The NFL allows teams a third uniform, following a year-long approval process, that they can use up to three times a season – twice at home and once on the road – for a five-year period. The Packers will have only a home version of the new uniform, and Murphy said they probably will use it only once this season against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.That's great news. But so is this:
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Murphy would not describe the uniform except to say it’s from the team’s first decade – the Packers started playing in 1919 and joined the NFL in 1921. The team will unveil it Friday, with several players modeling it during Fan Fest’s kickoff, which begins at 4 p.m. at the Lambeau Field Atrium
"Those people that remember the history and follow the history of the Packers, this was a pretty successful era for the organization," Murphy said. "It was also finding something we hadn’t done before that we thought fans would be able to appreciate and allow them to celebrate the great history and tradition of the Packers."I couldn't agree more. Bravo.
Third Jersey To Be Unveiled Friday At Fan Fest
The helmet is in rough shape, but it's still a beauty.From what we can tell the helmet is a 60's style helmet but no one wore the number 54 in the 60's. In 1970 Walker had it and 1971 Winther had it. I guess our main question is if the Packers used these helmets into the mid 70's. In 1973 Larry McCarren wore the number and he is a local hero being a sportscaster and all. When did the packers use decals for the numbers on the back of the helmet?
Also the decals on the helmet are different. The one on the left side is 1 piece and the one on the right side has a G decal ontop of a white oval decal.
You can see here how the two-layer decal is revealed. The white "G" has been scraped away, revealing the green field below. Compared this to the even scrapes in the top photo. The single-layer decals appear to have been introduced around 1970 (we do know that the double-layer were still in use as of the 1968 Pro Bowl).
The shell itself is comprised of several pieces of Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, joined with tight seams. Riddell bought its ABS from the Marbon Corporation, under the trade name "Kra-Lite".
The construction appears to match, so far as we can tell from these types of photographs, the helmet worn by Forrest Gregg in the 1968 Pro Bowl:
We'll definitely need to get a closer look at the stickers inside, which often contain date of manufacture and other information. On the back, we have large black number decals.
There's the Kra-Lite mark, although we can't tell if there are any numbers after the trade name, which might help us date it.
So we have number decals from the early 1970s, logo decals spanning two different years. I suspect this helmet was originally used in the late 1960s and recycled into the 1970s. The two different helmet logos might tend to support this, as the team might have replaced decals only when they showed enough wear to need it. It's certainly possible that Larry McCarren might have worn it in 1973.Just thought I could help you out in identifying the Packers helmet. I am a collector of vintage football helmets and I have some info you may find valuable.Excellent stuff. Thanks!
First of all the the helmet is the Riddell, "TK2" (Tru Kurv) model, which would have had either a 12 point, canvas suspension interior like this Packer helmet:or a six point canvas suspension like this Browns helmet:
It dates from the early to mid 60's as is evident from the six air holes in the top of the helmet. The font of the Riddell stamping on the back of the helmet is from the late 60's to early 70's so it may have been reconditioned (the sticker in the interior looks like a reconditioning certification sticker) and therefore may have an additional stamping underneath the current paint. They wore this style helmet throughout the entire 70's at which time Riddell stopped making the suspension model and went to strictly foam and air padding.
As far as the decals go, you can tell the two piece decal has slightly squatter, more pointed ends or football shaped. It is the older 50's and 60's style. The other one piece decal is more oval shaped and is the style from the 70's.
Inside sticker #1
Inside Sticker #2
Only stamp inside of helmet very back and bottom where the green and white stripes fold over
Left newer logo
Right older logo
Love the differences between the two logos. You can really see the difference between the thinner outline of the older football-shaped logo and the thicker outline of the modern ellipse.NFL News: A little birdie who’s in a position to know sent me some NFL tips the other day. I can’t confirm any of it, but I feel the info is solid enough to pass along, with the proviso that it’s all subject to change:Wow.I got a memo mentioning new third jerseys for the Packers and Colts. The memo also mentioned “updated” third jerseys for the Cardinals, Eagles, Patriots, and one other team (I think it was the Bears, but I’m not positive).So there you go — completely accurate, authoritative information. Unless it’s not.Based on something I saw earlier, I’m almost certain the Packers will be wearing 1929 throwbacks. Those are dark blue jerseys with a dark blue numeral inside a gold circle over khaki pants and dark blue socks. Of course, per today’s uniform standards, the circle and numeral on the front would be much larger, and I believe the style guide showed a solid brown helmet with gray mask to simulate the leather ones some players wore in 1929. It’s gone from the server now, however — I guess I’m lucky I saw it.
There's our confirmation. This thing is a go.Packers in blue jerseys?
Team wants to add official third jersey to lineup
Updated: Monday, 22 Feb 2010, 6:40 PM CST
Published : Monday, 22 Feb 2010, 4:37 PM CST
Reporter: Lou HillmanGREEN BAY - They may be the "Green and Gold" but the Packers haven't always worn those two colors.
"We've had a lot of different uniforms and colors," said Mark Murphy, the Packers President and CEO.
On Monday, Murphy confirmed with FOX 11 that the team wants to have a historical throwback jersey for some games next season. It would be the Packers official third jersey.
"I think one of our biggest advantages as a team and an organization is the history that we have and I think this is really a chance to enhance that and celebrate it," said Murphy.
Some think they already know the Packers pick.
According to uniwatchblog.com , a Web site about jersey-related news, it will be the 1929 "blue" one. In fact, the Packers unofficial nickname used to be "the blues."
So is that the plan?
Murphy told FOX 11 the team is not ready to reveal its plans.
"No, not yet," Murphy laughed.
Fans we spoke with say a throwback jersey is a good idea for the team.
