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Monday Morning Uni Watch

So our Super Bowl match-up is set: Panthers vs. Broncos. Lots of folks have been peppering me with uni-related questions about the game, so here’s a quick FAQ-style primer on Supe50’s uniforms:

Who’s the designated home team?

The AFC is the home conference this year, so the Broncos are the home team.

Can the Broncos choose to wear white if they want?

Yes, but that seems highly unlikely. Aside from 1971, when they wore white at home for the entire season, the Broncos have worn white at home for only a handful of games in their history.

Can the Broncos choose to wear their blue alternate jerseys if they want?

Good question! Only one team has ever worn an alternate or throwback uniform in the Super Bowl: the 49ers, who requested and received permission to continue wearing their league-anniversary throwbacks throughout the 1994-95 postseason, including in Super Bowl XXIX. (This also made them the only Super Bowl team not to wear TV numbers, but I digress.) That one instance notwithstanding, NFL teams do not wear alternates or throwbacks in the postseason.

But everyone knows the Broncos are 0-4 while wearing orange in the Super Bowl! Can’t you see how important it is for them not to wear orange?

I think you’re relying a bit too much on superstition. Here’s another way to look at it: The Broncos have gone 7-1 wearing orange this season. Can’t you see how important it is for them to wear orange?

Is there any chance that the NFL pulls a color-vs.-color Super Bowl on us?

No.

I know this sounds crazy, but is there any chance that the NFL pulls a Color Rush Super Bowl on us?

No. But I congratulate you on your very active imagination.

Are there any special uniform elements we can expect to see?

The NFL logo decal on the back of the helmets turned gold for the postseason. It wouldn’t surprise me if the same thing happened to the logo on the pants and jerseys for the Supe. To be clear, though, I have no inside knowledge about that happening, and I’m not trying to drop hints or anything like that. I’m just saying that it’s possible, and it seems like the kind of thing the NFL might do as part of the big Supe50 hoopla.

Where does this game rank in terms of Super Bowl uniform aesthetics?

This will definitely be one of the less visually appealing Supes, but whaddaya gonna do.

Meanwhile, reader Jay Braiman has checked in with his annual list of Super Bowl uniform trivia. Take it away, Jay:

This is Denver’s 4th trip to the Super Bowl wearing its current uniform design, matching its four trips in the “orange crush” uniforms of the ’70s and ’80s, and the second since the primary color of the home jersey was changed from navy blue to orange. Denver went 0-4 in the “orange crush” uniforms (0-3 in orange, 0-1 in white) and is 2-1 in the current design, one win each in navy and white and one loss in orange.

Carolina, which wore white over white in its only previous Super Bowl appearance, is the second post-merger expansion team (not counting the Ravens, who are treated as an expansion team for historical/statistical purposes) to reach a second Super Bowl. The Panthers are the only post-merger expansion team to reach a Super Bowl, let alone a second, without having thoroughly overhauled its uniform design at least once since its inception. In addition, the Panthers are the only Super Bowl team with UCLA-style “shoulder loops” on their jersey, that have the TV numbers on the shoulder and the logo on the sleeve. (The others ”“- Colts, Vikings, Bengals and Chargers ”“- all had numbers on the sleeves when they played in Super Bowls.)

This is the first Super Bowl between two teams whose center helmet striping is “irregular,” — not straight lines or of uniform width from front to back. (This does not count the Seahawks, who have a unique broad pattern decal in the center of their helmets worn against Denver in Super Bowl XLVIII that blends with the shell color and can’t really be called “striping.”) It’s also the first Super Bowl between two teams whose pants striping is irregular in like fashion — not straight lines or of uniform width from hip to cuff.

This will be the second Super Bowl in which both teams’ nicknames/mascots are mammals (not including humans), the other being Colts vs. Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Overall, teams named for mammals are 8-19 in Super Bowls (not counting the 0-4 Buffalo Bills, who wear a mammal on their helmet but are not actually named for that mammal, or the 0-1 San Diego Chargers, whose nickname and secondary-logo history does refer to and include a horse but are primarily associated with lightning or electricity). None of the mammal teams has a winning record and none will after this game; the Broncos are 2-5 and the Panthers are 0-1.

This is the 15th Super Bowl in which neither team’s primary home jersey color is blue, and of those, the first in which both teams use blue as a trim color (and the second in which either team uses blue as a trim color).

