The NFL is currently testing a new skin-tight uniform, to be spread throughout the league soon (as the NHL did a couple years ago).
Looking at the new protoptypes, and considering the slowly-developing problem of disappearing sleeves, you can see the problem. There's barely enough room for even the Packers' downsized stripes as it is; once the new jersey cuts are unveiled they might be banished from the sleeves altogether.
And that actually might be a good thing.
Here's my proposal: Remove the stripes from the jersey sleeves altogether, and place them on the compression shirts players wear under the jerseys.
Okay, my Photoshop skills aren't the best. But you get the general idea.Players could then crop their sleeves as short as they like (well, within reason), and maybe we could even create enough real estate on the arms to restore the proper Lombardi stripe pattern:
Plus, the NFL could actually start selling the compression shirts branded as "Authentics."
I smell a win-win.
UPDATE 9/1/2010: Looks like Nike agrees, introducing these Oregon State throwback uniforms to be worn in the 2010 Civil War game with Oregon:
UPDATE 10/17/2010: Now that Nike will be taking over the NFL uniform contract beginning in 2012, this seems more possible now than ever.
1 comment:
I agree with you 100% on this one - I think many NFL teams (like the Packers, Steelers, Bears, Browns, etc.) missed a golden opportunity to "go back to the 1980's" if you will when the sleeves were longer and the stripes were full-length. I think full-length stripes (or a full-size logo in some cases) on the undershirt is a great idea.
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