Listography: 2011

Monday, April 18, 2011

NHL Jersey Rankings (part 5 of 7)

Sorry I haven't posted in a while -- work and grad school have been crazy lately. This post focuses on the Northwest Division in the Western Conference; the jerseys between the five teams range from average to excellent -- let's get crackin'.

Calgary Flames:

Home -- I like these, but I'm not nuts about the black on the arms. However, it's better than the ones they wore from 2003-2007. Their home jerseys from 1981-1995 are a personal favorite of mine. Kudos to the nice piping on the shorts, but the black "C" and sleeves brings it down a notch. Score: 3.5/5

Away -- These are ok, but not as good as the ones they wore from 1981-1995 (just like their home jerseys). However, the Flames' current road jerseys are much better than this, this, or this. Score: 3.5/5

Alternate -- Love it. Definitely one of the best alternate unis in the game today, and a total throwback to the early 1980s when they moved from Atlanta (here's a cool Atlanta Flames jersey). Score: 5/5

Verdict -- The alternate uni is great, but the home and away jerseys could get excellent scores with some minor tweaks (lose the black please). Final score: 12/15

Colorado Avalanche:

Home -- I feel like the logo is stuck in the mid-90's (they moved from Quebec City to Denver prior to the 1995 season), as well as the number scheme on the back. I also don't like the bland color combination. Score: 2/5

Away -- Slightly better than the home jersey. The white and burgandy is better than the blue and burgandy, but I'm not a fan of the black numbers. Score: 2.5/5

Alternate -- Better than the home jersey as well, but a total copy off of the New York Rangers jersey. Score: 2.5/5

Verdict -- I think the jerseys the Avalance sport are blah at best. I understand they are located in the mountains and natural colors are a good fit, but when they were they Quebec Nordiques, they had awesome unis. The Colorado Rockies (not the baseball team) played in Denver from 1976-1982, and had great jerseys as well. Final score: 7/15

Edmonton Oilers:

Home -- I love these. Essentially, these are the same unis as their old road jerseys, worn from 1981-1996. They remind me a lot of the New York Islanders jerseys from the 70's and 80's too. Score: 5/5

Away -- I find these very bland. What's going on with the stripe on the underside of the sleeve? The logo is classic, but the rest of the jersey is just white fabric with extremely basic piping. The road jerseys they wore from 2003-2007 followed the classic design and were a lot sharper. Score: 2/5

Alternate -- Essentially the same as the white road jersey, but this is navy blue, as opposed to the more traditional blue they wear on their home jerseys. Minus points for going to navy blue. Score: 2.5/5

Verdict -- Very similar to the New York Islanders unis from the 1970s and 80's, the Oilers' home jersey is excellent, but the road and alternate are average at best. Final score: 9.5/15

Minnesota Wild:

Home -- I know lots of people who love this jersey, but I just don't see it. Much like the Colorado Avalanche, the Minnesota Wild incorporate earthy, natural colors in their jersey and it's just not my style (sometimes, I feel like I'm looking at a Christmas tree). This is better than the one they wore from 2003-2007 though. Score: 2/5

Away -- This is a bit better for me, but not by much. Average at best. Score: 2.5/5

Alternate -- I like this -- I feel like it's a jersey that could've been around in the 1950s or 60's. However, the Christmas-green just doesn't do much for me, knocking it down the totem pole of hockey jerseys a bit. Score: 3/5

Verdict -- Very similar to the Avalanche, the earthy colors and tones aren't my style. I also think their logo is a bit too "busy"; a bobcat/cougar/mountain lion/feline head with a landscape sunset scene? Just a bit too much. Final score: 7.5/15

Vancouver Canucks:

Home -- While this isn't my favorite jersey (we'll get to that in a minute), I do think this is pretty original, and like the logo design. The Canucks reached back to their roots for the color scheme (look at the jerseys from the 1970s), and the orca jumping out of the "C" is pretty cool. Score: 4/5

Away -- These are nice as well, but I'm more partial to the darker jerseys than the whites (hopefully, you know this by now). Score: 3.5/5

Alternate -- Once again, the Canucks go to their roots by using the famous "hockey stick in an ice rink" logo. Timeless and classy, though not my favorite logo. Score: 4/5

Sidenote -- The Canucks have always been my second-favorite hockey team behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, solely based on their jersey in the early to mid-90's. When I was younger, I loved this jersey. It's so bad that it's great. The Canucks have a history or wild and crazy unis though. Check out the last one here -- totally gross. However, nothing tops the infamous "V" unis from the late 70's and early 80's.

