Page 57 - Studio International - February 1969

cation. What is to come is largely up to the
'Home Uniform', Boston Patriots, 1977
(Photo courtesy Boston Patriots) sporting goods companies. We all are uniform
2 wearers most of our lives. The fourth quarter
'Away Uniform', St Louis Football Cardinals, 1967
(Photo courtesy St Louis Football Cardinals) is grace.
3
`Home Uniform', St Louis Football Cardinals
(Photo courtesy St Louis Football Cardinals) APPENDIX
Chronology
1934—Detroit Lions adopt Honolulu Blue and
silver.
1946—Cleveland Rams (Royal Blue and gold) move
to Los Angeles.
1948—Detroit Lions experiment (one season) with
scarlet and white and all-black uniforms.
Half-back Fred Gerhke designs Los Angeles
Rams' horned helmet.
1950—Otis Shepard designs Chicago Bear uniforms.
Los Angeles Rams add a stripe unit to jersey
sleeves.
1953—Philadelphia Eagles adopt winged helmet.
1957—Los Angeles Rams number jersey sleeves.
1960—American Football League's initial season;
players' names appear over rear jersey
numerals.
Houston Oilers have gothic numerals.
1961—Green Bay Packers add 'G' logo to helmet.
St. Louis Cardinals add bird to helmet.
1963—Los Angeles Rams change colours to Royal
Blue and white.
1964—Philadelphia Eagles add stripes to jersey
sleeves.
1965—Philadelphia Eagles add stripes over the
shoulders.
Cleveland Browns players reject a 'CB' hel-
met logo.
1966—Houston Oilers adopt current uniform.
1967—New Orleans Saints expansion team rejects
Our uniforms have changed three times since the matical form for which the experts have no yellow, green and purple as team colours.
team was organized in 1960. In 1960, our jerseys name.'7 Since 'professional athletes are very 1968—Pittsburgh Steelers return to conventional
were blue with a gothic type number and the hel- conscious of unusual garments or decoration uniforms.
mets were blue with a white oil derrick and white
stripe down the middle. The next change which and will reject them if they feel too self- NOTES
was made was changing the numbers to a more conscious in wearing them',8 the jersey was 1 Indiana, Robert.
2 McLemore, Jim, letter, Houston Oilers Publicity
block and bold type number, adding stripes to the returned to a paradigmatically conventional
Department, February 5, 1968.
sleeves of the jersey and adding alternating red and form this season. Geometric decoration is
white stripes to the helmet. problematic to modern(ist) football because 3 McLemore, Jim, 'Uniforms 1968', Cincinnati
Our current uniform, which was first worn in 1966, Bengals Publicity Department.
has grey pants, blue jersey with numbers and stripes one senses that it has been applied, that the 4 Rathet, Mike, letter, American Football League
in white outlined in red. The helmet is silver with player has become a sign-man, as it were. Publicity Department, January 29, 1968.
5 McLemore, Jim, op. cit.
red, white and blue trim on the derrick and stripes Changes of motif, when they are made, how-
6 Boss, Dave, letter, National Football League Pro-
across the middle. As you can see ... there is no ever, are often capricious : the Boston Patriots
comparison to our current uniform and the one changed their helmet logo from a tricorn to a perties, Inc., February 1, 1968, p. 3.
we started with in 1960. The uniform now has more 7 Kiely, Ed., letter, Pittsburgh Steelers Football
man wearing one on the grounds that 'we just Club, February 1, 1968.
real class, sharpness and utilizes to the fullest extent
our colours.'5 happened to like the little man better' ;9 the 8 Boss, Dave, op. cit.
Minnesota Vikings discontinued dark (purple) 9 Moore, Gerry, letter, Boston Patriots Football
Club, April 3, 1968.
Conflict between object and symbol, that is to pants with 'away' uniforms (white) 'simply
10 McGrane, Bill, letter, Minnesota Vikings Football
say between a uniformed player coded for because we did not like the combination' ;10 Club Publicity Department, March 12, 1968.
identification and a walking (running) 'good the Kansas City helmet logo was originated 11 Schaaf, Jim, letter, Kansas City Chiefs Football
design', arises where a given structure is not when 'the fellow who handled our printing in Club Publicity Department, January 31, 1968.
consistent with its support. What is at stake in Dallas came into the office ... saw what we 12 Desmond, Dan, letter, Chicago Bears Football
Club Publicity Department, January 26, 1967.
this is whether the uniforms in question are were doing and suggested we used the arrow-
experienced as symbols or structures and what head'.11 Otis Shepard's superb, gothic, mod-
decides their identification as structures is erne Chicago Bear numerals, on the other
their confronting of the demand that they hold hand, were designed after 'testing for legibility
as identification. The National League, for from a great distance' (McLuhan has changed
example, draws the line at including the all that) and 'long discussion and experimen-
player's name above the rear jersey numeral, tation on the width of the narrow orange stripe
on the grounds of its being 'bush, a derogatory (which, on the dark blue jersey, outlines the
term meaning inferior, gaudy, unnecessary.'6 white numeral) —they tried in., in., in.
In 1966, the Pittsburgh Steelers attempted a and finally settled on the present 3/16 in.'.12
synthesis of form and content in a golden yoke The success, even the survival, of the mod-
set in at the shoulder, representing the 'Golden ern(ist) professional football uniform, has
Triangle' section of downtown Pittsburgh, but come increasingly to depend on its ability to
`with the various shapes of shoulder pads, the defeat design, to remain free from literal(ist)
triangle sometimes was shaped into a mathe- decoration while maintaining team identifi-