl XXXIV game.  This was also the debut of the Bud Adams memorial patch, honoring the recently deceased founder/owner of the Titans. The unis looked fine, the blue and bright yellows of those Rams beauties tease us on what once was.  Good to see them again, and it makes the Titans look good as well.

2) Chargers-Redskins:  SD in white/navy, WSH in throwback burgundy/khaki.  because the NFL decreed earlier that teams can only use one color helmet shell for the season, the Skins were forced to go with their burgundy lids go with the throwbacks.  So, the Redskins shed their stripes, leaving the logos go solo, sort of.  But these ace jerseys look oh so nice, with the bold gold, trimmed in white.  Couple with the Chargers in white and navy, this is one of the better pairings.  Only issue is when the Skins face left, you have the Native American facing one way on the helmet, and the other way on the jersey sleeve.  I'm just as confused as he is!

1) Bears-Packers:  CHI in white/navy, GB in green/yellow.  NOT ashamed to admit that this is probably my favorite uni matchup of all.  Just an abundance of tremendous colors and done so well.  The navy helmets and pants of the Bears, with the perfect dosage of orange, while the Packers rock yellow helmets and pants, with the perfect green jerseys and trim.  Doesn't matter if these two play for first in the standings or first in the draft, it is soooooo gooooood!

A great week of great uniforms for a great game.  See you next week!

Ladies and Gentlemen...The United States Football League! - *UPDATE*

*** - UPDATE - ***
Several inquiries have been made over the last few days due to the recent addition of the USFL uniform collection. The most requested of which has been, "Does this mean that we will be seeing the WFL, CFL, NFL Europe, Arena Leagues, and the early incarnations of the AFL?" To answer these in order, "Maybe, not without several minor miracles, no, definitely no, and not for a long time."

Of the other leagues, the WFL is the most likely to get added eventually.
Without a flawless resource to Canadian newspaper archives, it is likely that this will not happen.
Our feeling is that NFL Europe was run as a developmental (minor) league and so therefore should not be included with those leagues currently displayed.
The Arena Leagues are a completely different sport.
The early AFLs from the first half of the 1900s rivaled what became the NFL. The only problem is finding enough images of the teams to be able to construct versions for the site. Very difficult.

The GUD has a few upcoming projects on tap. However, each is only in the planning stages currently. Our advice to our viewership - be patient and let the surprises happen when they do.
Bill Schaefer
***

As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, it's currently a difficult time to be graphic engineer at a football uniform website especially now when the NFL has decreed that teams will no longer be allowed to wear throwback uniforms UNLESS they adhere to using their current helmet gear. Goodbye, Pat Patriot, Bucco Bruce, and the likes of Falcons and Cowboys throwback designs that incorporated different helmet shells than the typical sets.

On a lark, I took it upon myself to see what I could do developing images from those wonderful three years of American history – 1983, 1984, & 1985. Those were the years in which millions and millions of Americans parked themselves in front of their televisions for that weekly showcase of professional athletic talent known as the United States Football League.

Yeah, me neither. I couldn't keep a straight a face myself.

But let's face it. A number of NFL 'greats' and even Hall of Famer's Like Reggie White, Jim Kelly, and Steve Young all got their professional starts in the USFL.

Until now, however, the uniform history of the USFL was limited to a few small sites utilizing 'Wikipedia-style' uniforms. That was going to change.

I began by doing some research. This venture would be for not if I couldn't find some decent quality/sized logos with which to work. The problems I ran into were enormous.

The file qualities were substandard and grainy. Very early in the GUD's history I learned the hard way that logos in jpeg format do not retain the quality needed for crisp designs. Even if I were to fix the blemishes, when I would save the changes, blemishes would reappear throughout the image when kept in jpeg format. To maintain quality, images must be kept in png or bmp file types. The images I found required a great deal of enhancement and sharpening.

Two other problems with the images were that they were incomplete and often inclusive of the wrong shades of colors. For instance,  let's refer to the Philadelphia Stars logo. Most of the versions of this logo that I came across were those from early in 1983. By the start of the 1984 season, viewers, both live and in person along with those watching on TV, decidedly could not make out the design of the helmet logo.  A few weeks into the the 1984 season, the team conceded and added a white outline around the majority of the logo to increase visibility. The Pittsburgh Maulers did the same thing that year by adding white outlines into their helmet logo midseason. Not only would it be required that I add these outlines where needed but I then was forced to re-color the entire background of most logos to match the true color of the helmet or jersey upon which they were to be placed.

This was just the beginning. For a seemingly modern era football league, there just aren't that many online resources available dating clear photos or footage. This makes claims like the next one very difficult for people to document accurately.

The Helmet Project, http://www.nationalchamps.net/Helmet_Project/ , lists two footnotes beneath their illustrations of the Michigan Panthers helmets. One man claims that silver helmets were worn early in the Panthers' first season while another maintains that they were ALWAYS champagne-colored. Due to the inability to confirm either at this point, the first draft of Michigan's 1983 yearly team image includes both varieties.

Shuffling of the franchises was another characteristic that made franchise continuity difficult to follow. Stay with me if you can...

The Philadelphia Stars played for two years before moving to Baltimore. The 1983 Arizona Wranglers and Chicago Blitz essentially traded teams with each team becoming the other for 1984, but in 1985, Arizona merged with the Oklahoma Outlaws and became the Arizona Outlaws. The Boston Breakers (1983) moved to New Orleans (1984) and Portland (1985) in consecutive years, luckily never moving somewhere landlocked like Las Vegas. After two years of calling Michigan home, the Panthers merged with Oakland, continuing to be called the Invaders. The 1983-84 Washington Federals moved south in 1985 to become the Orlando Renegades. Whew!

A situation also developed during the handling of a fairly stable team – the Tampa Bay Bandits. I uncovered a photo of several Bandits players, mostly linemen, and they were wearing jerseys made by Speedline (as opposed to the rest being manufactured by Champion) that did not include the Bandit sleeve logo. Since we, at GUD, had decided back in the beginning to model the jerseys worn by 'skill' players, this jersey option was not included. However, I did include a footnote on the yearly image that mentions those jerseys were, indeed, worn. Speedline was also the manufacturer of choice for the Orlando Renegades in 1985.

My final hurdle in producing these images was that I wasn't much of a follower in the first place. As an eleven year-old, my first reaction was "Hey Dad, look! Football's on."  My Dad, who's been a Steeler Season Ticket Holder since 1977, shook his head back then and said "That's not football." Much later he elaborated that back in the 1960s, he had felt the same way about the AFL. At this point, I have to admit that I know more about 1960s NFL uniforms from watching NFL Films despite being born in 1972 than I do about the three years of the USFL. I am sure, now that these images are posted thanks to the abilities of our webmaster, Rob Holecko, those in the know will be more than happy to enlighten me as to changes and additions that need to be included by accessing the GUD Forum as they did when we first went online years ago. Remember, viewers, we need photographic proof to make the changes.

Bill Schaefer