This is the 12th Super Bowl -”“ and the third in a row, second time that’s happened ”“- in which neither team’s helmet logo/decal contains any letter(s) of the alphabet. It’s also the 13th Super Bowl — and the third in a row for the first time — in which both teams’ left- and right-side helmet decals are mirror images of each other (counting the Seahawks and Chiefs; the Bengals and Ravens would also count but were not involved in any such games).

This is the 14th Super Bowl matching one team whose jerseys have generic varsity or block numerals against one with a custom numeral font (the Patriots’ current design is counted in the latter category). Teams with custom numeral fonts are 7-6 in these games. Note: Of the first 30 Super Bowls, only one involved a custom numeral font: Super Bowl XX between the Bears and Patriots. Only two of the last 19 Super Bowls -”“ XXXVII (Bucs/Raiders) and XLIV (Saints/Colts) -”“ have not involved a custom font.

This is the 25th Super Bowl between a team with a “metallic” helmet shell finish and one with a non-metallic helmet shell. Teams with metallic helmets are 16-8 in these games, including the Broncos’ loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVII.

Can Newton will be the first quarterback to wear No. 1 in the Super Bowl, and it will be, obviously, the lowest number worn by a Super Bowl quarterback .The numerical disparity of 17 between Peyton Manning’s No. 18 and Newton’s No. 1 represents a new record for the largest disparity between the two starting quaterbacks’ uniform numbers in a Super Bowl. The previous record was 15, set two years ago in Super Bowl XLVIII (Manning’s 18 and Russell Wilson’s 3). Manning is the only Super Bowl QB to have worn No. 18, which is the second-highest quarterback number after Johnny Unitas’s 19.

Please join me in thanking Jay for his heroic work — great stuff, as always.

Okay, then — let the two weeks of tiresome hype begin!

• • • • •

Design contest reminder: Today is the LAST DAY to submit entries for my ESPN contest to redesign the Rams. Full details here.

T-Shirt Club reminder: All of the Uni Watch T-Shirt Club’s 2015 designs are available FOR ONE MORE DAY at our Second Chance Shop. Further details here.

• • • • •

Gromm•It update: Two new Gromm•It entries went up over the weekend (one of which includes the first-ever Gromm•It video clip!). You can get a sense of the two foodstuffs above, but there are lots of additional photos for each entry. Get the full treatment over on Gromm•It.

•  •  •  •  •

The Ticker
By Paul

Baseball News: SABR will unveil a new logo — the first logo revision since the organization’s founding in the 1970s — tomorrow (thanks, Phil). … Frank McGuigan’s daughter wore an awesome League of Their Own uniform for Halloween last fall.

NFL News: Panthers QB Cam Newton’s pregame cleats featured the name of his teammates yesterday (thanks, Brinke). … Also from Brinke: Pats coach Bill Belichick changed outfits during halftime of yesterday’s game. … Julie Streeter is the latest Uni Watch reader to travel in Mexico and find NFL logos appearing on lucha libre masks and Day of the Dead skulls.

College Football News: You can see a hint of Wisconsin’s new Under Armour uniforms in the background of this photo (from Drew Gabbert). … New yellow helmets for Missouri (from Dave Singleton).

Hockey News: The Oilers have become the first NHL team to use rainbow “pride” tape, which promotes inclusiveness in sports. Good for them (from Aaron Husul). … Lots of college hockey teams use helmets that mimic the designs of their schools’ football teams, as seen in these shots of Ohio State and Penn State and Ohio State and Michigan (from Steve Ceruolo). … The OHL’s Mississauga Steelheads went pink in the rink yesterday. … Cross-sport promotion: With former KC Chiefs player Will Shields being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Missouri Mavericks are honoring him with a jersey patch (from @hfnewsjunkie). … Blackhawks winger Artemi Panarin has been wearing red palms on his gloves.

College Hoops News: Michigan State’s clown suits were a hit with the youth, so they’ll probably wear them again (thanks, Phil). … Savon Goodman of Arizona State was wearing NBA socks two nights ago. And yes, they were doing that idiotic black-on-black NOB thing too (from Michael Marconi).

Soccer News: New crest for Sheffield Wednesday (from Tom G). … César Azpilicueta of Chelsea has been wearing a mask with his uni number (from Charlie Eldred). … Confusing game to watch, as Betis and Madrid wore similar color schemes (from Albert Royo).

