Good Monday morning, Uni Watchers. I hope everyone had a good weekend.
We’ve talked a bit on here about how the Yankees were somehow able to convince the bigwigs at MLB and Nike that they wouldn’t be participating in the City Connect program, but one of the teams who have also been very reticent to allow any outside programs to change their uniforms have been the Kansas City Chiefs. “Tradition” is a word that gets thrown around a fair bit when it comes to some longtime pro football teams, but one of the truly traditional teams, at least when it comes to uniforms, is the Chiefs.
If you don’t believe me, check out the KC uniform history since the club entered the league as the Dallas Texans in 1960, the year the AFL began play. Aside from changing their helmets when they moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs, about all that’s changed over the years have been minor changes, like adding stripes or changing facemask colors. The addition of red pants was about as dramatic a change as the team’s uniforms have ever seen.
The team has never really had so much as an alternate, much less a Color Rush (CR) uniform. They don’t really do throwbacks. The uniforms they are wearing today aren’t exactly the same as those worn in the 1960s, but if someone were cryogenically frozen in the Sixties, and defrosted today, they’d instantly recognize the team. There are few clubs we could say that about.
Over the years, the team participated in two league-wide throwback seasons: 1994, when the NFL celebrated its 75th Anniversary, and 2009, when the original AFL teams celebrated the league’s 60th season.
The 1994 uniforms were simply throwbacks to their 1960s uniforms (and specifically their original Super Bowl uniform year), but all the team did was to remove the sleeve stripes they presently wore. They didn’t even change the white cage of the facemask to gray (which would have been period-appropriate).
Same with the red jersey they wore that same season.
They looked almost the same because even some 40 years later, the sleeve stripes and the cage color were about the only changes.
They went a little further back in 2009, when they wore their original AFL uniforms — those of the Dallas Texans — the name and location of the franchise before they moved to Kansas City. In 2009, the team did swap white for gray cages, and went with the stripeless jerseys. The KC decal was removed from the helmet and replaced with the Texans helmet logo.
They wore the same pants for that game as they wore in 2009, and still wear today. Socks too.
Aside from moving TV numbers from the sleeves to the shoulders, about the only other change for the team was to pair their red jerseys with their red pants for a game early in the 2015 season. So when the NFL introduced the CR program in later in 2015, they approached the Chiefs about participating. It’s rumored that Nike approached them with an all-gold number (which is also what was proposed for Washington at the time). The Chiefs told the NFL, “Nah, we’re good. But if we must play along with your silly program, we’ll just wear that mono-red getup again.” Nothing new — no alternate. Just a repurposed look doubling for a CR uniform. The Chiefs continue to sport the mono-red look occasionally; they wore gray cages for a game in 2021. And every so often, they’ll return to their best look: white jerseys over white pants (almost the exact look as they wore in Super Bowl I).
So if there were any team more in need of — but also more resistant to — an alternate, it’s Kansas City. But just how realistic is that?
According to Arrowhead Pride, “Alternate uniforms and helmets have never been a priority for owner, chairman and CEO Clark Hunt. He likes the fact that his team’s look honors the deep-rooted tradition of the franchise.”
Hunt spoke about adding an alternate helmet or uniforms with Chiefs president Mark Donovan — who had broached the matter with Hunt over the years — on Friday, and Donovan said, “I think the second or third year (after Donovan had joined the team, which was 2009), I brought it up, and it was a swift, ‘No.’ So I sort of tabled it. We brought it up again three years ago, and it wasn’t such a swift, ‘No.’ It was like, ‘OK, we can probably talk about it.’”
Donovan continued, “[We’re] pretty focused on the position that we have. I think we’re one of, if not the only [team] with the traditional, haven’t changed it, don’t have an alternative. We like that. Our players really like our all white-on-white [uniforms], even more so than red-on-red now. So that’s become sort of our go-to. But we’ll always consider it.”
He concluded his remarks by saying, “I think is a high bar that’s going to have to be crossed to actually get it done, but it’s definitely [a] conversation. I’m sure you guys (media members) get them, too, but I get helmet designs monthly.”
So, it sounds like the Chiefs won’t be getting alternates anytime soon. But if they were to wear either an alternate helmet, jersey or uniform, what exactly might they consider? On a scale of 0 (never gonna happen) to 10 (will happen next season), I’ll rate their possible alternates.