Verdict -- A very solid jersey entry; the Canucks have mixed old and new, something that is hard to do. Now, if they'd only start wearing those early 90's jerseys again... Final score: 11.5/15

Northwest Division Rankings:

Calgary Flames -- 12/15
Vancouver Canucks -- 11.5/15
Edmonton Oilers -- 9.5/15
Minnesota Wild -- 7.5/15
Colorado Avalanche -- 7/15

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Ranking the Super Bowl logos

In honor of tonight's Super Bowl (Packers will win 27-23 -- and I'm a Steelers fan), I'm ranking my top 15 Super Bowl logos. Super Bowls I-XII aren't included because they're extremely simple, like this, this, and this. Let's get started.

15. Super Bowl XXXIV: St. Louis Rams: 23 Tennessee Titans: 16

14. Super Bowl XIV: Pittsburgh Steelers: 31 L.A. Rams: 19

13. Super Bowl XXXVII: Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 48 Oakland Raiders: 21

12. Super Bowl XLI: Indianapolis Colts: 29 Chicago Bears: 17

11. Super Bowl XL: Pittsburgh Steelers: 21 Seattle Seahawks: 10

10. Super Bowl XXXI: Green Bay Packers: 35 New England Patriots: 21

9. Super Bowl XIII: Pittsburgh Steelers: 35 Dallas Cowboys: 31

8. Super Bowl XXX: Dallas Cowboys: 27 Pittsburgh Steelers: 17

7. Super Bowl XXXIII: Denver Broncos: 34 Atlants Falcons: 19

6. Super Bowl XXXVIII: New England Patriots: 32 Carolina Panthers: 29

5. Super Bowl XXI: N.Y. Giants: 39 Denver Broncos: 20

4. Super Bowl XLII: N.Y. Giants: 17 New England Patriots: 14

3. Super Bowl XIV: New Orleans Saints: 31 Indianapolis Colts: 17

2. Super Bowl XLIII: Pittsburgh Steelers: 27 Arizona Cardinals: 23

1. Super Bowl XXXVI New England Patriots: 20 St. Louis Rams: 17

Sunday, January 30, 2011

NHL Jersey Rankings (part 4 of 7)

We turn our attention today to the Central Division of the Western Conference. This is an interesting division; two of the teams (Chicago and Detroit) are part of the "Original Six," while Nashville and Columbus are relative newcomers (and thus sport not-so-great jerseys). Let's get started.

Chicago Blackhawks:

Home -- I love these. Chevy Chase did too, as he wore a Blackhawks jersey in the 1989 film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. This team, much like the other teams from the Original Six (Bruins, Canadiens, Maple Leafs, Rangers, and Red Wings), have stuck to their guns and have kept a relatively similar design over their history. The Blackhawks started wearing ones similar to their current design all the way back in 1955. Good job with the piping on the shorts, too. However, much like the New York Rangers, I'm not digging the diapering effect they have because of the white at the base of their jersey. Reebok created this monster when they took over the NHL jersey contracts in 2007. It's just a minor complaint, though. Score: 4.5/5

Away -- These are awesome, too. While not as good as the home reds, they are iconic and timeless. Score: 4/5

Alternate -- This is where things get tricky for me. Part of me wants to say that these are cool throwbacks, but I guess I'm just not used to the Blackhawks having beige in their jersey color scheme. These are similar to the jerseys they used from 1935-37, and I guess you can't fault them for going back into their storied history for an alternate uni. I guess they could've chosen a worse one. I did like their previous 3rd jersey, but I think their current one is slightly better. Score: 3.5/5

Verdict -- Classic, timeless jerseys that can make a case for overall best in the NHL. Final score: 12/15

Columbus Blue Jackets:

