Good Guys Wear White, Again: Packers Color Rush Review

Although our modern eyes are accustomed to seeing road teams in white, that wasn't always the case. The Green Bay Packers managed to get through the first nineteen seasons of their existence without a white jersey at all.

In 1938, the Packers unveiled the first white jersey in team history.

Curly Lambeau introduced it as an alternate to his preferred navy blue because of the "color clash" caused when the Chicago Bears came to town in navy jerseys of their own.

Last night, nearly eighty years later, the Bears came to Lambeau Field and the home team again wore white. Lots of white.

White jersey.
White pants.
White socks. #ColorRush #TNF #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/n0gyWUbov6

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 20, 2016

I'm still opposed to the whole "Color Rush" promotion, but the Packers should be given a great deal of credit for not using it as an excuse to create another "authentic" jersey for retail. The only new elements are uniform pieces that aren't sold to the public. The team seems to have made an attempt to thread the needle between conforming to the NFL's mandate while respecting their own æsthetic heritage. Plus these new pants didn't look all that bad.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) calls a play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

As many people have pointed out in recent days, this is the first time the Packers have worn white at home in 27 seasons, since the first two games of the 1989 season.

As we expected, the pants were white with a green/gold/green striping pattern down the side. This matches the pattern first revealed on Monday, not the one originally announced last month, which would have added small white stripes to replicate the road jersey striping.

photo credit: Evan Siegle, Packers.com

The pants stripes looked so much better than the sleeve stripes, in part because the white stripes serve only to muddy the design. In heraldry, this is the rule of tincture; you don't place white and gold next to each other. There just isn't enough visual contrast to distinguish the two, so the pattern blurs and blends at any distance.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Kiichiro Sato)

The second reason the pant stripes looked so much better than the sleeves is that they were dyed in to the fabric and not screened on.

That's something I've never liked about the current Packers jerseys; the cheap-o painted-on stripes. The Steelers can have their sleeve stripes sewn into the jerseys, so why is the Pack stuck with this retrograde 1980s technique?

There was another antecedent to the Color Rush uniforms; the Packers briefly wore white socks at the dawn of the Vince Lombardi era, who included them in his original 1959 uniform.

Those striped socks, which only lasted one single season, would have looked great with the similarly-striped white pants.

On the whole, the "Color Rush" effect was striking. Solid white certainly stood out against the field, the stands, and the drab black-ish blue Bears players.

photo credit: Sec19Row53, boards.sportslogos.net

That's not to say that the Packers' Color Rush uniforms were entirely uniform. There were some minor deviations from the all-white "shoulder to toe" look.

photo credit: Evan Siegle, Packers.com

Several players wore gold shoelaces. Wide receiver Davante Adams took it a step farther with gold shoes.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Davante Adams (17) celebrates after making a touchdown catch during the second half of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears, Thursday, Oct. 20, 2016, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

WR Randall Cobb wore gold sanitary socks.

photo credit: Evan Siegle, Packers.com

They appeared to be at least two separate socks, layered on top of one another.

photo credit: Evan Siegle, Packers.com

In addition, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix wore Pinktober shoes.

photo credit: Evan Siegle, Packers.com

Mercifully, he was the only one.

The overall effect of this "Color Rush" uniform reminded me more of soccer than football.

photo credit: Mirror Online

Although the white pants weren't all that bad, I really hope to never see them on the field again. The Packers just don't look right without their gold pants. The beauty of Lombardi's uniform is matching the pants to the helmet, gold with green and white Braisher stripes. There is one lasting effect I'd like to see, though; last night reinforced my feeling that it's time to bring back the original road jersey striping pattern.

There is an opportunity to fix the current jersey's flaws while reclaiming Lombardi's visual legacy.

It would look better, it would honor the team's glory days, and I can even make a crass commercial argument in favor. I don't know how many white jerseys the Packers sell, although anecdotal evidence suggests it is a distant, distant second to the home greens. This could be an opportunity to change that in some small way.