ALTERNATE HELMET
The Chiefs are a bit of a unicorn in that their helmet contains two (well, technically three) colors: white and red (with a bit of black). However, their jersey, pants and socks all contain gold. Paul actually wrote about the almost-uniqueness of that back in 2018. So if KC were to go the alternate helmet route, it would almost assuredly be white.
Chances of it happening: 4
ALTERNATE GOLD JERSEY
Since the real third color in the Chiefs uniform scheme is gold, the most likely candidate for an alternate jersey would be a gold one. The team would simply swap in the gold jersey for the red one for a game or two a season. About the only question would be whether to use red numbers or white, but everything else could match the white jersey, with the exception of the gold stripes.
Chances of it happening: 2
ALTERNATE BLACK JERSEY (AND PANTS)
BFBS really isn’t a thing anymore, but I’d imagine if somehow Nike could convince Kansas City to do this, they’d make a boatload of coin. Yes, the Jets, Eagles, Niners, Lions and a couple other teams have done BFBS in the past, but I could never see KC going this route — much less going black jersey and pants. But the black jersey actually worn on the field?
Chances of it happening: When hell freezes over
ALTERNATE GOLD JERSEY AND PANTS
If the Chiefs politely told Nike “NO” when they were (allegedly) approached with an all-gold CR option back in 2015, it’s hard to see them introducing one in the future. But it’s more likely than an all-black option. Does that make it at all likely? No.
Chances of it happening: 1
And here you have it. News from the Chiefs themselves that they’re probably not even close to an alternate…but closer than they once were. I don’t know what constitutes a “high bar” to introducing an alternate, but it will probably not be topped anytime soon. And if either a helmet OR a jersey were to be introduced, I’d place better odds on a white helmet than a gold (or black) jersey.
What say you readers? Do you think the Chiefs will ever get an alternate (or should they even)? And what do you might think would be the most likely? A white helmet? Gold jersey? Black uni? Something else?
The floor is yours…
I don’t like the Chiefs even a little bit, but I commend them for their stance on the uniform. Their respect for tradition, and their refusal to whore out to Nike. I feel almost the same way about the Yankees except I am more Yankees-neutral (less dislike, mom is from NYC and was a fan growing up) and they went with the ad patch.
GTGFTS: Jim Lonborg’s one hitter in Game 2 of the 1967 WS.
The Chiefs are just fine without an alternate. Just keep switching the white and red pants with the white jersey.
GTGFTS: Game 2 1967 World Series St. Louis at Boston. I was 8 and living in Quincy MA. Game was not on TV in Boston-dumb blackout rules especially given that Saturday and Sunday home games during the regular season were on. I remember listening to Game 7 on the radio with some friends; we were off from school for “Italian Day”.
And not a Chiefs fan but stick with red jerseys & white pants and white jerseys & red pants. No white on white; that was the “Marty Ball” look and we know how that usually ended up in the postseason. And no alternate helmet.
Red/white/white was also Super Bowl I. Also didn’t end well.
But that’s not why I’m against it. It just doesn’t look as awesome as red/white/red. Only the NJ Generals could pull off red/white/white.
Yes to the Joisey Generals…but Washington Football Team and the ‘76-77 Atlanta Falcons (pre-silver, post-gray masks) looked good going white-over-white under their red headgear.
The Chiefs’ R/W/W remains my preference over the red bottom option.
YVV, err…YMMV, JV.
GTGFTS 1967 World Series Game 2. October 5th, 1967. Jim Lonborg tosses a complete game 1 hitter, waling only one Cardinal batter. Elston Howard is his battery-mate.
St. Louis won the Series in seven games.
Definitely appreciate the Chiefs refusal to indulge in the alternate uniform nonsense.
Red/white/white is not remotely the Chiefs’ best look IMHO. Red/white/red, followed closely by red/red/white, are the best two looks. Red/white/white is OK, but visually boring. All red is awful.
EXACTLY.
Don’t mess with the best uniform in the league.
Hear, hear!
Agree, when I was growing up in the late 80s and 90s they had dropped the reds pants completely. The white pants with white jerseys wasn’t a bad look, but bringing back the red pants made them look so much better. For the most part teams that pair their primary color helmet with their primary color jersey, and white pants at home should always invert that with colored helmet, white jersey, and colored pants on the road.