Home -- They came into existence in 2000, and it definitely shows. An ho-hum logo that's actually much better than their previous one. I like the Civil War tribute (Union soldiers wore blue jackets), but the jerseys are nothing special. The thin pin striping on the jersey, as well as the lack of piping on the bright red shorts make it below average. That, plus a pretty bad logo add up to a bad score. Score: 1.5/5

Away -- I think I made my point when commenting on their home jersey; this is boring too, but instead of being blue and boring, it's white and boring. Score: 1.5/5

Alternate -- This is slightly better, and it may single-handedly save them from having the worst jerseys in the league. While it looks like they copied the Penguins' or Panthers' alternate jersey, they pull of a nice color scheme, as well as an upgraded logo. And hey, these shorts have piping! Score: 3/5

Verdict -- Overall, very below average. The alternates saved them, though. Final score: 6/15

Detroit Red Wings:

Home -- This is the final of the Original Six teams, and once again, they have a dazzling jersey. The one thing I don't dig about these is that it is a lot of red...like, a ton. I like the Blackhawks' darker reds and dark logo a bit better. Score: 4/5

Away -- I actually think these are nicer than the red homes; not as loud color-wise, so I'll add half a point. Score: 4.5/5

Alternate -- They rarely wear these, and I understand why. They're above average, but I'll score these lower than the Blackhawks' alternates because I'm not a big fan of the big, think red candy-striping. Score: 3/5

Verdict -- Excellent home and away jerseys, but the alternate pulls their total score down a bit. Final score: 11.5/15

Nashville Predators:

Home -- Ouch. The logo is below average to begin with, but putting it on a uni with a lot of gray makes it pretty bad. The gray is definitely a bad choice. Score: 1.5/5

Away -- Possibly even worse. The home blues look much better with the gray than white does. Once again, gray made this jersey awful. If it were the navy blue and white, it's perfectly fine. Score: 1/5

Alternate -- They have something going here, but the metallic sabertooth tiger doesn't inspire me to strap on my skates and body check someone into the boards. Score: 2/5

Verdict -- The alternate saves it from certain doom, but not enough to move the Predators out of the horrid category. Gray doesn't look good on any jersey -- just remember that. Final score: 4.5/15

St. Louis Blues:

Home -- This is a classic example of a team with excellent jerseys in their past who have taken a step in the wrong direction in recent years. Gotta love these. But now the Blues have these. They're fine -- I just like the older ones better. I also prefer this logo to the current one. To me, this jersey is similar to the Washington Capitals; good design, but somewhat plain. Kudos for not straying from the team's uni history however. Score: 3.5/5

Away -- Very similar to the home jerseys, but the blue on the shoulder just doesn't do it for me. Score: 2.5/5

Alternate -- Here's the alternate logo up close. It's nice, but the Gateway Arch in the background makes it seem too busy. Nice clean jersey design (see Blue Jackets' and Panthers' alternates), though, which gives the Blues an above-average mark. Score: 3/5

Verdict -- Good, solid design, but the older ones (see 1980s, late 90's) are much nicer, resulting in a slightly lower score. Final score: 9/15

Central Division Standings:

Chicago Blackhawks: 12/15

Detroit Red Wings: 11.5/15

St. Louis Blues: 9/15

Columbus Blue Jackets: 6/15

Nashville Predators: 4.5/15

Sunday, January 23, 2011

NHL Jersey Rankings (part 3 of 7)

Southeast Division:

The Northeast Division (part 1) had excellent jerseys. The Atlantic Division (part 2) were almost as good as the unis in the Northeast. The Southeast is a different story. Aside from the Washington Capitals, these teams haven't been around for a long time, and still have some stuff to figure out in regards to their athletic aesthetics.