Come on, Packers. The franchise's 100th Anniversary is on the horizon, and let's see if we can't right this wrong before then.

Proudly Wearing White After Labor Day

The Packers' Color Rush game is this Thursday, and the team's online presence has again been done up for the event.

White is the color of the day, er, week.

They certainly are consistent.

You might notice that the Packers even have a variation on the team's classic logo, eschewing the gold out line in favor of simple green and white, such as this Twitter avatar:

And, of course, the Pro Shop also gets in on the act.

There will be plenty of opportunities for Packer fans to dress themselves in white, just like the club has.

Color Rush Tweaked?

The Packers just tweeted out this look at Thursday's match:

WHITE 🔥🔥🔥!#Packers to debut #ColorRush uniforms Thursday night 📸: https://t.co/OSXgIWm6IA#CHIvsGB #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/9jxE930uVE

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) October 17, 2016

The pants have been tweaked since they were unveiled last month. Check out the stripes on Clay's pants in this promotional photo:

But as you can see, the white stripes in between the green and gold have been removed from the pants.

It's even more clear in the gallery posted on Packers.com:

Photo: Duke Bobber, packers.com

This is the same as the concept I posted, where the Packers could have created a uniform closer to Vince Lombardi's original white jersey:

Could we maybe see Vince's original vision restored some day? A boy can dream....

Pinktober. Again. Yay.

It's that time of year again, time for the showy and offensive pantomime played out in stadiums and on your television screens.

For background, see here.

Color Rush Reaction and Review

This morning, the Packers unveiled their "Color Rush" uniforms, which they will wear Thursday, Oct. 20, when the Chicago Bears come to Lambeau Field.

This league-wide promotion, introduced last year, involves the teams dressing in a single, defining color. And the Packers' defining color is... White.

And the #ColorRush color is...

WHITE!#Packers will wear all white uniforms Week 7: https://t.co/Eb7fDQg5pS pic.twitter.com/ZwJhDcBs2F

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 13, 2016

This is the first time since the 1950s that the Packers will wear white at home, with the exception of the first two games of the 1989 season.

Here's the whole lineup. Click to enlarge:

And a closer look at Clay:

The Color Rush promotion dresses players in a single color, shoulder-to-toe (nly the NFL's "one helmet" rule keeps teams from matching their shells to the rest of the uniform). That single color must be drawn from the team's existing color palette, either a current color or one worn in the past. That means the options facing the Packers were: navy blue, forest green, kelly green, dark sea green, gold, or white.

That means the Packers could have used this chance to wear a 1950s throwback; in that decade the team wore a variety of monochromatic uniforms; all-gold, all-green and all-white.

To top it off, the current gold helmets, stripped of their decals, would have been period-appropriate for either the mono=green or mono=gold throwback. But alas, the Packers chose to go in a different direction.

Instead of designing a total throwback, the Packers will be wearing their regular helmet and road jersey, only with a new pair of white pants to match.

On the one hand, I appreciate that the Packers aren't just cashing in with a brand-new jersey to sell, as almost every other team has:

On the other hand, I hate the Packers' road jersey. And I dislike pairing it with a matching set of white pants. It's a further watering down of Lombardi's classic uniform, but to understand that we must first talk about where the current white jerseys look the way we do.

In the Beginning...

Young Packer fans may not even realize that the Packers departed from Lombardi's road design decades ago. When Vince took over in 1959, he overhauled the Packers' uniforms and colors. On the road, his team wore white jerseys with alternating green and gold stripes on the collar, sleeves and socks.

Coach Lombardi later tweaked the road uniform slightly, abandoning the road socks and simplifying the pants stripes to the green/white/green "Braisher Stripe" pattern found on the team's helmets. socks and home jerseys.

But the jersey stripes remained untouched, three on the neck and five on the sleeve.

1960s Boyd Dowler Green Bay Packers Game Worn Road Jersey
(Mile High Card Company)

Through five World Championships and the first two Super Bowls, this road jersey was an important part of the Packers' classic visual legacy.

