Last week, we had another “Question of the Week” from Mike Chamernik, and he’s back today with his latest QOTW.
Enjoy!
by Mike Chamernik
Tom O’Grady, the legendary sports designer and the NBA’s first creative director, has a Substack. Last week he reposted a feature story written about him in 2019, about how O’Grady created the brand identities for the Raptors and Grizzlies.
The NBA as a whole started to embrace artistic expression in the 1990s: trendy colors, snarling cartoon logos, custom wordmarks, design flourishes, big bold everything. The Raptors and Grizzlies best exemplified that shift.
What uniforms and logos are the best representatives of a given decade? Like, if you think of a 1980s logo or uniform, or the 1970s, or the 2010s, or whatever, what comes to mind?
It might be tough, but try to separate on-field success from the design itself. For instance, the Steelers owned the 1970s, but their look didn’t particularly resemble the aesthetics of the era. (But maybe you feel it does — if so, I’ll hear you out!)
I especially want to know what best represents the more recent decades — the 2000s, 2010s, 2020s. These will probably be clearer with more hindsight, but I do want to anticipate what people will be nostalgic for in 20 years.
I’m especially curious to see what the readers submit for the ’70s-’90s (and in which sports), but also the more recent decades.
Looking forward to this one!
I’m thinking of a particular uniform template worn by many hockey teams in junior. Plain and simple it is just 1980s and nothing else. Not just talking about Cooperalls. Cooper also had a specific jersey template worn by many teams to go with Cooperalls that is never worn now. Google 1986 Memorial Cup and check out the Guelph Platers. You may remember what I am talking about.
That’s pretty good
Started to do research for each Big Four league in each decade, before realizing it would be way too much work (and my boss likely wouldn’t appreciate it), so I will provide a few:
NHL 2000s:
Nashville Predators original set (honourable mention: New York Islanders orange alternate, 2002-2007)
MLB 2000s:
Toronto Blue Jays in black.
NBA 2010s:
Pretty much any of the Adidas sleeved jerseys. I guess the Cavaliers’ would be the most memorable.
NFL 2020s:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Reverting to classic looks that work and doing away with all of the modern BS.
And since I have to mention soccer, in the 2000s:
Anything on Nike’s Total 90 template or Adidas’ Teamgeist template.
total 90 template, yes! freddy adu
Good call on the Predators! The wordmark was very early-2000s link
The Minnesota North Stars’ N logo screams 1960s to me, and the original 1967-75 unis definitely have that 60s vibe. The 1975-78 double stripe pattern unis feel more rooted to that decade, in spite of the logo. The post-Barons merger unis from 78-81 feel like they could be either 60s or 70s, but when they started adding black trim, that pushed them to more borderline 70s-80s.
The Los Angeles Kings’ 1967-80 unis (yes, I know there were some tweaks, but they were more or less consistent) feel very 1970s to me, even though they did debut in the 60s. The 1988-98 silver and black era is very much late 80s, and the overall aesthetics of the 1998-2024 era with those klunky numbers and that ugly wordmark font is so late 90s, it hurt, and I’m glad it’s gone in favor of a modernizing of the classic 90s unis.
No NHL uniform says 1970s, though, quite like the uniforms of the California Golden Seals (both the Finley green-and-golds and the later teal unis), when they replaced the seal logo with that “Seals” wordmark.
your 60’s and 70’s hockey is spot on.
Tremendous, agreed all around. Purple and black Kings is very 2000s
Kings need to go back to Forum Blue and gold. Permanently. Ditch the Gretzky black.
First thing that came to mind: The Astros’ uniforms of the 1970s. Ridiculed then but proved to be a great representation of the times.
Yes indeed!
Pre 50’s
Anything baggy and wool
1950’s
Brooklyn Dodgers
1960’s
LA/CA Angels (halo hat)
1970’s
Pittsburgh Pirates
1980’s
I really don’t like the aesthetics of this decade.
1990’s
Anaheim Mighty Ducks
2000’s
Denver Nuggets
2010’s
Cleveland Cavaliers (Sleeves)
2020’s
City Connects
Denver is a great shout for the 2000s. If I had followed through with picking a team from each decade for the Big Four, I’d likely have landed on them.
I was hoping someone would cite the 1970s Pirates. It was loud and colorful but also a nod to the past (pillbox caps)
Denver Nuggets and 76ers for the 2000s!
I’ve paid attention to various of the Big 4 (plus soccer) over the decades, but I’ve been a consistent baseball fan the whole way. So this question hits me as a baseball thing. I think my strongest opinions would be Philadelphia Phillies maroon pinstripes/powder blue for the 1970s and the White Sox black pinstripes for the 1990s.
The somewhat recently retired Arizona Cardinals set just screams mid-2000s to me, with all the unnecessary piping and flare. It’s a pretty good representation of what football uniforms looked like then, since it had almost all the unnecessary elements.