Atlanta Thrashers:

Home -- First, let's talk about their logo. Obviously, it could be better. If a team has a below-average logo to begin with, it's going to hurt its chances at having a nice jersey. They're names the "Thrashers" after the state bird of Georgia, the Brown Thrasher. Ok, fine. Why not use this logo instead? It's their alternate logo, and while I don't think it's the best out their, I do think it's an upgrade from what they have now. The jerseys themselves are strange as well. Why is "Atlanta" written down one arm, while a patch of their alternate logo is on the other? Pick one (preferrably the alternate logo) and put it on both sleeves. The baaby blue also doesn't seem to fit the orange and yellow of the logo. Score: 1.5/5

Away -- Slightly better for two reasons. First, the jersey is more symmetrical due to having the same design on both arms. Second, the logo shows up better on the white. Score: 2/5

Alternate -- This might be the worst of the bunch. I'm not a fan of the numbers on the front. The script is ok, but the overall color scheme hurts the eyes. The burgundy jersey is nice, but it would be much better if the whole jersey was that color, instead of having patches of navy blue and white thrown into the mix. Score: 1.5/5

Verdict -- Pretty bad from top to bottom. The logo design is weird, the home jerseys aren't symmetrical, and the alternates are just ugly. Final score: 5/15

Carolina Hurricanes:

Home -- These jerseys are ok. I like the overall design and color scheme, but I'm not nuts about the logo -- it reminds me of burning a CD or the old AOL logo. They have a nice alternate logo that I wish they would use more often. Nice touch with the hurricane flags as a stripe design near the bottom of the uni -- reminds me of hte Billy Joel album Storm Front from 1989 (quality album -- I highly reccommend it). I'm not nuts about the slanted names and numbers on the back, as well as the lack of piping on the shorts. Score: 2.5/5

Away -- Not too much to say about these. They're pretty plain, but that's not a bad thing. Score: 2.5/5

Alternate -- Simply put, I love the logo but hate the black. Score: 1.5/5

Verdict -- Like the Atlanta Thrashers, if the Hurricanes used their alternate logo as their primary, it'd be pretty sweet. But they don't, so these unis are just average. Final score: 6.5/15

Florida Panthers:

Home -- Like the Thrashers and the Hurricanes, I'm not nuts about the logo. To me, it looks like something out of a comic book rather than belonging on a hockey jersey. I also like their older jersey design better, but I'm not sure why. Also, minus 0.5 point for no piping on the shorts. Their current jersey is plain, simple, and average. Score: 2.5/5

Away -- I have the same thoughts with this one, but because the logo doesn't show up as well on the white, minus 0.5 point. Score: 2/5

Alternate -- Ok, let's admit it -- this is a total copy off of the Penguins' alternate jersey. And the patch on the shoulder? Please (here it is up close). I don't think it's a bad jersey, but because of lack of originality, I'm docking points. Score: 2/5

Verdict -- Like the Hurricanes, these are average jerseys. But, with some tweaks, they have potential (maybe make the logo on the alternate jersey their primary and spice up the panther head a little bit). Final score: 6.5/15

Tampa Bay Lightning:

Home -- This jersey has always had so much potential, but they can't find the right combination. During the team's first few years in the early 1990s, the text was hard to read. Then, the name plate and numbers on the back were weird. Now, it's the sleeve design. If the slevess were all black, or had blue and white stripes on the forearms, they'd be a lot better. Score: 2.5/5

Away -- Every so often, I like black jerseys better than white ones, and this is one of those cases. Score: 2/5

Alternate -- These are just dumb. They aren't gross or awful, but they just tried too hard. Score: 1.5/5

Verdict -- They have a nice logo and overall decent design, but it just hasn't all come together yet. Final score: 6/15

Washington Capitals:

Home -- These are by far the nicest jerseys in the Southeast Division. While they aren't as good as their original jerseys, these are a close second (notice how the logo changed slightly, from this to this. In between ,they wore these nasty ones from 1995-2007. I do think these jerseys could use some striping towards the bottom, or perhaps a star or two or three on the sleeves. Minus 0.5 point for no piping on the shorts. Score: 3.5/5

Away -- Same deal as above, but these score lower because of the blandness of the white away jersey. Much better than their dark aways worn from 2000-2007 . Score: 3/5

Alternate -- They don't wear alternates, so I'm going to score them on their alternate logo. It reminds me of a flag from eastern Europe, but with an American flair. It's pretty good, but not great. Score: 2.5/5

Verdict -- Very nice jerseys that could use some minor touch-ups. Not sure what to do with a lack of an alternate jersey, so I tried my best to score them on something in the alternate category. Final score: 9/15