Grab Bag: Pro golfer Rickey Fowler won a tourney in Abu Dhabi while wearing high-top Pumas, so he’s gonna be sticking with them (thanks, Phil). … The new look for Oregon’s women’s tennis team features — surprise! — a lot of neon (from @calebteaches). … “I found a website with pictures of the teams of the Puerto Rican volleyball league,” says Jeremy Brahm. “Some go back into the 1950s, with sponsors like Zenith televisions on the uniforms, through the current day. The first photo on the page scrolls through the team photo for each individual edition of that team). You’ll need to click on ‘los equipos’ to see the other teams.”

 
  
 
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Comments (107)

    I don’t think Real Betis wore blue against Real Madrid. Betis was at home; they almost certainly wore green and white.

    Neither the Ravens or Chiefs have “mirror imaged” helmet logos. They have letters on their logos!

    They’re mirror-imaged but for the letters. That’s why they had to be mentioned as counting.

    There’s no reason they have to be mentioned as counting. They are not mirror images.

    …which is why they need to be mentioned as counting; otherwise, they wouldn’t count.

    They are mirror images but for the lettering. This designation is probably to distinguish them from teams that use the same decal on both sides (Jets, Giants, Cowboys, 49ers, Raiders, &c.). Maybe “separate right/left helmet decals” would be more precise than “mirror images;” the latter is typically the former, but what about the Steelers, whose helmets’ left and right sides are different but not mirror-images of each other because the decal is on only one side, or the Seahawks (current) and Bengals, whose helmets’ left and right sides are different (and are mirror images of each other) but use single decals that wrap around the back or top of the helmet, not separate left/right decals.

    Rather than create too many categories, it makes sense to either explicitly count or not count these variations.

    Right so the lettering excludes them from being mirror images.

    If you draw a line down the middle of the facemask, there are really only two categories:
    1. Mirror Image
    2. Non-Mirror Image

    Teams with non-symmetric letters and the Steelers would go in #2 (unless you want to create a separate category just for Pittsburgh).

    #1 – 23 teams – Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Browns, Panthers, Patriots, Bucs, Cardinals, Chargers, Colts, Redskins, Saints, Cowboys, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Titans, Vikings, Jaguars, Lions, Rams, Seahawks, Texans
    #2 – 9 teams – Bears, Chiefs, 49ers, Giants, Jets, Packers, Raiders, Steelers, Ravens

    So which teams have mirror image decals? I’d count the Cowboys, but they don’t have different decals. Why were the Bengals and Seahawks also listed as counting?

    Saints, Cowboys and Colts were not counted as mirror imaged helmets, else there’d be 18 instances.

    And the Chiefs and Ravens are acknowledged to not be true mirror imaged, but why they are explicitly included. They require a second decal, though they’re not mirror images of each other.

    So really the 2 groups are

    1. Require a 2nd decal (or have the appearance of needing a 2nd decal, ie seahawks, bengals)
    2. Require 1 or 0 decals

    #1 — 20 teams — Bengals, Bills, Broncos, Panthers, Patriots, Bucs, Cardinals, Redskins, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Titans, Vikings, Jaguars, Lions, Rams, Seahawks, Texans, Ravens, Chiefs
    #2 — 12 teams — Bears, 49ers, Giants, Jets, Packers, Raiders, Steelers, Browns, Chargers, Colts , Saints, Cowboys

    If you draw a line down the middle of the facemask, there are really only two categories:
    1. Mirror Image
    2. Non-Mirror Image

    No, there are not “only two categories,” and more importantly, that’s hardly the only way of categorizing them.

    You’re talking about the whole helmet design being mirror-imaged, whereas the article above specifically and explicitly refers to the “left- and right-side helmet decals“. The Seahawks, Bengals and Browns belong in the former category but not the latter. The former category would also include teams like the Cowboys and Colts who use only one decal and thus would not be included in the latter category.

    As I pointed out elsewhere, there are numerous ways to categorize helmet logos and no way to avoid exceptions/outliers that have to be explained or circumscribed, and the Steelers alone defy categorization.

    Your proposed categories avoid that by referring to whole-helmet images, not the decals. They might even be better described as (1) no letters [or, no asymmetric letters, to account for the Titans], and (2) with letters. The issue of logos containing or not containing letters was mentioned separately in the article:

    This is the 12th Super Bowl … in which neither team’s helmet logo/decal contains any letter(s) of the alphabet.

