Nike Needs New Uniform Gimmicks
Isn’t it amazing how quickly we all just sorta stopped giving a crap about Nike’s Color Rush gimmicks?
They first came out and it was a giant talking point (partly because of the color blindness issue, but still). The few attempts they had for the remainder of the year were major deals and we all just wanted to talk about it. Then they announced the color rush for every Thursday game last year, and we all got hyped up and chatty, discussed it every week, and it was over.
They’ve been doing it this year once more, and honestly it’s almost as if we’ve all just sort of ignored it. Nike’s clever idea to shake things up ran out of juice. They need more gimmicks.
I am being actually kind of honest about that, actually. Count me in as a fellow who enjoys color rush and generally likes what Nike has been doing with the uniforms. They have a tendency to throw all sorts of ideas onto a wall and see what sticks, which can result in a fairly decent upgrade (Seahawks went from a nothing style to something actually memorable) to a complete disaster (the Jaguars Helmet is the worst uniform element ever made). I think most people outraged at the new looks are honestly just mad that things changed and change is BAD. Don’t make me look at things that are different, everything has to be as I remember.
I like color rush a lot. I like the funky color experimentation. Sometimes when I make pictures, I sit there tweaking colors for fun just to see what sort of other looks I can come up with. Nike was doing that and making the already dreadful Thursday nonsense a little more interesting in a harmless, fun way. Some of it worked, some of it very much didn’t, but I appreciated that it happened. If anything I feel like Nike was really close to actually generating some great changes, but they were hamstrung by the helmet color restrictions (The Bengals recent “white tiger” look especially) or a few dumb decisions (Not making a different color sock so it looks like players are wearing footsie pajamas).
I don’t want what Oregon has become, a team that almost has no visual identity whatsoever as Nike has stripped everything from it like mad scientists, but I wouldn’t mind seeing some more Thursday gimmicks in the future. More alternate jerseys. Maybe holiday uniforms. Maybe instead of color rush, a BEAST form, where they incorporate elements of the team’s name into the uniform, like animals (Sort of like the Bengals already do). More different color shoulder-pads, I like different color shoulder-pads. Maybe Nike should try a gimmick where they don’t make uniforms that have awkward sweat spots.
Or…NEW HELMETS. LET THEM HAVE FUN WITH THE HELMETS. I’m honestly pretty convinced the helmet rule is bogus and is just some way for the NFL to have consistent team branding instead of being about player safety. Half of the helmets in the league are so boring, let Nike have some fun. Even the Jags one is at least interesting for how utterly atrocious it is.
But if we are going to get color rush in October, just straight up go for the full pink and kill us all. Do it Nike. Do it. My body is ready.
Tge funniest reaction to Color Rush is people claiming that the NFL had “sold out” by making new uniforms for people to buy. Yes, because the freaking Color Rush jerseys are where the NFL, that long time bastion of creative integrity, at last gave into the siren song of filthy lucre and started making products with the intention of *gasp*, selling them for money!
The funny part is this is one of the money grubbing schemes I am perfectly fine with. Nobody has to buy a color rush jersey, and if you have to you might need to re-examine your self-control. It’s a fun way to experiment a little bit and make some dough on the side.
The PINK stuff I honestly think is worse, because they advertise all “the good” the money goes to when in reality that money mostly just goes to the NFL.
Maybe the Pinktober numbers on front should be 01 or 10 as the Komen organization is way better about drawing attention to people that have already had breast cancer instead of research into preventing it.
(Mastectomy joke!)
I don’t think that those are awkward sweat spots Dave, those are like stretchy parts of the jersey so that they can stay really tight to your body and still fit on the fatsos on the OL/DL.
My high school has jerseys like this.
thatsthejoke.jpg
I’m fine with color rush or alternate uniforms occasionally, but I do like the traditional uniforms as well. Sure, experiment with stuff, especially with ugly uniforms, but I also appreciate timeless classic looks.