Southeast Division Rankings:
Washington Capitals: 9/15
Carolina Hurricanes: 6.5/15
Florida Panthers: 6.5/15
Tampa Bay Lightning: 6/15
Atlanta Thrashers: 5/15

Thursday, January 20, 2011

NHL Jersey Rankings (part 2 of 7)

Here's the second of seven installments of NHL jersey rankings. Today, we're looking at the Atlantic Division from the Eastern Conference, which consists of the New York Rangers, New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils, Philadelphia Flyers, and Pittsburgh Penguins. As jerseys go, this division is very solid. The New York Rangers are the only team that was part of the "Original Six" hockey franchises. The Penguins, Flyers, and Islanders were part of NHL's expansion in the late 60's and early 70's, and the Devils came about in 1982 (after stops in Kansas City and Denver in the 70's).

New Jersey Devils:

Home -- I said this before on my last post -- red isn’t my favorite jersey color. But, I think that they pull it off with the design. The logo is recognizable too -- nice touch with the devil horns and spear point in the lettering. The shorts could go for some red and white piping, too. Score: 2.5/5

Away -- The same goes for their away jersey -- it’s simple, yet definitive. Score: 2.5/5

Alternate -- They rarely wear these (the only time I ever see them is on St. Patrick’s day), but I think these are pretty gross because of the green. The worst part is that they have green shorts, as best seen here. But hey, if there wasn’t any green, the Devils would have the same jerseys since 1982. Score: 1.5/5

Verdict -- These are average at best. The Devils pull off a simple design -- ok jersey, logo, and color scheme, but it’s not more than average. Total score: 6.5/15

New York Islanders:

Home -- I’ll cut right to the chase. I love these jerseys. I think this is almost jersey perfection. Blue, orange, and white with a great logo that hasn’t changed much except from 1995-1997. That uni has always been considered one of the worst of all time, and I must say it is pretty terrible (the jersey that is -- the fisherman logo is bad but not awful in my opinion -- change that teal to navy blue and it's much better). Score: 5/5

Away -- This is a great one too, but I like the blue better than the white (that’s a trend -- I almost always like the dark homes better than the white aways). Kudos to the piping on the shorts too. Score: 4.5/5

Alternate -- Like the Devils, they rarely wear these, but they're great nonetheless. Minus a half point for no piping on the shorts. The Islanders used to wear these as alternates, and they're pretty terrible. They blue makes the jersey -- orange is only an accent color people. Score: 4.5/5

Verdict -- Excellent jerseys, through and through. Final score: 14/15

New York Rangers:

Home -- These are timeless jerseys. Some think that they are the best in the league. I just don’t see it. I like them and definitely think they’re better than most. Kudos on the piping, but the thing that gets me with these is the diaper effect on the back of the jerseys. Should’ve made that part of the jersey blue instead. However, I do think they're much better than these, which they wore from 1976-78. Score: 3.5/5

Away -- Same deal as the home jerseys; I really like them, but I don’t love them. The diapering effect doesn’t look as bad as on the blues. Score: 4/5

Alternate -- These are ok, but it would've been nice to see them stick to the standard blue color. They had similar ones from 1978-1987, which I really like. Their previous alternate wasn't much better either. Score: 2/5

Verdict -- These are very solid jerseys. Iconic and instantly recognizable for any fan, crazed or casual. I guess I’ve just never fully appreciated them. Final score: 9.5/10

Philadelphia Flyers:

Home -- Ah yes, the flying the puck. Absolutely love it. However, the orange is hit or miss for me. If they're playing a team with an awful jersey (for instance, the Ottawa Senators alternate unis), they look awesome, but if they're up against a great jersey, like the New York Islanders or Boston Bruins, I can take 'em or leave 'em. Score: 3.5/5

Away -- The whites are less harsh on the eyes than the orange, so I'll score them slightly higher for that. Score: 4/5

Alternate -- Really? Why is this necessary? Score: 1.5/5

Verdict -- A great logo with some colors that can be classy given the circumstances. Sometimes, I feel like I'm watching a prison hockey team. Oh well. Final score: 9/15

Pittsburgh Penguins:

