Uniforms – they’re arguably the second most important thing to a fan other than the players themselves. It’s the way we identify each team; logos, colors, and nicknames all go hand-in-hand in making each team unique.
It goes without saying that Philadelphia sports fans are very passionate. We’ve seen some major successes and some deflating heartbreaks, especially in these past 22 years, in our four major sports. All four teams have given us fans a one-way ticket on a roller coaster that we’ve felt all the motions of. Sitting in the front cart, jolting up the wooden slats, looking at the person next to you, waiting to get to the top, feeling that excitement creeping from the pit of your stomach. Then, when you make it to the tip top, you look down and say to yourself “this drop looked substantially smaller from the ground.”
BOOM! Down you go. Gravity will always remain undefeated.
And the drop certainly is not the exciting feeling you felt while climbing the roller coaster. It’s a bug-in-the-face, butt-off-the-seat, sick-to-my-stomach kind of drop. And that basically sums up 100+ years of being a Philadelphia sports fan.
We aren’t the only city to have those highs and lows (mostly lows). There are most definitely other sports cities that have had it much worse: Minnesota, Cleveland, Miami, and Atlanta are just a few off the dome.
Now what does this have to do with uniforms? While we’ve had heartbreak, there is confidence behind the idea that Philadelphia has had some eye-catching uniforms over the years. Each of our four teams have or had uniforms that stand out.
With that being said, it’s time for a change in each of our big four.
Phillies:
The Phillies have worn countless different uniformes and have even changed the format and font of their nickname over their 100+ years. They’ve gone back to old looks and added little touches to those uniforms. The current home uniform, the white with the red pinstripe is a nod to their 1950s and 1960s uniform with a small touch to add a modern look to them.
The Phil’s have been donning this look since 1992. Quick math… add 2, carry the 3, add 10 more, subtract 15… Yeah, I made that up. I’m not a math guy. We need something fresh, something that we haven’t seen in a while, something to jolt this franchise. No, a new uniform will not make them draft and develop better talent, but it might ease the suffering? In other words, it’s been way too long with the current uniform the Phillies wear.
Out with the old and in… with the old?
The Phillies desperately need to go back to the 1970-1991 maroon red.
Here is the pitch:
Home – White with maroon pinstripes on the jerseys and pants. The legendary “P” in the top left corner above the heart and numbers on the front as well as the back.
Away – No, not the powder blues. Hear me out. A solid gray with a maroon stripe on the shoulders and along the side of the jersey going down the pants. This also has the “P” on the jersey and numbers on the front as well as the back.
Sunday Uniform – As much as I love the cream Sunday uniforms, it’s time for a change. This is where the powder blues come into play. This would be worn on a Sunday home game as well as a weekday afternoon home game.
Alternate – A maroon top with the same lettering as the “P” across the jersey that reads “Phillies.” Worn at home with the maroon pinstripe pants as well as on the road with the gray pants.
Eagles:
This one hurts. Two astonishing creations came to life in the year 1996. Me and Midnight Green.
Midnight Green is equivalent to when you look through old totes, bins, and boxes stashed in your attic or garage, and you find that toy you used to play with when you were a child. The love and reminiscences fills your heart with joy and happy times. Before you had responsibilities like a mortgage/rent, a car payment, kids…. You know, the things that suck the life out of you.
Just like those old toys give you happy feelings, the Midnight Green look was a staple in a successful Eagles era. The Andy Reid years with five NFC Championship game appearances, a Super Bowl appearance, a Pro Football Hall of Fame player such as Brian Dawkins rocked these colors, countless division’s won year after year. Then, the Doug Pederson years. February 4th, 2018. Super Bowl 52. That’s all I need to say. We don’t mention the guy in between Andy and Doug.
But all good things must eventually come to an end. If you asked me even up to one year ago, I would have said “absolutely not!” But I’ve matured. I’ve grown. My eyes have opened.
