Nike Undos Another One
I think the Nike uniform era is primarily a failure. It seems to be defined by wild gimmicks and taking a chance but walking it back to a classic look a few years later.
The Falcons just unveiled new uniforms. They are just the old uniforms. The bold ATL uniforms of the past few years are gone, replaced by a scheme that looks almost identical to what came before. People called them boring. They are. They are safe.
Just a few weeks ago the Titans reverted to the Oilers. It was a longer backstep, and there are differences between the uniforms, but they are essentially just the Oilers again. A classic look. The Jets tried to change with the big sharp shoulder stripe, and now they are just classic 80’s Jets again.
The Buccaneers got new uniforms for the Jameis Winston era that we all made fun of, the ones with the alarm clock numbers. Just a few years later they reverted to the classic red/pewter uniforms of the 2000’s. The Jaguars went bold, with the stupid helmet that started this entire running gag, then a few years later they went back to a look much closer to the earlier look, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they revert even closer in the coming years. Everyone loved the throwbacks they trudged out this season.
How many of you even remember the Browns redesign? It lasted long enough to be an icon of the Manziel era and no longer, now they are just the old Browns again. The Commanders are rumored to be getting a new look soon, and I would bet real money that they just go right back to the [REDACTED] scheme, just with the new logo.
I would not be shocked if the Rams reverted to the old look in the coming decade. I don’t know why they switched off to begin with. The Cardinals news duds have not been received highly so by 2030 I predict them going back to a more classic look too. The bolder Nike gets, the more likely the fans do not respond to it and the team regresses within the decade. I don’t think many people like the new Broncos uniforms either so I’d also predict they walk it back in the same time frame. I don’t know about the Texans. They don’t have enough uniform history to predict if they will go back. I would expect the next Texans uniform is a brand new thing.
The Seahawks, the first real try Nike made once they got control, remains the most successful attempt. It probably helps that the previous Seahawks uniforms from the Beastquake era suck. The Vikings were another successful job by Nike, but I think it was because Nike didn’t swing and instead made a fairly classic style uniform with modern sensibilities. I think the Vikings are the best uniform Nike has made, outside the Matte helmet. I like shiny helmets. The Chargers are also good, but the Chargers are an anomaly because you simply cannot make a bad Chargers uniform.
They tried Color Rush and fans hated on it. They make a ton of alternates and they are either boring, just a classic uniform, or too weird. These new Rivalries uniforms are pretty bold, and pretty bad overall. This entire era feels like it exists to give us gimmick side uniforms. I love alternates and experiments, but even I’m getting tired of it. I don’t like how few of these uniforms stick around long enough to actually feel like an era. They aren’t giving us time to really grow attached to them.
I want more Vikings and Bengals. Classic, clean, simple, but still modern, with identifying aspects to make it unique (namely the special shoulder stripes) These feel like the types that are built to last and define a decade. I don’t think Nike will ever land another Seahawks, and even if they do, I think too many fans hate change and will force them to roll it back quickly.
I’m tired of trying to find ways to make this comic without just straining to make it another “undo button” joke. I’ve had to do it too much. It shouldn’t be such a trend.
I agree, it’s frustrating when brands chase trends and then revert. The Falcons’ change is a good example of that cycle.
Oh we can just hope and wait for the 90s pats unis
I’m just glad whenever you bring this out, that Sexy Rexy remains.
Same. I loved that era of The Draw Play
The issue the rivalry uniforms have, IMO, aside from being a gimmick, is that Nike didn’t think about how these uniforms would read to someone watching the game in the stadium or on TV, not just close up on a hanger or in a close-up shot of a player wearing them while standing still. I love the Patriots rivalry uniform, but it looked light purple on TV, not a cool steely blue as it was supposed to. The Cardinals rivaly uniform looked both dirty and kind of pink in long shots. They are too busy and the cool details got lost because Nike wasn’t thinking about how it looks when viewed from 500-1000 ft away or even just in motion. It’s a jersey line that looks neat on the hanger, but isn’t good on the field.
When you have to compete with the Seahawks throwbacks…
The funny thing about Color Rush is Nike were close, but incredibly far away. Look at the most popular throwbacks: Patriots Red, Seahawks Blue, Eagles Kelly Green and Bucs Creamsicle are all from eras where none of the above teams won a super bowl (or were even close in some cases), but people want something vibrant.
I’m incredibly meh on Year 1 of “Rivalry”. City Connect for Football should be a layup, but they’re incredibly tame compared to Boston Marathon Yellow or Skateboarding Devil Ray. I know the NFL is the No Fun League but if you’re going to make a promo that exists exclusively to sell merch, make the merch something other than a dark alternate?
I know I’m not the ONLY Chargers fan that thinks the new uniforms are a step down (give me Navy or give me death), but we are outnumbered.
Reebok era was so much better than Nike, and I’m tired of people glazing Nike for making the same uninspired crap that they usually do
It would be funny if they say “there’s an undo button?!?” And then the Nike guys revert to the original drawing that you did of them before you updated it Dave.
I thought the Seahawks Nike uniforms were super rad when they first came out, and they managed to stick around long enough that they became dated, then eventually came back around as rad for me. That they stand out from the modern minimalist faux-back looks maybe has something to do with it, but they are definitely one of the few real successes of this uniform era.