    Every team that uses two separate left- and right-facing decals does so in order to have the logo facing the front of the helmet on both sides. The Chiefs and Ravens do that, but since their logos contain asymmetrical letters of the alphabet, they can’t be pure mirror images of each other. But the design function is the same as the other 17 teams that use separate left- and right-facing decals. That’s why they either belong in that category or can be counted along with it.

    I need to correct myself.

    They might even be better described as (1) no letters [or, no asymmetric letters, to account for the Titans], and (2) with letters.

    It appears that the Titans’ helmet decals are also not precise mirror-images of each other; the grey beveling is on the left side of the “T” in both the link and link. So there’s no need to qualify Kevin’s categories with the word “asymmetric,” and the Titans belong in category (2).

    So which teams have mirror image decals?

    19 teams have two separate, left- and right-facing decals: the Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Ravens, Titans, Jaguars, Texans, Broncos, Chiefs, Chargers, Eagles, Redskins, Lions, Vikings, Panthers, Buccaneers, Falcons, Rams and Cardinals. Of these, all are mirror-images of each other except the Ravens, Titans and Chiefs, which have alphabetic letters in them that are the same on each side of the helmet, with the rest of the logo/decal being reversed. The logos are mirror images except for the letters.

    Technically, a decal depicting a vertically-symmetrical logo like those of the Cowboys, Colts and Saints, is a mirror image of itself. The point here appears to have been to distinguish those teams with the same decal repeated on each side, from those with separate left- and right-facing decals.

    And the Chiefs and Ravens are acknowledged to not be true mirror imaged, but why they are explicitly included. They require a second decal, though they’re not mirror images of each other.

    The second decal is the key; the design function (have the logo face the front of the helmet on both sides) is the same.

    Why were the Bengals and Seahawks also listed as counting?

    Because the decals they use create left- and right-facing logos but do so with single decals, affixed over the top or around the back of the helmet, where half the decal goes on the left side of the helmet and the other half goes on the right side. (Both of the Seahawks’ prior designs, incidentally, used two separate decals with a narrow split between them in the back.)

    So really the 2 groups are

    1. Require a 2nd decal (or have the appearance of needing a 2nd decal, ie seahawks, bengals)
    2. Require 1 or 0 decals

    OK, but note that each of these categories contains an “or” caveat, which goes to show how hard they really are to categorize. The Bengals still may not fit into the first category, because they already use six decals. And the Chargers don’t fit into the second category; they use two separate (left and right) decals.

    Fair point on the Titans. Revised counts are 22 and 10.

    Maybe I am being overly simplistic in my reading (this is Uni Watch, after all), but I didn’t think Jay was talking about the logistical concerns of decal application. Rather, I figured he just meant how the logos looked on a helmet. Hence my definition of mirror-image being a line drawn down the middle of the facemask.

    Also, I am not talking about the whole helmet because I didn’t take the center stripe into account. I am sticking to the logo on the side of the helmet and saying whether each side is a mirror-image or not.

    Maybe “separate left- and right-facing” would have been a better descriptor than “mirror images.”

    I don’t think it’s the “the logistical concerns of decal application” so much as the design function the decals themselves.

    And as for “not taking the center stripe into account,” that’s neither here nor there. All NFL helmets’ center stripes are longitudinally symmetrical, precisely mirrored on the left and right sides of the center axis, therefore none has any impact whatsoever on whether the whole-helmet images or logo decals are mirror images or not. Neither the Browns nor the Bengals have “a logo on the side of the helmet” (the Seahawks sort of do, but not really), so they would defy categorization unless you’re talking about the whole helmet image.

    Teams with metallic helmets are 16-8 in these games, including the Broncos’ loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVII.

    Neither the Seahawks nor Broncos wore metallic colored helmets in that game.

    The Seahawks current helmets have a metallic-matte finish. It’s basically the same color as their previous helmet but without the high-gloss shine.

    No. The Seahawks current helmet is the same dark navy as the Bears or Texans. There’s nothing metallic about it. The previous helmet was more of a dark teal, and also wasn’t metallic. The only NFL team wearing a metallic helmet that isn’t some shade of gold or silver (I’m counting pewter as a shade of gold or silver) is the Giants.