I’ll be honest, the first color rush game my team (Bills vs. Jets in 2015) made my eyes figuratively bleed. It’s not Steelers bumblebee bad, but it made the Bills look like they were waking up Christmas morning in a red onesie. If they never wear those again, it will be too soon.
Others weren’t so bad. I actually like the Titans one. I know this is to sell more jerseys, but please, please stop NFL
whaaa…. I actually kinda like the Bills color rush uniforms. There have been worse ones like the Jets and Colts. Some colors or shades just don’t work for color rush.
Maybe it’s also what colors play what. The Bucs and the Rams, for example, look somewhat decent by themselves, but they looked like ketchup vs. mustard when they played each other:
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=TFrodOe6&id=65A17DB0001C43C22FFCEB94E9E5F067F4E5E571&thid=OIP.TFrodOe6qZrAQb6wcqWRIQEsDH&q=bucs+vs+rams+color+rush&simid=607997955911844652&selectedIndex=4&ajaxhist=0
And yeah, the Bills vs. Jets “Christmas color” game was pretty bad. I’m glad the Jets decided to wear their all-whites the second time around, which made the color schemes work better IMO
Nike should make some indistinguishable 1940’s throwback uniforms for Thursday games and then the NFL should broadcast those games in black and white with Frank Caliendo doing play-by-play in a Chris Schenkel impression, occasionally breaking character to shout “your grandparents didn’t whine about any of this!”
so glad these guys now have a recurring role on draw play
The color rush uniforms are a lot more sensible this year, and I think this is why no one’s talking about them. Without being an eyesore, they’re just sort of there, and from a distance it’s kind of hard to tell.
Why are they more sensible? I think it comes down to one thing: Thighs.
The color rush unis this year consistently have _something_ happening with the legs. Bears, Packers, Texans, &c. They’ve all got this straight colored piping on the sides of their thighs. It breaks the monotony of the just being a flat continuation of their shirt and points out that they’re actually wearing, y’know, clothes out there.
Honestly, in years past, it’s felt like the teams out there are all wearing glorified pajamas. But something that breaks the jersey and the pants into separate units really helps to break out of that.
What about color rush throwbacks?
I kinda like Color Rush. We need more orange in Miami’s get-up – although I wish we had a light grey kit too, we are Dolphins after all.
How about Eyeshield 21-style jerseys? Like how the Deimon Devilbats’ uniforms had bat wings on them come the Kantou Tournament, the Shinryūji Naga had flames up the side, the Seibu Wild Gunmen had Iron Horse train designs…
I still think the NFL should do throwback uniforms for Thursday night, get the old, memorable looks out one night a year. It’d be pretty cool to see the Eagles Kelly green uniforms and the creamsicle Bucs again.
The Browns should do a throwback to their old shade of orange helmets.
Would be so on board with this but it’ll never happen because of the stupid helmet rule
Fuckin send it
Side note: Is anyone else having fun with the twists and turns of the season so far (the AFC North excepted)? Seeing some perennials have some trouble and we’re seeing some teams that haven’t had as much success doing pretty well. The Bills? A legit challenge to the Pats division supremacy!? Maybe!
These Patriots color rush unis are so white they enjoy folk metal unironically.
You’re not complaining that we finally get ketchup vs. MAYO, are you?
The Patriots Color rush uni’s are so white, when players tried to take a knee the uni forced them to stand during the anthem.
They’re so white Belichick wants to make them into a slot WR.
I’ve got tickets to the Ribbons vs Tits game. Anyone else gonna be there?
I can’t believe you passed up a chance to do a strip about Jay Cutler just standing on the field during the Dolphin’s Wildcat play.
I am the only ones who like the Jags helmet? It’s better than their football!
I don’t hate them. I would prefer a solid matte black helmet but the gloss gold to matte black gradient has grown on me–much like Stockholm syndrome.
Still looks weird on video games though.