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Monday Morning Uni Watch: 2023, Week 6

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Good morning, and greetings from Uni Watch HQ! Hope everyone had a good weekend, as I did.

Now then: The spectacle that so many folks had long been awaiting, myself definitely included, finally arrived yesterday, as Bucco Bruce returned to the field for the first time since 2012. With the visiting Lions wearing white over silver — one of their better combos — it made for a very nice-looking game. Lots of additional photos here.

Here’s how it looked in action:

As you can see in those video clips, the Bucs put a throwback helmet at midfield (yay!). The end zone design seemed a bit uninspired (boo!), although I’m told that it was historically accurate:

As you may also have noticed in those videos, Fox Sports did not get into the spirit of the occasion (boo!):

In other news from around the league today:

  • The Browns wore their mono-white 1946 throwbacks, complete with the new white helmet, which made for a pretty good-looking game against the 49ers (additional photos here):

  • This was the first time the Browns wore that mono-white combo at home, so they gave Brownie the Elf a whiteout treatment at midfield and also used a white helmet graphic in the end zones:
  • It was an old-fashioned Thursday-night-style Color Rush matchup in Buffalo, as the Giants and Bills both wore their CR combos (although the Giants, as I discussed on Friday, wore their dark-blue throwback helmet instead of the royal blue shell that they’ve previously used with the CR uni):

  • The Bears added a “51” memorial patch for Dick Butkus and also stenciled his number onto the sideline. Both moves will be retained for the balance of the season:
  • The Eagles, apparently at the players’ insistence, paired their white jerseys with their alternate black pants — a look I really dislike. They wore this combo only once last season, and here’s hoping that’s also the case this season:
  • As you can see in that last photo, the Jets wore their green jerseys. That’s the second time they’ve worn green tops this season, which is one more time than they wore them all of last season. Gang Green is actually wearing green!
  • The Titans, playing in London, went mono-navy:
  • In an extremely welcome development, the Jags promoted their upcoming Nov. 12 home against the 49ers with a 1990s graphic on their scoreboard. Could they have a throwback plan in the works for that game? Hmmmm:
  • Raiders defensive lineman Maxx Crosby, who’s been wearing an unusual new facemask design this season, switched to a more conventional mask for yesterday’s game:
  • As far as I can tell, no team or player wore any symbols relating to the Israel/Hamas war. But every game was preceded by a moment of silence in honor of the Israeli victims of the Hamas attack. At the Titans/Ravens game in London, the moment of silence was interrupted by fans chanting “Free Palestine.”
  • Two teams wore white at home: the aforementioned Browns and the Dolphins.

Looking ahead to tonight, the Cowboys will be wearing their mono-white Color Rush combo against the powder blue Chargers.

(My thanks to Rudy Gutierrez, Duval Pickens, and our own Alex Hider for their contributions to this section.)

 

 
  
 

Autumnal Update

I received the following note yesterday from reader Greg Mitchell, accompanied by the two photos shown above:

Around this time last year I sent you a picture of two trees in Hopedale, Mass., displaying Uni Watch colors as the fall foliage made its way south. Given that there’s a variance in color intensity each year due to a variety of factors, I was curious how the trees would look this year in comparison to last. I know the lighting is a bit different, but to my eyes the colors are a bit more dull/muted this year, but the trees are quite evidently aging at the same rate as last year.
I love this! It honestly never even occurred to me that two trees might change their foliage colors at the same rate, relative to each other, from one year to another. So cool!

 

 

Uni Watch Screening Room: Objects

If you’re as fascinated by objects and artifacts, and the stories they have to tell, as much as I am — and I’m pretty sure that at least some of you are — then you’ll want to see a new documentary called Objects, which is currently streaming. It follows three people, each of whom has imbued an ordinary object with tremendous emotional value. Interesting, thought-provoking stuff — highly recommended.

You can stream it on Amazon Prime.

 

 

Can of the Day

I love all these old bastardized product names, like “Weedeth.” Why not just call it “Weed Death”? Beats me, but there’s something endearing about the intentionally misspelled version.