    The previous Seahawks helmet was a metallic color. It’s stretch, however, to call the current one “metallic” when compared to what we typically refer to as a metallic finish. Call it matte, call it pearlescent, maybe, but there is not a discernible metallic flake in the finish like that found in the Giants, Packers, Redskins, Dolphins, and many other teams’ helmets.

    A better descriptor is “silver flake” or “metal flake” – it’s an additive to painting helmet shells. Metallic doesn’t, I think, accurately describe the finish you are talking about.

    Jeff is correct: the Seahawks and the Broncos failed to wear metallic helmets, as the 49ers played the Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII.

    What about the Packers? When exactly did they add that metallic flake or whatever you want to call it to their helmets?

    They bought out the remaining taxicab yellow inventory from Earl Schieb when he went out of business and used that. :-P

    link

    interesting that in the Dia de los Muertos mask, the Pats and Panthers logos are backwards. same for the Lucha Libre Eagles mask

    Proofreading:
    “Are there any special uniform elements we can expecte to see?”
    “Panthers QB Cam Newtown’s pregame cleats”
    “Blackhawks winger Artemi Panarin has been wearing had red palms on his gloves.”

    I’ll take one of those Lucha Libre masks in Rams. The Navy/Gold would actually look better with the current logo in that application. If it was just the horns though, I’ll dig the Yellow/Royal.

    I might be in the minority here, but of the four teams yesterday, I think Carolina has the best (or least worst) uniform. Still won’t be enough make it for a good looking SB though.

    Bronco losses in Super Bowls while wearing orange: 27-10, 42-10, 55-10, 43-8. Gives new meaning to Orange Crush.

    I thought the Chargers name was picked so Conrad Hilton could promote his Carte Blanche credit card?

    Meanwhile, reader Jay Braiman has checked in with his annual list of Super Bowl uniform trivia.

    Far be it from me to mock those of us who thrive in the deep end of the minutiae pool, but I got a serious Pete Axthelm on reading Jay’s points of interest. “Don’t forget, the Maryland Mansons are 8-0 in division Monday Night home games following interconference road losses on Astroturf.”

    Interesting to note that the #1 recruit still available in basketball is leaning towards MSU and on the Mlive site at the bottom of the State article is a link showing the recruit wearing a uni with the “mean green” accent color.

    I have qualms about the pride tape for a different reason. I’m hugely in favor of the political/cultural position the pride tape represents. But at the moment the issue has become a significant cultural divide between liberal Western societies and many others, including Russia and some Central/Eastern European societies. An NHL team pressuring Russian nationals or Orthodox (or Eastern European Catholic) Christians on the team to participate in a distinctly American/Canadian display, or a display that runs expressly counter to basic tenets of small-o orthodox Christianity, strikes me as being very close to teams requiring non-American players to participate in displays of American or Canadian patriotism.

    I’m all for the pride tape thing – aside from the politics of it, it looks fantastic. But only so long as it’s an option made available to players, not a display required of them.

    I think there is a fundamental difference between showing support for nationalism and showing support for LGBT+ rights, or any other human rights cause. As a society we cannot allow religion to be used as justification for hate or intolerance, period.

    That said, I agree it is a bit cynical for sports leagues to act like they care when they do nothing to stop the rampant homophobia still present amongst athletes/fans.

    Remembering the brouhaha during the Sochi Olympics, I’d guess the NHL is anxious to disparage an ideology it finds unsavory. The move could backfire; Look up Marco Baldi and Seton Hall Basketball for an object lesson. But the powers that be have sided with the LGBT community and its allies. For what it’s worth, a far more contentious issue than appealing to our patriotism. The cynic in me wants to believe the league is eager to appeal to a community it perceives as having plenty of disposable income, but I’m not so pure to turn away support I haven’t thoroughly investigated.

    Paul, just to clarify, do you have inside knowledge to confirm that the Super Bowl won’t be color-on-color, or is that just based on your experience and general knowledge of NFL uniform policy.

    >>That one instance notwithstanding, NFL teams do not wear alternates or throwbacks in the postseason.<<
    Not true! The Chargers wore their powder blue alternates in the playoffs on Jan 3 2009 when hosting Colts.
    Video here: link

    See comment above; it’s mentioned for precisely that reason. Strictly speaking it’s not a mirror image, but only because of the lettering; the arrowhead faces forward on both sides of the helmet; to the right on the right side, to the left on the left side.

