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Good Tuesday morning, Uni Watchers. I hope everyone had a good Labor Day holiday, and a nice weekend!
When the NFL eliminated the “one shell” rule a couple years ago, we knew it would be a mixed blessing — because the second color helmet wasn’t restricted to merely throwback uniforms, we knew there would be more than a few teams who would add a new color simply because they could. And boy, have we seen plenty of those.
But it also meant we’d see the return of the wonderful Bucco Bruce and Pat Patriot, as well as the Falcons 1966 gems. It also opened the door for teams to introduce never-before-worn throwback uniforms, like those sported by the Eagles.
It also opened the door for a team like the Seattle Seahawks to bring back the uniforms that lit up an otherwise dreary Kingdome when first worn, when the Seahawks debuted these beauties last season, in Week 8 against the Cleveland Browns (and then wore them again in Week 13 against the Cowboys):
What a joy to see those glorious royal blues, green and silver in the sunlight!
Well, the team and the fans enjoyed those so much, they’re bringing them back again this year and they’ll be wearing them in their first game of the season, against the Denver Broncos, who (unfortunately) will themselves will be debuting their new road uniforms for the first time in the regular season. Let’s hope the broncos pair their white jerseys with orange pants, because the all-white and the blue yoga pants just won’t look nearly as good. The Seahawks will wear them a second time in a Thursday Night Football matchup in Week 6 against the San Francisco 49ers (who will be wearing their own white 1955/1994 fauxbacks).
In case you missed either of last year’s games — or just want a little taste of what’s to come — the team produced a short hype video showing the throwbacks in action in 2023.
This. THIS is the reason the NFL dumped the one-shell rule: so we could have nice things. Yes, the lifting of the rule was both a blessing and a curse, but I’ll happily take a few “because we can” alternate helmets if it means teams like the Seahawks can bring back uniforms as lovely as these.
According to the Seahawks…
The Seahawks will kick off the 2024 season while wearing the fan-favorite 90s throwback uniforms when they take on the Denver Broncos at Lumen Field on Sunday, September 8, 2024. The throwback uniforms represent the importance of the 90s for not only the Seahawks organization, but also the city of Seattle.
These uniforms are a part of the Seahawks’ foundation as the team wore them in the inaugural season in 1976 through the end of the 2001 season. The uniform combination features the classic silver helmet, royal blue and apple green jerseys and silver pants.
The team also provided a few really excellent articles relating to the throwbacks (and the original uniforms) which you might find interesting:
I know some of you aren’t necessarily fans of the throwbacks, and that’s OK. If you aren’t, is that simply because you don’t like the uniforms, or is it because those uniforms are emblematic of a less-than-successful on field product (mostly) during the years they were worn — in other words, do you equate those uniforms with losing?
I find many folks — some Uni Watchers included — often form a negative opinion of a uniform (no matter how well designed or good looking) if the team wasn’t successful while wearing them. Conversely, many fans like bad (IMO) uniforms if a team achieved success while wearing them. It’s actually a subject I explored at length a few years back.
Love to hear your thoughts on the throwbacks, and what your opinions are of them as uniforms. Even if you’re one of those who feel the throwbacks remind you of “losing,” are you still glad to see them return for a couple games a year?
Guess the Game from the Uniform
Based on the suggestion of long-time reader/contributor Jimmy Corcoran, we’ve introduced a new “game” on Uni Watch, which is similar to the popular “Guess the Game from the Scoreboard” (GTGFTS), only this one asked readers to identify the game based on the uniforms worn by teams.
Like GTGFTS, readers will be asked to guess the date, location and final score of the game from the clues provided in the photo. Sometimes the game should be somewhat easy to ascertain, while in other instances, it might be quite difficult. There will usually be a visual clue (something odd or unique to one or both of the uniforms) that will make a positive identification of one and only one game possible. Other times, there may be something significant about the game in question, like the last time a particular uniform was ever worn (one of Jimmy’s original suggestions). It’s up to YOU to figure out the game and date.
Today’s GTGFTU comes from Jimmy Corcoran himself.
Good luck and please post your guess/answer in the comments below.
Threads of Our Game
Got an e-mail yesterday from the great Craig Brown, who runs the fantastic Threads Of Our Game website. If you’re not familiar with it, the primary focus is on pre-1900 baseball uniforms and related ephemera.
He wrote:
A heady baseball topic — the straw hats of 1849 Knickerbocker
Hi baseball friends,
John Thorn, baseball’s preeminent historian and author, had been “poking around.” He landed on the Threads of Our Game website, and specifically the renderings of baseball uniforms of the 1850s.
“Why not,” John emailed, “start with the Knicks of 1849, whose garb was described in Peverelly?”