• • • • •

It’s that time of the year again, so I’m getting my annual flu shot this afternoon, along with the latest Covid booster. If you haven’t already gotten these vaccinations, I hope you’ll do so soon — not only for your own sake, but for all our sakes, because public health is a collective effort. Big thanks in advance for doing your part! — Paul

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Let’s Talk About the Buffalo Bills’ Red Helmets
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Comments (75)

    The Detroit vs Tampa Bay game was great to watch. Not that I like the Lions, but they are my home market team. I do wish the broadcast team embraced the orange as much as the sideline staff.

    And another thank you to Paul for using promoting public health!

    Steve Young as a Buc, Bills in red lids with blue facemasks, USFL QB matchup w/ Jim Kelly. [chef’s kiss]

    I’m glad the Lions went with silver pants yesterday. I don’t think blue would have looked as good.

    Blue pants would have been OK, but I agree with you – silver is the best choice for this game. Anything that minimizes the stripeless white practice pants look is a win for the Lions. I still hold out hope that Nike will figure out how to make decent metallic pants one day.

    I’m in CT (not very far from the WWL and Paul’s favorite hot dog joint) and the fall colors here are definitely muted this year. Kind of disappointing. I think it’s due to all the rain we got.

    There were many good looking games yesterday but the Bucs-Lions game was the best. Not every commentator agreed with that, heard a guy (from another game) say: that crushing block by the Lions looks extra good because it was done on a player in creamsicle…I heard another guy refer to the color as Florida Sunshine, which seems to be the official name.

    It is not the official name.

    The Bucs’ original official colors were “Florida Orange and White with Red Trim.”

    Agreed. The old ones that many teams used to use only went from about the 45 to the other 45. They should have tried to make that “historically accurate” too. The end zones were accurate. Sometimes they had “Tampa Bay” in Orange, but they were usually white.

    And what was with the little tail on the back of the helmet? Looked like some cartoon helmet off a bumper sticker.

    Those Tampa end zones are accurate, at least from a general font standpoint. Marched a halftime in old Tampa Stadium (nicknamed by some as “The Big Sombrero” for its general outside silhouette). It was anything but a Tangerine dream.

    As much as I love the fall foliage changing colors, in the back of my head it always reminds me that it’s about to be cold, and dark (at 5pm in Cleveland, earlier on East Coast) for the next 4+months. I wish i was able to just enjoy the leaves and the beauty for a few weeks w/o it serving as that negative reminder.

    The outcome of the Bucs-Lions tilt was also historically accurate, given how crappy so many of those Bucco Bruce-clad teams were.

    All kidding aside, the Bucs and their stadium looked GREAT.

    I have been theorizing that Maxx had the triangle on his facemask as a reference to the triangle in the sobriety symbol. I noticed it when I saw his neck tat

    It’s been a very long time since a game between the Rams and Cardinals looked good…that drought ended yesterday!

    link

    I mean, it wasn’t that good, but given the choices available, I guess it was meh? Rams went with gradient numbers the Cardinals’ new set did little to address what everyone disliked about their previous uniforms, added a giant wordmark and unnecessary silver. When the sentiment is that “I guess it could have been worse”, that doesn’t say much.

    I have to disagree with this:

    “Cardinals’ new set did little to address what everyone disliked about their previous uniforms”

    “[W]hat everyone disliked about their previous uniforms” was the bizarre, shapeless, irregular striping/color blotches which the new set got rid of completely, replacing it (on the white and black variants, at least) with more traditional, regular striping. So I’d say they did a lot to “address what everyone disliked about their previous uniforms.”

    The problem with the new set is that the red variant seems to have been conceived and designed completely separate from the other two, and has that big honking chest wordmark that no one likes (and, on a “home” jersey, makes no sense), as well as the lack of jersey-pants-socks contrasting.

    The Cardinals white uniforms are kind of growing on me. Still waiting to see those pants paired with the red jerseys.