Home -- Not sure about these really. I think the jerseys look really nice, but I still miss the old black and yellow ones. Definitely better than the ones they wore from 2002-07 (I get that the triangle is to represent the three rivers in Pittsburgh an everything, but it just doesn't make for a good jersey design). I also miss "robopenguin." Basically, they've had great logos throughout their history, but the color scheme isn't my favorite. Score: 3.5/5

Away -- Average at best. Lots of white doesn't go with the Vegas gold on the sleeve in my opinion. My favorite Pens away jerseys were these. Score: 2.5/5

Alternate -- Good call going back to the retro baby blues. These are certainly my favorite Penguins jerseys they wear right now, and I'm hoping the ones they wore for the 2011 Winter Classic become their alternates next year because I like them even better. I also think these alternates from the late 90's to early 2000s will be vogue again soon. Score: 4/5

Verdict -- Pretty solid jersey, but I have to give my home team some criticisms. They should go back to the old color scheme, but these are pretty good too. Final score: 10/15

Atlantic Division Rankings:

New York Islanders: 14/15

Pittsburgh Penguins: 10/15

New York Rangers: 9.5/15

Philadelphia Flyers: 9/15

New Jersey Devils: 6.5/15

Monday, January 17, 2011

NHL Jersey Rankings (part 1 of 7)

The NHL has some really cool jerseys, and I think on average they’re better than any other major sport in America. Because I have to give each team a close look, I’m going to spread this over seven posts. I’ll comment on the six divisions, and then put the teams into a cumulative list for the seventh and final post.

How they’re scored:

Each NHL team has three jerseys -- home, away, and an alternate. Some teams have a second alternate, but they’re few and far between, so I’ll only look at the alternate used most often in those cases. Each jersey will be ranked on a 5 point scale, with 5 being jersey euphoria and a 1 being a foul on the eyes. The team closest to 15 points at the end wins.

Tiebreaker scenario:

If teams are ties, I’ll pick based on their logo. For instance, if the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames both ended up with scores of 12, I’d pick the Oilers because I like their logo better.

Today, I’ll be looking at the Northeast Division from the Eastern Conference. This is a great group of teams to look at in regards to athletics aesthetics, with the Boston Bruins, Montreal Canadiens, and Toronto Maple Leafs all having classic, iconic jerseys. Let’s get started.

Boston Bruins:

Home -- This is one of the best in the entire league. The Bruins found a winning formula all the way back in 1949 and stuck with it. However, minus half a point for no leg piping. They had this from 1939 (black, white, and yellow) to 1981 (white piping). I like the black, white, and yellow piping better than the white, but would take either over the solid black shorts. Score: 4/5

Away -- Love these too. They look better in the black though, so that’s why they get half a point less for this one. Score: 4/5

Alternate -- Very nice as well. Much better than these, used from 1995-2006. Clearly, they tapped into their storied history for this alternate logo, as they had versions of it from 1924 to 1932. Kudos also for using the primary logo as a patch on the alternate jersey, and vice versa. Score: 4/5

Verdict -- Classic and spiffy, with minimal changes needed. Score 12.5/15

Buffalo Sabres:

Home -- Thank goodness they went back to this design from the 1980s and 90’s, as opposed to this garbage from 1996-2006 and the detested “Buffaslug” from 2006-2010. There’s no piping on this either, so minus a half point for that, as well as another half point for ditching the royal blue for a darker shade. Score: 4/5

Away -- Same as above. Once again, they made the right choice for going back to their roots, but the blue is a better jersey color than white. Score: 3.5/5

Alternate -- Pretty good for an alternate. The script is nice, and I really dig the yellow nameplate. However, the webbing in the numbers is dumb, plain and simple. It’s way better than this alternate used from 2000-2006 though. Score: 3/5

Verdict -- The Sabres really needed to take a page from the Bruins and just shouldn’t have messed with a classic. Final score: 10.5/15

Montreal Canadiens:

Home -- These are classy as well. Tons of people think that these are the best in the NHL. A version of it has been used since 1925 -- the Canadiens knew they had a good thing going and stuck with it. However, I don’t think these are tops. Don’t get me wrong -- I really like these. I just think there are better ones out there. Score: 4/5