80's "Improvments"

It endured until 1984, when former offensive tackle Forrest Gregg took over as head coach, and put his own spin on Lombardi's uniform.

In addition to adding gold stripes and numbers to the pants, he overhauled the jersey, adding "Dad" Braisher's "G" logo to the sleeves and adding thin white stripes in between the green and gold.

1984-86 Gerry Ellis Green Bay Packers Game Worn Road Jersey
(MEARS)

This brought the road jersey striping pattern closer in line with the Braisher stripes found on the home jersey. But where the green/white/green is bold and unmistakeable even at a distance, the green/white/gold/white/green pattern is muddy and unclear. There's not enough contrast between the white and gold, so they easily blend together into a light-colored blob.

Forrest Gregg didn't last long as the Packers' head coach, but elements of his design are still with us today. The Packers chipped away at it over the following few years, bringing back many elements of the 60s design, but left his road jersey striping design in place.

...Which Brings Us to Today

These road stripes are the only thing I can't stand about the Packers' uniforms, and I'm very unhappy that they're expanding it. I'm further concerned that these white pants will make their way into the regular rotation; I don't want to see them with the green home jerseys.

What Might Have Been

Since the NFL gave them no choice but to participate in the Color Rush promotion this year, I wish the Packers had considered a throwback to Lombardi's original striping pattern. A slight tweak would have made it so much better:

Could have been a win-win. This would have honored the Packers' history within the Color Rush promotional confines, not to mention given the Packers a new throwback jersey to stock at the Pro Shop.

Ah, the road not traveled. With a little luck, this will be a one-off, as easily forgotten as those previous two games where the Packers wore white at Lambeau.

White is the New Green?

We've seen some reports that the Packers' Color Rush uniform will be predominantly... white.

Last week, Paul Lukas of Uni Watch reported a little tidbit he'd received:

As for the individual designs, who knows? Some of the info that’s floated on Reddit turns out to be legit and some turns out to be nonsense. And just to make things more confusing, I received an email last night from someone who said these are the Color Rash jerseys being ordered by a Lids store in Indiana:

Check out the first line. Interesting.

Now we have this from Twitter user @NFL_Leaks. I've been ignoring most of the leaks but this one is made up of images found on Nike's NFL shop.

[CONFIRMED] This WILL be every teams color rush colors. The colors on the shirt will be the colors on the jersey. pic.twitter.com/X0Bu0uk6P5

— NFL Leaks (@NFL_Leaks) September 12, 2016

So those are the indications we have so far. We should learn more soon....

2016 Uni Watch NFL preview

Paul Lukas has posted the annual Uni Watch NFL preview over at ESPN.com, and there's some information for us in it.

• The Packers will wear their 1940s throwbacks, which they debuted last year, on Oct. 16 against the Cowboys (further info here):

Packers will wear 1940s throwbacks on Oct. 16 vs. Cowboys. pic.twitter.com/5zmVOxRUXj

— Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) August 25, 2016

Also: Remember how Green Bay wide receiver James Jones routinely wore a hoodie on the field last season? He won't be doing that this year, because the NFL has banned it.

Report: NFL to ban hoodies on field. https://t.co/UIbczFtiVz pic.twitter.com/aSBa7XG80s

— Paul Lukas (@UniWatch) June 9, 2016

Well, damn.

There's also something for us in the Bears' section:

NFC North

• The Bears' uniform schedule shows that they'll wear their Monsters of the Midway throwbacks for two divisional games: Oct. 2 against the Lions and Oct. 31 against the Vikings.

Not new, but confirmation nonetheless. The Packers' "Color Rush" event will be in Week 7, October 20th, as they host the Bears on Thursday Night Football.

And finally:

Additional Notes

• The league's well-established month-long protocols -- pink trim for breast cancer awareness in October and camouflage trim to salute the military in November -- will be rolled out once again.

Sigh.

Did Madden Leak the Packers' Color Rush Uniforms?