It’s time. Kelly Green.
But it needs to be done the right way. Those 2010 week 1 – 1960s throw backs are not it.
I need the 90s, full eagle spread-wing in my life every Sunday like I need oxygen. Detailed white wings on the helmets as well.
I would love to buy a Kelly Green jersey but I never watched the Eagles play in those colors. Sure, it’s not a violation to buy a Randall Cunningham or Reggie White jersey. Those guys are beloved Eagles legends. But I want to buy a Kelly Green jersey of a guy that I watched play.
Here is my pitch:
Home – Kelly Green jersey with white pants. The helmet stays similar with the white wings but they’re detailed to what the spread eagle’s wings look like. That spread eagle is also on the sleeves of the jersey.
Away – The same concept, but in white. Don’t give me the Kelly Green pants, that reminds us of the (let me reach in my Big Daddy quote bag) Goddamn Jets. And I want nothing to do with being associated with the Goddamn Jets. White jerseys with white pants. We all know how the Birds love the white on white road uniforms.
Alternate – This is interesting. I think they could pull off an all black jersey like their current look, but mix in Kelly Green somehow instead of the Midnight Green. I’m open to ideas.
Here is what a modern concept would look like that has made it’s way around the internet:
Flyers:
This one is sacred. For casual fans, for die-hard fans, and even for hockey fans that root for other organizations that simply appreciate the sport. One of the very few sports teams, not just hockey teams, to never change their logo. The flying P has been styled on our players since 1967. It should never go away. Ever. Players come and go, coaches come and go, front office suits come and go. The colors and the logo always stays.
Their current uniform is a nod to the late 60s and 70s look that Bernie Parent, Bobby Clark, and many other Bullies that beat the brains off of the opposing team, wore.
But yet another blast from the past. The late 80s/early 90s is the way to go. The sunburnt orange is a perfect look.
Here is my pitch:
Home – Sunburnt Orange jerseys with black trim and white sleeves with the black wrists. Black pants, orange socks.
Away – Same concept but a white jersey, black trim, and orange sleeves with the black wrists. Black pants, white socks.
Alternate – There are two ways to go with this. I’ll say the popular answer which I do enjoy. The black jerseys from the early 2000s. The same concept as the home and away – a black jersey with orange trim, and white sleeves with black wrists. Black pants, black socks. The way I wanted to go was the early 2000s 3D-ish Flyers symbol in orange but the fans may riot.
Here is the concept that the fans may riot on:
76ers:
This is the hardest one. The NBA/Nike release so many jerseys that it’s sometimes hard to follow. While I’ll say I don’t hate the current Sixers look, I don’t love it either. The red, white, and blue is just… fine. They’re pretty simple uniforms. I don’t love the “PHILA” across the chest. It’s a nod to the 1960s Sixers. There hasn’t been much in past uniforms that are drastically different from what they wear now, so using the time machine for the 4th time wouldn’t work.
They need to come up with a new look, a new design, but keep the colors.
The popular answer I know you all want to hear are the early 2000s Iverson era uniforms. I love those uniforms. But not every night.
Here is my pitch:
Home – Something similar to the 80s uniforms would be nice. Keep the white as a home with “Sixers” across the jersey even though in the NBA there is no such thing as a home/away uniform. NBA teams are like toddlers or elderly people, they do what they want, when they want.
Away – The same idea but in blue.
Alternate – The black/white 2000s jerseys make their way into our hearts and eyes.
Changing the way we look at our teams in a literal sense won’t change the fact that the Phillies can’t draft and develop talent, the Eagles actually drafting a safety in the early rounds, the Flyers fixing the stench that is their front office, or the Sixers from keeping an overrated head coach who couldn’t at least put in a good word for Adam Sandler’s character in Hustle. But, it can give us fans a new life to watch the games, buy new merch, and maybe start a new golden age for our teams we love to hate and hate to love.