Away -- The same as the home jerseys. Great logo and great design. Good job with piping on the shorts too. Score: 4/5

Alternate -- Is it Christmas time? The green maple leaf just doesn’t do it for me. They’re not awful, but I just don’t like the green on red. It also looks suspiciously close to the Toronto Maple Leaf’s design (see below). Score: 2/5

Verdict -- Very solid jersey. You can’t go wrong with the home or away jersey, but the alternate pulls its final score down a bit. Final score: 10/15

Ottawa Senators:

Home -- The Senators had this uniform when they came into existence in 1992, and used it until 1997, then another version of it (notice the change in the edge of the “coin”) until 2007. Then, they went to this. It’s not terrible, but I think it’s a bit of a downgrade from the half Roman soldier/half Roman coin thing they had going on. Score: 2.5/5

Away -- Although red and white jerseys aren’t my favorite (see the Atlanta Falcons from the NFL uni post), they’re much better than the black jerseys they used to wear on the road. I think it’s tough to pull off black, and the only teams that can do it in the NHL seem to be the Boston Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins. I do think these are beter than their home reds though, but I’m not sure why. I think it might be the fact that the new logo seems to go better on white. Score: 3/5

Alternate -- Not a fan of this at all. It’s fine to nickname your team, but putting it in writing on a jersey, especially in boring block text, is tough to pull off. That, plus the fact that it’s on a black jersey, plus the weird stripes on the arms, make it one of my least favorites in all of hockey. Their old alternates from 2000-2007 weren’t the best either, but I think they’re much better than the current ones (I'm digging the yellow at the bottom of the uni). Score: 1.5/5

Verdict -- What the Senators are doing is similar to the Sabres’ jersey mistakes. Thankfully, the Sabres rectified their issue; the Senators are making the mistakes now. They had a pretty good logo, and changed it. While the change wasn’t awful, it certainly wasn’t an upgrade. They have average jerseys at best, but when you throw in the ugly alternates, they fall into the below average category. Final score: 7/15

Toronto Maple Leafs:

Home -- These are really classy ones too. My only complaint is that there’s no leg piping like they used from 1934 - 1992. The design has been virtually the same on the jersey itself since 1927 (although that leaf doesn’t look much like a leaf to me). I’m a sucker for blue jerseys, and they’re much better with the stripes, which they went without from 2007-2010 (makes it kind of plain, huh?). Score: 4/5

Away -- Once again, they Maple Leafs saw the winning formula they had and stuck with it. The whites may not look as spiffy as the blue home jerseys, but they’re still iconic. Score: 3.5/5

Alternate -- These are pretty nice alternates. This particular leaf design was used between 1938 and 1967, and the jersey is almost exactly what the Leafs wore from 1958 - 1967. I’m not a big fan of the blue around the collar, though I do like the old leaf as opposed to the current leaf. Score: 3.5/5

Verdict -- Once again, these are classic jerseys that don’t need much tweaking. While they are simple, they’re still memorable, and the blue home jerseys look great on the ice. Final score: 11/15

Northeast Division Rankings:

Boston Bruins -- 12.5/15
Toronto Maple Leafs -- 11/15
Buffalo Sabres -- 10.5/15
Montreal Canadiens -- 10/15
Ottawa Senators -- 7/15

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Ranking the NFL Jerseys

Paul Lukas and his blog uniwatch really inspired me to create my own, especially because his is about “athletics aesthetics,” and that is a not-so-guilty pleasure of mine. Anyone who knows me knows I’m always after some sort of sports jersey, usually one of the throwback variety.

I’ve decided to compile a list of the best (and worst) NFL jerseys.

Each team has a home and away jersey. Certain teams also have alternate or throwback jerseys utilized a few times per year as well, but those are for a different post. Here’s how I’ll be scoring them:

Both jerseys will be rated on a 5 point scale, with 1 being an awful jersey, and 5 being uniform perfection. Thus, the total number of points a team can earn is 10 (for all you math nerds out there). In the event of a tie, I’ll take the team’s helmets into consideration.

Here’s the list (total points are in parentheses next to the team name):

Bottom of the Barrel

32. Cincinnati Bengals (3)