Just saw this on Twitter:

@Lil_Eazy_Ana_42 getting that work going in @EAMaddenNFL 🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/u6ojjvqbEa

— Dom Slobodian (@DomSanity27) September 1, 2016

That looks like the standard gold fashion jerseys that the Packers have sold off and on for about a decade.

The only difference appears to be that the Madden jerseys don't have sleeve stripes (now that's a development I can approve of).

I hate the gold jerseys, but love those striped socks. They look like alternating green and gold stripes without any white separating them, which is a throwback to Lombardi's original road jersey sleeves.

So what do you think if this these turn out to be legitimate?

Packers Announce "Game Features" for 2016

Last night, the Packers released a schedule of special game events for the upcoming season, including some information on special uniforms.

Packers to honor Favre with halftime ceremony

Additional game features for 2016 also announced

The Packers today announced several game features for the upcoming season, including a halftime ceremony on Oct. 16 to honor Brett Favre for his Aug. 6 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction.

Favre, whose name will be unveiled on the Lambeau Field stadium façade next to fellow Pro Football Hall of Famers, will be recognized on the field at halftime of the Packers-Cowboys game.

At the same contest, the Packers will wear their historic third jersey, a re-creation of the team’s 1937-48 uniform that debuted as the third jersey during the 2015 season. The jersey, navy blue and gold with a gold yoke across the shoulders, pays tribute to a special time in Packers history in which the club won two of their record 13 NFL championships.

The NFL’s third jersey program permits teams to have a third jersey that they can wear for up to three games per season (no more than two home games) over a five-year period.

The Oct. 16 game will also feature the annual Coats for Kids collection prior to kickoff. Fans attending the game will have the opportunity to donate new and gently used winter coats for distribution to needy children through area Salvation Army units.

As was previously announced, the Packers will debut their color rush jerseys during the Oct. 20, Thursday night game against the Chicago Bears. That game will also feature the annual Verizon HopeLine collection, which collects no-longer-used wireless devices from fans to support domestic violence prevention efforts and assist domestic violence survivors.

Additional game features planned for the upcoming season include welcoming many Packers alumni back to Lambeau Field during the alumni homecoming game, set for the Sunday, Sept. 25, home opener. That Packers-Lions matchup also will feature the 30th Annual Packers Women’s Association Food Drive, which will collect non-perishable food items and cash donations prior to the game to benefit Paul’s Pantry.

The annual breast cancer awareness game will take place Oct. 9, when the Packers take on the New York Giants, and the Nov. 6 game will honor the military in the annual Salute to Service game, when the Packers face the Indianapolis Colts. The Sunday, Dec. 4, game, when the Packers host the Houston Texans, will feature the annual Toys for Tots collection, giving fans the opportunity to donate new, unwrapped toys to needy children in the area through the U.S. Marine Corps.

The final home game of the regular season, the Christmas Eve noon Packers-Vikings matchup, will thank Packers fans for their support as the team celebrates the annual Fan Appreciation game.

More information about each game’s theme and features will be announced as the games approach.

So not only do we know the Packers will wear their throwbacks on October 16th against the Cowboys, but they have confirmed the details of the NFL's third jersey program: up to three times a year (twice at home), each design remains their sole standard alternate for five seasons.

Also new is the date for their Color Rush uniforms. Thursday night, October 30, against Chicago. No timeline yet for unveiling the design.

Thanks to reader Tory Swanson for the heads-up!

Badge of Honor

The Denver Broncos are your Super Bowl 50 Champions, having defeated the Carolina Panthers in a defensive slugfest. One thing you may have noticed, if you watched the game, is that the traditional Super Bowl logo patch on every jersey was a bit shinier than in past years.

A detail of the Super Bowl 50 logo before the game between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers on Sunday, Feb. 7, 2016 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif. (Ric Tapia/NFL)

The patches are made by a process called ChromaFlex by FiberLok, a manufacturer in Colorado. They were actually used last year as well, although they seemed more noticible to me this year with the gold.

These patches were also featured on the World Series jerseys and caps last year.

Sigh. That would have looked so good on us.