    Some teams use the same decal on both sides of their helmets (Jets, Giants, Cowboys, Raiders, 49ers, &c.) and some teams have a left decal and a right decal (Bills, Dolphins, Patriots, Rams, Chargers, &c.). There are only four outliers: The Steelers, who use only one decal but place it on only one side of the helmet, so there is no left decal; the Seahawks (current version) and Bengals, whose helmets’ left and right sides are mirror images of each other but who accomplish this with single decals that wrap around the top and back of the helmet, respectively, not with separate left- and right-facing decals; and the Browns, who use no decals at all but, mercifully for these purposes, have never played in a Super Bowl.

    As a result, it becomes difficult and convoluted trying to categorize them. Whether it’s mirror-image decals, separate left- and right-facing decals, different left and right sides, one decal vs. two, &c., there are always going to be outliers that seem to fit into one category or another but not quite, and thus have to be circumscribed.

    Every team that uses two separate decals (left and right) does so in order to have the logo facing the front of the helmet on both sides. The Chiefs and Ravens do that, but since their logos contain asymmetrical letters of the alphabet, they can’t be pure mirror images of each other. But the design function is the same as all the other teams that use left- and right-facing decals. That’s why they either belong in that category or can be counted along with it.

    Correction:

    …the Seahawks (current version) and Bengals, whose helmets’ left and right sides are mirror images of each other but who accomplish this with single decals that wrap around the top and back back and top of the helmet, respectively, not with separate left- and right-facing decals…

    Uni Watch is all about speaking strictly. To me, there are two categories: mirror image and non-mirror image – and all teams fit into one of the two.

    Yeah, I don’t get it. If it is not a mirrored image . . . then . . . IT IS NOT A MIRRORED IMAGE. I don’t care how many paragraphs one writes to try to convince me otherwise. Strictly speaking of course.

    If you like, you can have as many categories as there are teams. I used to be geeked over the old Pat Patriot insignia, which, though not strictly symmetrical, had a symmetrical composition, and thus was used on both sides of the white helmet. The realistic rendering lent its style to Bucco Bruce, whose stilletto needed to face forward and feather needed to point astern. Helmet stickers require their own brand of logic.

    @Mainspark – Think of it as adding to the category; mirror-imaged decals, plus left- and right-facing decals that are designed that way for the same purpose (viz., so they can face the front of the helmet on both sides) but can’t be precise mirror images only because they contain lettering.

    I must have taken an immense effort for Penn State to have the hockey team helmets mimic those of the football team.

    Broncos orange v. Panthers black, if there would ever be a year NFL propaganda machine would go color on color this would be it, except Panthers would wear white even as a home team this year.

    If it were up to me, we’d have the orange over white Broncos vs the blue jersey and black pants Panthers, and it would be glorious. Sadly, the NFL hasn’t seen fit to consult with me on matters of uniform matchups.

    Wait a second, I thought the winner of the Pro Bowl determined home field for the Super Bowl.

    I was always lead to believe that an osprey, while being a sea baring hawk, wasn’t actually the Seahawk the Seattle team was using. For instance, their logo isn’t an osprey, but a thunderbird, a quasi-mythological eagle. The Kwakwaka’wakw had a ceremonial mask of the thunderbird which is where the Hawks got the logo. Their live mascot is an eagle, not a osprey, but for legal purposes as you can’t use an osprey for commercial use.

    It seems Seahawk is more made up then fact, but after the fact, fans have attached the name to the osprey. If anything, we have more evidence that a Seahawk is an eagle or thunderbird, not an osprey.

    Not an Osprey, agreed. Here’s a backup link…

    link

    Is the Seahawks’ logo actually an Osprey?

    Once again, nope. Look close enough and you’ll see that the thickness of the bill is all wrong, not to mention the wild purples, blues, and greens bear no resemblance to the browns and blacks of Ospreys.

    But scientific accuracy wasn’t really the point. In reality, the logo is nod to one of the Seattle region’s many Native communities–the Kwakwaka’wakw nation. The many brightly colored ceremonial masks of the Kwakwaka’wakw each had their own ritual or religious meaning. One in particular was the “transformation” mask; it’s painted like a “thunderbird,” a quasi-mythological version of an eagle. The team’s helmets reference the thunderbird mask, opening and closing like raptor beaks. (According to the Seahawks website, Taima means “thunder,” though it’s unclear in what language.)

    I don’t know what “salt” means in this context.