"We have probably the most history of all of them, we probably should have one. Like I said, I wouldn't want to see them wear it every game but I certainly wouldn't mind a game or two each year," said Don Harms, of Sobieski.
"I had no idea until we came in here that they weren't always green if not green and gold until I saw this and I thought 'oh, we were blue,' it just makes you more interested in the past," said Bonnie Jeranek, of La Crosse.
You may remember the Packers played in the 2001 Thanksgiving game in their 1939 jerseys. The team also played several games in 1994 in their 1937 jerseys.
Murphy said the team is now looking to have something that it can use for several years, but there are NFL rules.
"You can have a third jersey, whether it's a different color or a historical throwback, and you have a 5-year window. Those are some of the details we really need to work out," said Murphy.
So will the green and gold, be blue too next season? The Packers say an official announcement is still months away.
He also gave this blog a shout-out, which is always appreciated.
These uniforms were also kept for two seasons, before the Packers' sartorially mercurial founder reverted back to navy jerseys.
The yoke would return in 1937, with the blue and gold reversed, in Lambeau's most enduring uniform. Gold-over-gold uniforms wouldn't be seen again in Green Bay for nearly a quarter-century, when Lambeau's successor Gene Ronzani dabbled in gold himself.
This is a shot of the uniforms in action:
This uniform would be worn for two seasons before being replaced with another gold jersey, this one featuring a navy blue shoulder yoke.
Yet another color-on-color matchup against the Bears:
This three-image sequence shows Irv Comp passing up the middle to Hutson, who catches it, spins and runs for a few extra yards:
Interesting - those pants look a lot like the canvas-colored version the Packers wore as part of their 1994 throwback.
So why won't Hutson's record be broken? He led the NFL in touchdowns eight times - his closest competitors are Lance Alworth, Jim Brown and Emmitt Smith, who each led the league in touchdowns three times.Don Hutson’s first touchdown came on an 83-yard pass from Arnie Herber in just his second game as a Green Bay Packer. He wound up with 99 career touchdown receptions, a record that stood for more than four decades. When Hutson retired in 1945 after 11 superb seasons, he held 18 NFL records, including 488 career receptions. That was 200 more than his closest competitor.Curly Lambeau had the vision to bring the passing game into pro football, but it was Don Hutson who made it work.
Hutson invented modern pass receiving. He created Z-outs, buttonhooks, hook-and-gos, and a whole catalog of moves and fakes. Although he had been an All-America at Alabama in 1934, there were plenty who doubted the skinny speedster could stand the pace of pro football. But it wasn't long before his mere presence on the field had changed the defensive concept of the game.
Don could outmaneuver and outrace virtually every defender in the league. He led the NFL in receiving in eight of his 11 seasons and in scoring five straight years. Twice, in 1941 and 1942, he was named the league’s MVP.
Like everyone in the days before free substitution, Hutson was a 60-minute player who spent most of his career as a very fine safety on defense. In his final six seasons, he swiped 30 opposing quarterbacks’ passes. Often after scoring a touchdown, he would kick the extra point. In one quarter of a 1945 game, he caught four touchdown passes and kicked five PATs for an amazing 29 points.
The Green Bay Packers of 1931The Packers had been unstoppable to this point in the season, beating the Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers, Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Chicago Cardinals by a combined score of 118-20.
National League Champions 1929 and 1930 ...
Here they are—a sprinkling of new faces among the old—Coach Lambeau and the 31 players that started the 1931 season and their race for the third successive championship in the National Professional Football league. Today the Bay team, cut to 22 players, faces Philadelphia at Green Bay in the sixth game of the season. Front row, left to right: McCrary, Darling, Grove, Johnson, Herber, Woodin, Dunn, Bowdoin and Wilson. Second row: Comstock, Davenport, Gantenbein, Nash, Doncarlos, Jannison, Perry, Michalske, Molenda, Bruder, Radick. Standing: Coach Lambeau, Lewellen, Stahlman, Blood, Sleight, Dillweg, Baker, Engelman, Earpe, Zuidmulder, Fitzgobbon and Saunders.
Entrants were limited to a 50-word description of their concept. Mine read:Green Bay’s design is beautiful, but the jerseys, with the bold sleeve striping, are relics of a day when jerseys had sleeves (which is why the Packers truncated them in 1997). My solution - drop the striping altogether. The distinctive element is now a stencil font befitting the team’s name.Certainly not my best PhotoShop work, but hopefully the design stands on its own.
On the new template with its cap sleeves, the vestigal sleeve stripes look even sillier:
So why not bow to reality, make it official and remove the sleeve stripes entirely?
If players customize their jerseys to crop off a uniform feature, that feature doesn't have any place in my concept. With an eye towards something the Packers would actually wear, I'm using as a ground rule the new single-template-for-all-positions design the NFL is implementing next season. All players in all positions will be wearing the same uniform cut, and the design ought to reflect that. So out you go, last echo of Gregg's coaching tenure.
The Packers also used to stencil player numbers on the backs of helmets in the 1960s, as in this Paul Hornung gamer:
The number font itself is based on the classic block font worn by the Packers in the 1940s:
A small logo on the back collar, one final Packers identifier, finishes off the concept. My one little concession to modernity.
I think the final result strikes the right balance to create a jersey worthy of the Packers' history. Deeply traditional and yet strikingly modern, the jersey is instantly recognizable wherever it is worn, from the football field to the grocery store.
I'm honored to report that my design was selected by the judges as one of the eleven finalists, but fell short in the popular vote. Thanks for everyone who voted, and the fine folks at Uni Watch for a great contest. And congrats to Brad McPelican and his very cool Seahawks update.
