Thursday, April 9, 2009

Ranking the NFL Logos and Uniforms

By Kevin Beane

You will just have to take my word that I am a heterosexual when I say have lots of strong opinions on the uniforms and logos of all sports. Particularly, the NFL. Here is how I rank each teams uniforms/logos, by division.

AFC EAST

1. NEW ENGLAND
The Patriot head logo is clean, fairly simple, but not too simple, and the colors are in an improvement from the old Patriot hiking the ball.

2. BUFFALO
Still second best in a weak division, but each helmet modification (from still buffalo to running buffalo, from white to red shells) has been a step down.

3. MIAMI
They should have an alternate helmet with the "M" that the dolphin on the current logo wears. Always hated the color scheme.

4. NEW YORK JETS
Jets and airplanes are cool. There's infinite cool logo possibilities incorporating a jet. So why don't you?

AFC NORTH

1. CINCINNATI
It's obvious to use tiger stripes if your nickname is tigers or bengals, but somehow only this team is smart enough to do it.

2. PITTSBURGH
The logo on just one side of the helmet, as well as the yellow lettering for the last names on the back of the jersey, are nice touches.

3. CLEVELAND
I wouldn't mess with tradition and put a logo on the helmet, but the cool orange dog head they sometimes paint in the end zones should be the "primary logo" they send to networks and websites.

4. BALTIMORE
Bluish-Purple together with black doesn't really "work." I do like the font of their jersey numbers.

AFC SOUTH

1. INDIANAPOLIS
Very clean, good shade of blue, and I think of them as the pre-eminent team of that pair of shoulder stripes several teams use (like Minnesota and colleges like Ole Miss) .

2. HOUSTON
Colors are boring, but the logo is the best one to come from an expansion franchise since at least the '60s.

3. TENNESSEE
Logo, colors, uniform - all get average marks across the board.

4. JACKSONVILLE
Another bad blue (technically teal)/black combination. I'd also love to know who thought the jaguar head should have realistic colors except for the tongue.

AFC WEST

1. SAN DIEGO
You can't go wrong with lightning bolts. You just can't.

2. KANSAS CITY
Average, but the interlocking K.C. in the end zone without the arrowhead is a nice, alternative touch.

3. OAKLAND
I know the logo and especially the colors are iconic, but they don't do much for me.

4. DENVER
Please go back to the John Elway-era uniforms and logo!

NFC EAST

1. NEW YORK GIANTS
If you want something traditional, this is the way to go. I like how there's only small bits of red, yet they do have red alternate jerseys.

2. WASHINGTON
I am surprised that more team don't use burgundy. Why not scrap the outer circle that surrounds the Indian head?

3. DALLAS
One year, they ought to make their navy jerseys their primary ones.

4. PHILADELPHIA
I liked their pre-'90s shade of green and wing shape better.

NFC NORTH

1. DETROIT
Love the shade of blue and the silhouette of the lion.

2. MINNESOTA
Decent ... there are not enough purple teams. Home jerseys very different from road jerseys, unlike most teams.

3. GREEN BAY
Belongs with Oakland in the iconic-but-boring category.

4. CHICAGO
Your mascot is a bear. A BEAR. USE IT!

NFC SOUTH

1. TAMPA BAY
This may be biased, but I think this is the best redesign of the last 20 years.

2. NEW ORLEANS
If the Saints were any good, the fleur-de-lis might be as iconic as the Cowboys' star.

3. ATLANTA
Would love for them to bring back the old falcon logo, the re-imagined one sucks.

4. CAROLINA
Nothing stands out to me.

NFC WEST

1. ST. LOUIS
Changing from regular gold to old gold was an excellent move.

2. ARIZONA
They had such a cool end zone a few years back, with the Arizona flag stretched out behind the centered cardinal head. I like the blood red.

3. SAN FRANCISCO
Wish they would return to the non-block numbers and lighter shade of red they had under Joe Montana.

4. SEATTLE
Man, that horizontal phallic bird-head is dumb. Almost as dumb as that shade of blue.

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