    I read that can as “Weed-eth” as in “Edith” and couldn’t stop hearing Archie Bunker’s voice in my head. Thanks, Paul, for pointing out that it’s Weed-Deth. I can go about my day now.

    I can hear Archie doing the ads:
    “Weed-eth … Tell them bugs to stifle themselves.”

    I have to say my first thought on seeing “Weedeth” was not that it was an odd spelling/contraction of Weed Death but that it was a strange attempt at Olde English. “Prithee weedeth the pumpkin patch,” or something.

    Exactly my reading. Hit me like an attempt at King James English, not a precursor to Megadeth.

    This may be sacrilege, but I think I’m starting to like the Bills red unis. I think they’d look better with white pants but I like them as a once or twice a season option.

    Only last night did I notice the red jerseys lack the spare navy trim the blue jerseys have. Also, the collar is plain.

    Wonder if the 8 laces on the Dick Butkus memorial patch stand for his 8 Pro Bowl appearances.

    The Walter Payton patch was identical. It had 8 laces as well. Like the fact that it appears Da Bears may be sticking with a standard patch for former players.

    As a Browns fan I’m already over the white helmet. Once a year for a night game is fine. The orange helmet with the standard white on white is a better look in in my opinion. Hey, but they beat the 49ers!

    Got both my shots a couple weeks ago. Other than a day or 2’s tenderness at the Covid injection site, no side effects.

    If the Cardinals red mono gets called “blood-clot,” the Bills’ all red is even more obnoxious. The red jersey with their blue pants would create a look never before seen by a red-white-blue NFL team. The blue jersey with red pants would also be a nice-looking and unique combo.

    Not sure if it was Fox or CBS for the Browns/49er game, but they did not get into the spirit of the occasion when they kept the orange helmet for their graphics.

    The only good thing about the Eagles losing to the Jets yesterday is that the team may never allow that uni combo again. BFBS pants with a midnight green helmet? Now if Madden would stop making this combo available, maybe people will stop clamoring for something so godawful.

    I don’t ‘blame’ Madden…I lay this at the feet of Lurie.
    Ok, the players like it – but don’t Get It.
    I can’t fathom why the Eagles didn’t scrap the black pants (actually, all their black uniform options) when they jettisoned the black alt helmet…and don’t explain it away with the ‘well, black is a team color’ rationale, Jeff.

    The Lions-Bucs game was a beauty, I was a little surprised to see the field laid out as used to be in the Big Sombrero. Took a second or two to realize that the end zones were marked the way they used to be. Only thing that would have made this better (well, TWO things if color-on-color was allowed) was if the Bucs’ jerseys were brighter; to be honest, the new ones look like they’ve been washed in hot water a few times, and the color faded.

    The 1976 Bucs jerseys WERE a very pastel orange. They actually “darkened” the orange slightly in 1977. But leave it to the Bucs yesterday to screw up the overall look of the throwbacks by wearing their socks with the stripes down on their ankles instead of over their calls. Sad……,..

    The Bucs have always had the most unique uniforms in the league throughout their history. You can click on the TV and immediately know it’s Tampa Bay playing. I’m pretty sure no other team in college or pro has had Florida Orange and red, or pewter, red, black and orange for team colors.

    The “creamsicles” looked great, but they are haunted by a history of horrible Bucs teams wearing them, including an inaugural 0-14 1977 squad.

    Actually, (a) the 0-14 season was 1976, not 1977, and (b) the orange jerseys were not worn at all during that 0-14 season. The team wore white jerseys for all 14 games.

    Right, 1976 it was. Little known that Bucs were in the AFC that one and only season. Didn’t know they wore white jerseys every game but the numerals were orange with red outline. Still the orange and red “creamsicle” color scheme with swashbuckling “Bucco Bruce” helmet logo. They were still mostly horrible teams wearing those orange and red duds through 1997 season.

    One thing I will say watching Jets Eagles was as bad as the current Jets unis are, they absolutely nailed the shade of green.

