Confirmed: New Throwbacks in 2015

We've known since November that the Packers were going to replace their alternate uniforms with a new design, but now the team has confirmed it. Via the Press-Gazette:

Packers plan to roll out new throwback uniforms

Weston Hodkiewicz, Press-Gazette Media
9:18 p.m. EDT March 25, 2015

PHOENIX – Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy confirmed that the team will debut a new third alternate uniform in 2015 during the final day of the NFL annual meetings on Wednesday.

Murphy said it will again consist of a throwback design that will be announced at a later date. The Packers wore the 1929-30 design the past five seasons. The replica uniforms, which represent the first year the Packers won the NFL championship, were blue jerseys with a gold circle in the chest.

NFL rules mandated it was the only alternate uniform the Packers could wear for a five-year period. Now that it's expired, the Packers are going to utilize a new old-school look.

"We're definitely going to do it, it will come up soon," Murphy said. "It's going to be exciting. It's going to be an old jersey. It won't be a modern jersey, a Nike… This will be from a past era. I think the fans like it. From what I've seen those games are always kind of fun and the players really enjoy it, too."

Teams are allowed to wear their alternate uniforms a maximum of three times per season, though the Packers traditionally have only chosen to wear it once a year.

Man, that's an awkward first sentence. He means to say that Green Bay Packers President and CEO Mark Murphy confirmed during the final day of the NFL annual meetings on Wednesday that the team will debut a new third alternate uniform in 2015. We don't yet know when they'll actually unveil the design.

All That Glitters...

Well, at least you can't accuse the NFL of underselling itself.

For those of us who've been wondering how the league would celebrate the 50th Super Bowl next February, today we learned the answer is two-fold:

1. all season long; and
2. with gold. Lots and lots of gold.

First off, we have the Super Bowl logo itself. We've known since last June that the NFL will be temporarily departing from recent practice of silver logos (not to mention its half-century history of Roman numerals) to bring us this subtle logo:

What we're learning today is that the logo was only the beginning of a new Gold Rush.

The NFL will be using a black-and-gold version of its shield logo throughout 2015.

Not just a gold shield, but also all 3D-ified, with gradients and everything.

That's not all; the various event logos used by the NFL, including Thanksgiving, Kickoff, Draft and playoff logos will also be decked out in the new color scheme.

The Pro Bowl uniforms will be black, white and gold.

(Okay, that one's actually an improvement.)

If that wasn't enough for you, the draftees will be walking down a "gold carpet" at the Draft next month.

Starting in Week 7, all teams will be wearing sideline gear with logos trimmed in gold. Here's the Patriots' version:

Yeah, that's going to look good with the Packers' logo. Best we can hope for is that they replace the standard athletic gold outline with this metallic gold one, rather than doubling them up. And what's the significance of starting this in Week 7?

For the game itself, the NFL has decided that the plain boring old Lombardi Trophy just isn't enough to mark this momentous occasion. The winner of the game will get an additional trophy, this understated and subtle thing:

According to the league, the "5" and "0" are bronzed and plated in 18-carat gold. They each weigh 33 pounds.

And finally, the 50-yard numbers will be painted gold at every stadium for every game this year. Just in case you can forget for a moment.

I haven't seen this much gold since James Bond had to save Fort Knox from Pussy Galore.

The fetishization of the Super Bowl era continues apace.

I often wish they put as much effort into remembering the real Golden Age of the NFL, but that would be admitting the existence of a time before we counted our championships by Roman numerals. Still, a boy can dream.

Infographic: 2014 Season Review

Packers.com has this infographic review of the 2014 season.

A lot to love about this past season, all except the way in which it ended.

Infographic: Rodgers Wins Second MVP

The season is over, but the Packers are still making news, and Packers.com continues to come through with its amazing series of infographics. This one examines the 2014 season of Aaron Rodgers, who has won his second MVP award.

Infographic: NFC Championship, Packers at Seahawks

Once more, Packers.com comes through with this illustrated look at the upcoming NFC Championship Game in Seattle.

"Ice Bowl II"?

Hmm. The Cowboys are really hyping their upcoming trip to Lambeau Field. They've started selling "Ice Bowl II" shirts on their website.

Seems a little odd to me. I know this is the first time the Cowboys have played a postseason game in Green Bay since Bart Starr's sneak cost them a trip to Super Bowl II, but it seems a pretty big stretch. Sunday's weather is expected to be in the mid-20s. That's January-in-Wisconsin-chilly, but hardly the stuff of legend we saw back on December 31, 1967.

Looks like they're intending to exorcise the ghosts of their past.

This isn't the first time somebody's been tempted to draw such a link to the glorious past. I remember another game christened "Ice Bowl II"; the 1996 NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field on January 12, 1997.

That was the time the then-impossibly-new Carolina Panthers came to town, and the temperature never went above single digits, with sub-zero wind chills. Carolina jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, but the Packers went on to dominate the game 30-13, earning a trip to New Orleans and their first Super Bowl berth in 29 years.

That game in 1997 had the benefit of being another championship and having been played in frigid conditions. This upcoming game that the Cowboys are so eager to market is just an intermediate step in the playoffs.

A spate of merchandise was soon produced around that 1997 NFC title game, but as I recall it was all unlicensed.

More recently, you may also remember that last year's balmy playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers also invited comparisons to that fabled day in 1967:

While the CBS affiliate in San Francisco danced around the name, the New York Post came right out with it.

No merch for that one, which given the result was good for Packers fans.

So this is at least the third game to be billed as "Ice Bowl II" (Ice Bowl IV?). It may, however, be the first to have generated licensed merchandise.

The Cowboys are invoking a powerful name in their build-up to the game. I can't wait to see the Packers make them eat those words.

Infographic: Divisional Playoff, Packers v. Cowboys

After taking the Wild Card round bye week off, Packers.com returns with an infographic preview of the Divisional Playoff between the Packers and Cowboys at Lambeau Field this Sunday.

Interesting. I hadn't realized that the teams were so evenly matched, at least statistically.

Bring on the 'Boys

The Dallas Cowboys' victory yesterday sets up a divisional round playoff game at Lambeau Field next week. The last time Dallas played a postseason game in Green Bay was December 31, 1967 to determine the NFL Champion and also who would face the AFL representative in Super Bowl II.

Officially designated the "1967 NFL Championship Game", it lives on today as the Ice Bowl.

For many, the defining image of the Ice Bowl was taken by sixteen year old team photographer John Biever immediately after Bart Starr's quarterback sneak into the end zone to take the final lead.

I don't think I've ever seen this view, though, taken just seconds before, and in color:

One of the things I love about this upcoming game is that the two teams still wear the same uniforms today, save a few minor tweaks.

You can tell from this photo that the Braisher stripes on the Packers' pants were significantly thinner than, while the Cowboys were already wearing the thicker version the Packers sport today:

Looking forward to this game. Hope the spirit of Vince Lombardi can help guide our boys to another victory!

Infographic: Packers vs. Lions

Not to be outdone by ESPN, Packers.com continues its excellent series of infographics, previewing tomorrow's clash with the Lions at Lambeau Field.

Bonus Infographic: ESPN's "Game of the Week"

ESPN is getting into the infographic game - here's their take on the "Game of the Week", as the Lions come to Lambeau Field to take on the Packers for the NFC North title.

Check it out, along with their take on other featured games this weekend, here.