Well, this task has sat on my to-do list for a long time. However the idea of drawing the first adopted uniform of one of baseball’s first teams was somewhat overwhelming — especially since visual documentation does not exist. As an example, how do I accurately portray the team’s straw hat if I don’t first understand the hat styles of the period?
I hope you guys like this feature and will want to continue to submit your concepts and tweaks to me. If you do, Shoot me an E-mail (Phil (dot) Hecken (at) gmail (dot) com).
• • • • •
Today’s concepts come from Brice Wallace, who actually sent several tweaks at the same time, so I’ve combined them into one.
Hi, Phil.
The new Utah NHL team should be the Gulls, which has historical significance in the state. The logo avoids the “BYU blue versus Utah red” argument, too. Note the “G” is shaped like the state.
I did these a few months ago, when it appeared that the Athletics might make a temporary home in Salt Lake City…. And here’s an idea for when the A’s get to Las Vegas.
Proposed City Connect unis for the Reds…
Brice Wallace
Roy, Utah
• • • • •
OK readers (and concepters). If you have some tweaks or concepts, shoot ’em my way with a brief description of your creation and I’ll run ’em here.
What Phil Did Last Night
Last night I met up with longtime reader and pal James Huening for an evening at Shea CitiField.
I hadn’t seen James in eight years, and (as I mentioned in yesterday’s early lede), that too involved seeing the Mets.
The game eight years ago was an early May game, and if I recall correctly, the gametime temperature was something like 37°, with wind, rain and sleet. So by contrast, last evening’s game was like a night at the beach in the summer. A bit cool and with a breeze, but an absolute pleasure. It didn’t hurt that the Amazin’s won their fifth straight game, defeating the Bawstin Red Sawks 4-1.
We also met Marc Rivlin (pictured here in the middle, between myself on the left and Steve Dodell, at Paul’s 25th Anniversary party/sendoff). So all in all it was a very fun night.
Here’s James and me at last night’s game:
(A far cry from how we were attired eight years ago):
As you can see, we’ve aged like fine wine…
Great seeing ya, James! Let’s not let another eight years go by before we do this again.
And finally...
…that’ll do it for the early lede. In addition to a rare Tuesday Ticker from our own Jamie Rathjen, I’ll have several more articles today, including NFL uniform previews for the AFC South and AFC West (both of which are chock full of new uniforms and helmets). If you missed yesterday’s Uni Watch, I had previews for the AFC East and the AFC North. On Wednesday I’ll have the NFC East and North, and finally, just in time for the Opening Night of the 2024 NFL season, on Thursday I’ll conclude with the NFC South and West.
Everyone have a wonderful Tuesday, and I’ll catch you right back here tomorrow.
Hey Seattle how about making these permanent. While also having some navy blue jersey with neon green and silver/grey accents as well
Why soil them with silly neon accents?? Like sticking a mustache on the Mona Lisa.
GTGFTU 10/3/76 Eagles 14 Falcons 13. Bicentennial patch on the Eagles sleeves.
Easily the best uniforms the Falcons have ever worn.
Dig Bartowski’s Dungard!
Yes, the 1976-77 Falcons were my favorite versions because they wore the white facemasks.
You got it Vic, that spirit of 76! that patch says it all.
link
These are the superior and true Seahawks throwbacks.
Only wear them when playing AFC teams. Nostalgia!
The Seahawks demonstrate the general rule that sports uniforms look better with brighter, rather than darker, shades of any given color.
Tend to agree…OTTOMH, I do think the Phillies looked better in maroon (well, at least the caps/batting helmets), and the Flyers original burnt orange > that highlighter hue used in their previous set.
Maroon and light blue is a major exception for me. It’s a common color scheme in English soccer, and I kind of want to root for every maroon-baby-blue team on the basis of uniform quality alone. And the modern Phillies are a good counter-example. They use bright red and bright royal in a way that makes both look washed-out and dull together. Partly it’s the poor design of their home pinstripes, which don’t read as red pinstripes in most light so much as a pink haze.
Another counterpoint for me is the Brewers. Their old yellow and royal was fine, but I much prefer their current navy and yellow because of the way the yellow pops and feels even brighter against the darker blue.
Beautiful splash graphic, beautiful uniforms. That blue/green combo makes me happy. Just a really good-looking set. There are a couple of things about that version of the logo that bugs me a little, but I’m more than happy to settle for those colors, blocking, and stripes.
I’m fine with most of the uniforms the Seahawks have worn (not so wild about the Hassleback/Alexander era or the neons) but these are truly fantastic. If they wore these all the time, Seattle would be a full-fledged “root for the uniform” team for me.
Out of curiosity, what bugs you about that logo? I ask because I find the new logo to be the biggest issue I have with their most recent look (among many other issues, really, but I just vastly prefer the old logo that comes across as having a more Haida style).