    I have to say (and maybe this is an unpopular opinion), but I think the navy helmets act as a major downgrade for the Giants’ color rush set. The royal blue helmets really made every bit of royal blue in the numbers and stripes pop. Feel like it’s drab with the navy helmet.

    If they decided to return somewhat to this look, I vote for aesthetically pleasing over historical accuracy.

    I say it every year, but the Bills Color Rash uniform is absolutely brutal. I suppose they could try pairing the red jerseys with white pants to improve the look, but the Bills just aren’t a “red” team and they should stop pretending they are.

    Conversely, the Falcons ‘used’ to be a red team and need to be again.
    Time for a red throwback jersey to go with the lids…and add a white facemask to boot.

    100% agree!
    The Bills are the NFL version of the Texas Rangers
    & I said this a few weeks back, the Kansas Jayhawks are the Saturday version of this problem. Every week KU is flip flopping: royal blue, red, powder blue. Please pick an anchor color and stick with it.

    I recognized those Tampa Bay end zones immediately and they took me back to the old NFC Central.

    I’m wondering if Maxx Crosby changing his face mask has anything to do with Justin Herbert hurting his finger. It appeared to me Justin got his finger stuck in the face mask.

    I thought the Bengals – Seahawks game was terrific from a uniform standpoint. The Bengals with normal/traditional black jerseys and white pants, and the Seahawks with white shirts and blue pants. I even like the ‘snot green’ for the trim – all of the colors really popped on my TV screen.

    It seems like several NFL teams have pant stripes that look just a bit too narrow these days. I’m thinking of the Bucs and Falcons throwbacks in particular, here. The stripes on the Giants all-whites look just about right, though.

    Stripe width notwithstanding, that Falcons/Washington match-up might represent my favorite vs my least-favorite NFL uniforms currently.

    That Cardinals set is just a tiny bit off to me. The stripes and the use of gray almost works, but it leaves me unsatisfied.

    Bucs-Lions was stunning! Most attractive game I’ve seen in years. Creamsicles just look right for Florida football.

    If the 49ers had worn their throwbacks (with the white britches), would have been close to the 11/10/1946 Browns v. 49ers game in Kezar Stadium.

    link^10

    Could have had the AAFC Bowl. Even though they aren’t same year, the similar aesthetics of the uniforms would have worked well, even with 49ers current helmet.

    The Giants looked great with the navy blue helmet; the color rush became a true throwback. One of these days maybe the Bills will pair white pants with the red top which I think will look marvelous. This was still a very sharp looking game mainly thanks to the Giants. I think many of us would agree the “big blue” look should return in place of the now messed up faux-back look they’ve turned to. The Jets “Sack Exchange” look received a very nice upgrade with the glossy helmet and I wouldn’t mind seeing it make a return as the primary look for Gang Green.

    The Iggles were channeling the Jets of last year. That awful green/white/black combo the Jets insisted on week after week. I’m saying that’s why they lost.

    Nobody beats the New York Jets 13 straight times!!!

    What I found astounding after the Jets-Eagles game is that this was the first time the Jets had defeated Philly! Granted, they play in separate conferences and only match up every 4 years but I figured they would have gone head-to-head more often in the 70s and 80s. For comparison I checked on Dolphins-Giants meetings. Surprisingly they’ve only played 11 times! The first time in 1972 and then an 18 year break until 1990. I know, not uni-related but still quirky enough to mention.

    I found this curious too. Currently there’s no way to go more than four years between games against an opposite conference team. Back when there were 5 team divisions, a team would still only play 4 crossover games each year, so depending on the previous year standings the Jets and Eagles could have missed each other. Also, the work stoppages in the 80’s might have caused the teams to miss each other as there we

    Hopefully losing their perfect record to the Jets convinces Philly that those black pants are evil and must be locked away for good, or at least the rest of the season.
    And while the Jets didn’t have much choice but to wear green in Dallas, I was surprised to see them reappear at home and so soon, and moreso (pleasantly) shocked they didn’t pair them with the green pants.

    Both in one. (The right arm, always, because I’m left-handed.)

    So far no side-effects — not even any soreness at the injection site.

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