The Chiefs’ best look is red-white-red. I’ve yet to read a convincing argument against it.
Because there really isn’t an argument against it.
Because its a subjective matter. Why would one seek argument for such a thing? I like what i like for the reasons i like them. Not sure what external input has to do with that.
I don’t care what you like. But on a site that regularly disparages “mono” uniforms, I would expect there to be some sort of consistency or at least rationale when it comes to staff stating preferences for uniforms that contradict what they’ve made very clear in the past.
“on a site that regularly disparages “mono” uniforms”
Not sure where you’re getting that — I don’t have a problem with “mono” in certain contexts. What I don’t like is when teams wear socks and pants that are the same color, giving players a yoga pants look. Unfortunately, that is de rigueur now, so my opposition is much more to the yoga pants motif than “mono” uniforms. I am not especially enamored of teams wearing same color tops/pants, but so long as the socks are a contrasting color, I am much less opposed.
Case in point: check out the Bills going with their regular white shells, and with blue shirts and pants. In this game (link), they wore white socks/leggings, making for a balanced look (white on top and bottom, blue in the middle). That is WAY more preferable to when the team wears the same hat/shirt/pants but with blue socks (link). I hate that look, but it’s much more due to the yoga pants look than the “mono” look.
I’m about as close to being a Chiefs fan as you can be without being a Chiefs fan (I dig watching Mahomes play and I love their unis) and my vote, for what it’s worth, is no alts for KC. Why mess with near perfection?
Agree. If pressed, I would say red/yellow/red (not shown in the mock ups) would be OK-ish, and I can see red/red/yellow looking good, although that would draw old school ‘Skins comparisons. Please, no black elements, thank you.
GTGFTU: USC/Notre Dame, 10/20/07. Barely even a game, USC 38-0.
Just my personal opinion, but I don’t like ANY NFL team in mono-white…I much prefer the colored pants with a white jersey. So to me, KC’s best look is still white over red, and I was really happy when they brought the red pants back into their locker in 2000. Contrast matters.
That said, I agree with the prevailing sentiment that KC doesn’t need an alternate. Gold is really the only possible option, but in KC’s case, it would seemed forced…especially when gold seems more like a true “accent” color for them, and doesn’t have near the prominence that some teams’ secondary colors have (if that makes sense).
Colts can wear all-white. That’s it.
I think Miami and San Diego also look good in all white. As long as you have colored socks and some sort of pants stripes, white helmets, jerseys, and pants look pretty good.
Miami, yes.
Chargers always in gold pants. Always.
…and the Jets if they ever return to the Namath era uniform.
Absolutely.
I like the white/white look for many NFL teams – especially the Cardinals (their best look) the Bears (though it’s been a while/far too long), the Giants (both the CR and non-blue road set) and KC (though not their best look, it better than the red pants one) Numbers and stripes provide enough contrast and break up the mono-tony.
Chiefs look good in all white. Back in the 80’s and 90’s that was the main road uniform for most teams.
I admire the Chiefs for resisting to mess with a good uniform. I wish other teams would follow.
Just please change the border from black to yellow(gold) on the helmets and add a bumper logo.
I know we are talking unis here but you can’t preach all tradition but then threaten to leave an iconic outside stadium for a stinkin modern dome!
Bumper logo —yes.
GTGFTU – 2007 throwback to the 1977 Green Jersey Game.
Big fan of the Dallas Texans throwback for KC…keep that as an alt and I’m good.
Do not mess with alternates is the message of the Chiefs so far and I totally respect that.
The black mock-up looks like the Falcons, need a little yellow trim in there. The gold ones are a shade away from Bucs Creamsicle territory.
From a local perspective, there are a lot of Jayhawk fans in the heavily populated (and wealthy) Kansas side of the border who REALLY have a problem with an emphasis on yellow because of the Missouri Tigers. These militias are still fighting the Civil War. (KU basketball wore yellow once, and only once, in its entire history, and Larry Brown got the message loud and clear that should never happen again.)
That said, you do see folks out and about wearing black or yellow Mahomes jerseys. But I think the only photos you’ll ever see of Mahomes in a black jersey will say “Texas Tech,” and the only yellow jersey will be the practice QB togs.