Yep! Cards and Falcons with all the lines and such
Piping is a very 2000s to 2010s thing now that you and Trey mention it. The Vikings had that piping thing going, too, but also in the NHL the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers (and maybe the Predators too?) had uniforms that featured piping lines on the front and/or back, I think I have seen them referred to as “apron strings”
2000s: probably the Patriots (blah). But that was a distinctly 2000s uniform that wasn’t just the winner of three Super Bowls, but the 2007 team and many memorable throwdowns with Peyton’s Colts as well.
2010s: Seahawks. Their 2012 redesign was the first NFL uniform to spawn from the “Pro Combat” era of college football uniforms. Radical in the early part of the decade, but by the end we had seen Jacksonville, Tennessee, Tampa Bay, and Cleveland all crap the bed much harder. And Seattle spent a lot of time in the spotlight with the LOB and multiple SB trips.
2020s: too soon but by gut says Padres. After decades wandering the aesthetic desert, they finally seem to have “figured it out” and it coincides with the most competitive relevancy the team has had in a long time. Not only are they the foil of the increasingly-hated Dodgers, but the two teams’ uniforms play off each other very well (as long as neither team is in their CCs).
Padres is a good one. Feels like teams are refreshing history with their new sets this decade. Padres in brown, Rams in royal blue and gold, Hawks ditching the weird triangle motif, etc.
The 1990’s are all about teal. Hornets, Sharks, the flaming horse Pistons.
Speaking of teal, don’t forget the D-bax and Jags.
Purple was likewise trendy then too.
Ovals and triangles were a big deal in the 90s too. The Knicks went triangular, and the Sharks had one from the very beginning. The Sonics and Avs had the swooshy ovals. I’m sure I’m forgetting other examples
Came here to say this. Although I think we could blame the Charlotte Hornets for the teal (and maybe purple?) explosion of the late 1980s and early 1990s. I think last year there was a link here to a story about Alexander Julian who designed the OG Hornets unis.
The Browns and Bucs are epitomal of the horrible uni designs of the 2010s.
They were five-and-done with those designs, yeesh
The past six years in the NBA have been exemplified by turning a game on and not recognizing who is playing anymore because the costumes change so much.
It’s a shame. I miss home teams wearing white
Good stuff everyone!
When I think of 2010s logos I think of the unfortunate roundel trend. Might be best exemplified by the Pacers, who had a perfectly functional P logo, but then added a roundel to it for whatever reason link
Roundels don’t work for other sports, but are very good for hockey (many NHL teams) and can also work for soccer (ie Man City, Bayern Munich, Celtic, etc).
The 1990s and early 00s Arizona Diamondbacks. Their Purple, Teal, and Copper, was the exactly color palette of the decor in my home during this period. Really wish they’d come back other these colors, and not just because they won a World Series with these. Their vest look was especially great.
2020’s will definitely be remembered as different uniforms every day, with the retail “tail” wagging the sports “dog”.
Ha yeah the lack of a consistent look will define the 2020s
1970s powder blue road uniforms in MLB. Brewers, White Sox, Expos, Royals, Phillies, Twins, Cubs, Rangers, Cardinals, Mariners and Blue Jays, I think.
Mmm yes. The Royals had the powdery-est of the powder blues
I don’t think any team had as much influence on uni colors as the Charlotte Hornets did in the 1990s. Up until the Hornets began play in 88-89, the number of teams in the NFL, MLB, NBA & NHL that had teal/aqua or purple in their color scheme was very few (Dolphins, Vikings, Lakers, Jazz, Suns, and the LA Kings who ironically dropped purple after the 87-88 season). Over the next 10 years or so after the Hornets, those two colors popped up on a lot of expansion teams (Jags, Ravens, Marlins, Rockies, D-Backs, Grizzlies, Raptors, Sharks, Mighty Ducks) and a few established teams who decided to change or alter their colors (Mariners, Pistons, Bullets>Wizards, Sac. Kings, Islanders and LA Kings).
One of the first times sports crossed over into fashion
All sports-
Pre 90’s – Block Numerals.
Post 90’s – Weird Numerals.
The End.
I’d venture to say for the last 10-15 years at least all the angry anthropomorphic logos prevalent in Minor League baseball. Gritted teeth and squinty eyes everywhere! I blame Brandiose.
Late ringing in but in the 1990s, had to be the Florida Marlins teal uniforms and caps. That was totally an early to mid 90s look. Popular when first released because it was unique and definitely a FLA color.
Surprised no one said anything about how basketball SHORTS changed in the ‘90s…
Also, shoes in the early ‘80s REALLY started being a thing. I paid $60 for a pair of Adidas Top Tens, that’s gotta be $300 in today’s dollars ;-)
All men should LOVE Michigan’s Fab Five for popularizing longer shorts for men, not only on the court but also in public