The only thing that bugged me is the way they did the wrap-around on the sleeves and helmets. The sleeves I think would be better if the stripes were only behind the hawk’s head (rather than both in front and behind). I don’t like the way the beak overlaps the stripes. The helmets always bugged me because the wrap-around is broken up by the blank center panel of the old helmets (where some teams would have a stripe), and I’d prefer that the horizontal stripes connect in back.
Both very minor grievances, and well worth it to have these beautiful uniforms with awesome, vibrant colors, which I’m very happy to see.
I’ve become used to seeing the more modernized details on the hawk’s head (it looks a little meaner and more streamlined than the original), but I really could go either way on that.
Ahhh. Ok. In that case we are in (almost) total agreement. I have always been bugged by the way the bird “eats itself” so to speak on the sleeve and the way the stripes end on the helmet as well. Those are just two things that I guess my mind has accepted and sort of ignores now (plus it’s been a while and the unis that they’ve worn since these have had so much to complain about). Although I can say that with the modern tailoring on the sleeves, that stripe situation does actually bother me again because there just isn’t enough room for the hawk to not look totally cramped. As for the new logo I don’t know why it bugs me but it does. Maybe it’s just a little too angry and streamlined? Who knows. I think it’s more a matter of liking the old one more, so seeing the new one is always a disappointment.
My favorite Seattle uniforms were the expansion-year gear but this is a close second. Can’t abide any of their designs since they changed their colors. And I’ll always think of them as an AFC team.
Seahawks fan here. I am a fan of all Seahawks uniforms but these are on the bottom for me. I like more modern design in uniforms including the neons. It also helps that the slate blue of the 2000s is my favorite color. The main issue I have with the royal blues is that I actually have a hard time having it go with the rest of my clothes when I want to support the team. With the navy it is much easier. I do believe that was one of the reason why a school like BYU went away from the royal blue as well. Those are my two cents at least.
Back in the day I always thought the Seahawks looked fine but unremarkable. But that was definitely influenced by low def TV and these being worn in the dreary Kingdome. I don’t think any other throwback benefits from HD pictures and TV and being worn outside more than Seattle. These are just stunningly beautiful.
Great Hawks uniforms. Lets hope the players don’t go “ugly undershirt sticking out the bottom”.
I got into the NFL in the early 90s. Those unis are timeless in my head. Especially the metallic teams.
With gold helmets and pants, you had the Niners and Saints in red and black. With silver helmets and pants, you had Raiders in black, then Detroit, Dallas (sort of) and Seahawks in blue.
It felt like there were combos missing (eg Ohio State and London Monarchs) so as the latest team to the party, I always thought the Seahawks combo was impinging on other teams looks.
Their navy blue and neon green and bits of grey on the other hand, is a look that they own.
So for that reason, I’m not too excited about them, and looking forward to the Niners spoiling the party!
Phil, you look thinner now than back then! You never put on that “High School Reunion weight” you know, when you go back to a high school reunion and guys you haven’t seen for a while are now 30 pounds heavier, all around the mid-section. You have been able to avoid that curse, nice job my friend!
Going to Seahawks/Broncos on Sunday and couldn’t have been happier when they announced this yesterday. I wish they would make this permanent or add a white version as well. GO HAWKS!
Can anyone tell me what the light blue/cyan color included with the Seahawks color scheme? I cannot see where that is used in the uniform, and seems to match the flare on the lower part of the jersey in the watercolor graphic
Is Nike going to get the NOB font right for the Seahawks this year? They tried to get the number font right, and more or less did (note the 2s especially). But the NOB font was just the Bengals’ bespoke font (actually used on German highway signs, so not bespoke but at least unique for the American sports scene) repurposed. They also got the Jets’ throwback NOB font wrong.
Hey Seattle how about making these permanent. While also having some navy blue jersey with neon green and silver/grey accents as well
Why soil them with silly neon accents?? Like sticking a mustache on the Mona Lisa.
GTGFTU 10/3/76 Eagles 14 Falcons 13. Bicentennial patch on the Eagles sleeves.
Easily the best uniforms the Falcons have ever worn.
Dig Bartowski’s Dungard!
Yes, the 1976-77 Falcons were my favorite versions because they wore the white facemasks.
You got it Vic, that spirit of 76! that patch says it all.
link
These are the superior and true Seahawks throwbacks.
Only wear them when playing AFC teams. Nostalgia!
The Seahawks demonstrate the general rule that sports uniforms look better with brighter, rather than darker, shades of any given color.
Tend to agree…OTTOMH, I do think the Phillies looked better in maroon (well, at least the caps/batting helmets), and the Flyers original burnt orange > that highlighter hue used in their previous set.