    I also don’t know what “mean green” means.

    I think MSU’s neon-green costumes look like shit and make the team look like fucking clowns. If that correlates with what you were trying to say, then dandy! If you meant something else, you’ll need to translate it for me.

    Urban Dictionary to the rescue: Salt- Anything that will turn a smile into a frown. Discuss.

    I disagree about the quality of the unis in this year’s Super Bowl. While I am 100% a traditionalist, the Broncos’ and Panthers’ unis are among the least offensive of the “modern” uni designs. In fact, I think the Broncos look good in their standard orange uni and the Panthers look good in their all-whites. It could be much worse. Bucs? Jags? I do hate the Panther’s helmet stripes though. Ugh.

    “This is the 12th Super Bowl … in which neither team’s helmet logo/decal contains any letter(s) of the alphabet.”

    I guess we are ruling out the “Hidden F” in the Falcons logo.
    I know I am.
    It never (old or new) looked like a “F” to me.

    link

    I tried to post a comment from home this morning (twice) and it didn’t post. Don’t know if it’s a technical glitch or if I got myself exiled.

    Comment was surprise that the grommeted flapjacks were sturdy enough to hang without tearing and suggestions for grommeted valentine “slogan” hearts and animal crackers

    Looks like it was a technical glitch on Opera with an ad blocker. This worked fine on IE11 from the office.

    Certainly you could have found a more current pic of Cam for this story?!? He’s sporting the Reebok jersey with the old NFL Equipment logo.

    Maybe Paul is dropping a subtle hint that the Panthers will wear throwbacks for the Super Bowl?

    Michigan was the first D-1 Hockey program to paint their helmet to mimic their football team, doing it since the 1989. Here’s the story. link

    Notre Dame switched their helmets from Navy to gold in the mid-2000s, though it wasn’t until 2013 that they’ve been doing the shiny gold, which is actually a hydrographic application (unlike the football helmet)
    I believe OSU went to the football stripe at some point in the late 2000s, though I can’t recall the exact year.
    Penn State has done the stripe on their helmet since they made they joined D-1 in 2011.

    I don’t know of any other hockey program that match their football helmets. A very minimalist design is needed to migrate a football helmet to a hockey helmet, no way you could put a big side logo on a Bauer bucket.
    The thing I love about the practice is the manufacturers logos are hidden by the paint process except PSU) giving a cleaner look.

    The Notre Dame football helmet is, in fact, a hydrographic application. They switched to this in October 2011, in time for the USC game. Hockey went to the hydrographic approach in February 2013, for an outdoor game against Miami U.

    The college hockey teams that mimic the football programs helmets are basically just the teams in the B1G, with the exception of Minnesota and Wisconsin, and then add in Notre Dame. Also should mention B1G ten hockey is awful and is absolutely destroying the Minnesota and Wisconsin programs.

    Shoot why not. More importantly than the bad luck ” they’ve had in orange is the fact the Panthers want to wear white.

    I remember in the early 80’s the Cowboys had a “blue jersey” jinx and the Skins and Eagles would wear white at home for them.

    I suppose it’s possible they’ll break out the all black (hell, anything is possible — I was SHOCKED Denver will wear white)…but not likely.

    As a Bronco fan, I feel somewhat disappointed by the decision to wear white. I definitely echo Paul’s sentiment that there is too much put into the orange jersey jinx/superstition, or whatever you want to call it. Yes, I am aware of the history, and yes, I still have nightmares of that godawful night in New Jersey two years ago. Still, the organization rallies behind the “United in Orange” slogan, and now they’re deferring to white?

    Also, as this is the place for all things uni-related, can anyone confirm that the Panthers think their black jerseys are bad luck? I saw some comments about this today after the jersey colors were announced. I guess this would explain why Carolina has worn white at home this season? Maybe the NFL should go color on color and make both of these teams go with their “bad luck” uni.

    Yes, but that seems highly unlikely. Aside from 1971, when they wore white at home for the entire season, the Broncos have worn white at home for only a handful of games in their history.

    When I read this statement this morning it seemed to be proper justification for Paul’s opinion. Re-visiting it, this really isn’t a true home game in their home stadium. Elway is indeed quite superstitious.

    There have been three post-merger expansion teams to make the Super Bowl = Bucs, Seahawks & Panthers.

    Oops, I didn’t see the “second” qualifier when I read it the first time. Never mind!

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