Maroon and light blue is a major exception for me. It’s a common color scheme in English soccer, and I kind of want to root for every maroon-baby-blue team on the basis of uniform quality alone. And the modern Phillies are a good counter-example. They use bright red and bright royal in a way that makes both look washed-out and dull together. Partly it’s the poor design of their home pinstripes, which don’t read as red pinstripes in most light so much as a pink haze.
Another counterpoint for me is the Brewers. Their old yellow and royal was fine, but I much prefer their current navy and yellow because of the way the yellow pops and feels even brighter against the darker blue.
Beautiful splash graphic, beautiful uniforms. That blue/green combo makes me happy. Just a really good-looking set. There are a couple of things about that version of the logo that bugs me a little, but I’m more than happy to settle for those colors, blocking, and stripes.
I’m fine with most of the uniforms the Seahawks have worn (not so wild about the Hassleback/Alexander era or the neons) but these are truly fantastic. If they wore these all the time, Seattle would be a full-fledged “root for the uniform” team for me.
Out of curiosity, what bugs you about that logo? I ask because I find the new logo to be the biggest issue I have with their most recent look (among many other issues, really, but I just vastly prefer the old logo that comes across as having a more Haida style).
The only thing that bugged me is the way they did the wrap-around on the sleeves and helmets. The sleeves I think would be better if the stripes were only behind the hawk’s head (rather than both in front and behind). I don’t like the way the beak overlaps the stripes. The helmets always bugged me because the wrap-around is broken up by the blank center panel of the old helmets (where some teams would have a stripe), and I’d prefer that the horizontal stripes connect in back.
Both very minor grievances, and well worth it to have these beautiful uniforms with awesome, vibrant colors, which I’m very happy to see.
I’ve become used to seeing the more modernized details on the hawk’s head (it looks a little meaner and more streamlined than the original), but I really could go either way on that.
Ahhh. Ok. In that case we are in (almost) total agreement. I have always been bugged by the way the bird “eats itself” so to speak on the sleeve and the way the stripes end on the helmet as well. Those are just two things that I guess my mind has accepted and sort of ignores now (plus it’s been a while and the unis that they’ve worn since these have had so much to complain about). Although I can say that with the modern tailoring on the sleeves, that stripe situation does actually bother me again because there just isn’t enough room for the hawk to not look totally cramped. As for the new logo I don’t know why it bugs me but it does. Maybe it’s just a little too angry and streamlined? Who knows. I think it’s more a matter of liking the old one more, so seeing the new one is always a disappointment.
My favorite Seattle uniforms were the expansion-year gear but this is a close second. Can’t abide any of their designs since they changed their colors. And I’ll always think of them as an AFC team.
Seahawks fan here. I am a fan of all Seahawks uniforms but these are on the bottom for me. I like more modern design in uniforms including the neons. It also helps that the slate blue of the 2000s is my favorite color. The main issue I have with the royal blues is that I actually have a hard time having it go with the rest of my clothes when I want to support the team. With the navy it is much easier. I do believe that was one of the reason why a school like BYU went away from the royal blue as well. Those are my two cents at least.
Back in the day I always thought the Seahawks looked fine but unremarkable. But that was definitely influenced by low def TV and these being worn in the dreary Kingdome. I don’t think any other throwback benefits from HD pictures and TV and being worn outside more than Seattle. These are just stunningly beautiful.
Great Hawks uniforms. Lets hope the players don’t go “ugly undershirt sticking out the bottom”.
I got into the NFL in the early 90s. Those unis are timeless in my head. Especially the metallic teams.
With gold helmets and pants, you had the Niners and Saints in red and black. With silver helmets and pants, you had Raiders in black, then Detroit, Dallas (sort of) and Seahawks in blue.
It felt like there were combos missing (eg Ohio State and London Monarchs) so as the latest team to the party, I always thought the Seahawks combo was impinging on other teams looks.
Their navy blue and neon green and bits of grey on the other hand, is a look that they own.
So for that reason, I’m not too excited about them, and looking forward to the Niners spoiling the party!
Phil, you look thinner now than back then! You never put on that “High School Reunion weight” you know, when you go back to a high school reunion and guys you haven’t seen for a while are now 30 pounds heavier, all around the mid-section. You have been able to avoid that curse, nice job my friend!
Going to Seahawks/Broncos on Sunday and couldn’t have been happier when they announced this yesterday. I wish they would make this permanent or add a white version as well. GO HAWKS!
Can anyone tell me what the light blue/cyan color included with the Seahawks color scheme? I cannot see where that is used in the uniform, and seems to match the flare on the lower part of the jersey in the watercolor graphic
Is Nike going to get the NOB font right for the Seahawks this year? They tried to get the number font right, and more or less did (note the 2s especially). But the NOB font was just the Bengals’ bespoke font (actually used on German highway signs, so not bespoke but at least unique for the American sports scene) repurposed. They also got the Jets’ throwback NOB font wrong.