New NFL Unis
 

Was at dinner tonight and looked across to a bar TV and saw ESPN (I think) doing a preview of the new NFL officials unis. All I can say is: HAVE THEY LOST THEIR FREAKIN' MIND?

Aside from the fact that these things look totally stupid (think Chicago White Sox pajamas circa 1978), isn't the point of officiating not to draw undue attention to ourselves?

Its not like these guys buy everything they wear at Honigs. They get the shoes, shirts, and hats, at a minimum, issued. If they had concerns regarding heat or cold and the unis' inability to regulate for that, the NFL could commission rag manufacturers to remake what they already have with perhaps a few design changes. Think Officials' Choice shirts compared to the old doubleknit polyester.

When people see these things en masse, they are going to die laughing. If that's the form of entertainment the NFL is selling these days, no wonder fewer are watching.

They are showing the new uniforms on NFL Total access this morning on the NFL network. It is a replay from last night.

BTW- set up your DVR's for the rest of the season. The Official's Review segment will air every Wednesday at 7 ET. Very informative.

You can see the clip on nfl.com today. Strange-looking stripes. Number and position on the back, number on the sleeve. NFL logo on the pocket in the front and just below the collar in the back. The long-sleeve shirts have a mock turtleneck collar with a 1/4 zipper. Black pants with a white stripe down the side for cold weather (looks like a warm-up suit).

I honestly don't think they look THAT bad- I'm guessing once we get used to them the old ones will look old and dated.

New NFL uni's
 

I don't think they looked too bad. I especially like the black track looking pants. Pereira explained that they'll be able to layer beneath it easier. Reebok designed them.

If there is anything at the HS level we could adopt, that would be the easiest. Black warm-up style pants are fairly common and easy to find.

Apparently the LS shirts are wind and water proof and the SS shirts are the "new" fabric blends to be comfortable in hot weather. The raglan sleeves should also allow easier movement.

My only gripe is with the numeral area on the back. I think a black background wold look better with white numbers. Otherwise, they weren't as radical a departure as I read the speculation this past spring.

Does anyone have a link to where I can see them. I tried NFL.com but couln't find the article.

On the NFL.com site click the link for "Director of Officiating" on the right hand side. I don't like the new shirts. They look like a tuxedo. It'll all take a while to get used to.

I just wonder if/when these modifications, especially the pants, will trickle down to the college and HS ranks.

HOPEFULLY NEVER!!!!

This from a guy who is still wearing stirrups. :D

Pereira said he wasn't looking for stylish.

No sh**, Mike.

I like the cold-weather uni, especially the collar. Not sure about the pants, I like the black, I just worry about Barry Bonds-like pajama folding at the bottom.

The number/position combo on the back is horrible. Just really poorly done and amateurish. And the number on the sleeve looks like it's a tribute to someone who died.

IMHO, they could have done the exact same thing with the new fabrics and stuff in the same style as before.

Just remember while you buy how many new pairs of socks every year at around $5 a piece, I'm still using the same stirrups I started officiating with and I got them from a vetran official for free.

All I have to buy are 99 cent socks and I go through about 5 pairs a year.

I'm happy with the stirrups because they mean more $$$ in my pocket ;)

FYI, the show is archived at:

http://images.nfl.com/video/homepage/2005/0803-4.ram

wowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.

Well I don't work that many games, 25-35 a year, but I buy one new pair of socks a year and pass the varsity pair from the previous season down to my subvarsity games. So I buy one pair of $7, current price on Honig's, socks a year while you buy 5 pair of 99 cent socks a year. So between all of that and the exchange rate you are at most $3 ahead of me. I'm all for saving money but I just don't like the look of stirrups that much. I have worked with a guy around here that does have an old pair and he uses the same arguement that you used and that is fine but I don't want to wear them.

I'm hopeul this will last just one season.

It seems strange that something like the officials' uniform would be something anyone would really get up in arms about, but the old look was "timeless," as someone said, and that's a perfect description.

If comfort and usability were the ideas, they could have accomplished that in the same style without making them look like Rollerball rejects.

Now I am even more confused.

The SI article said they'd wear the knickers for warm weather and those black sweat pants for cold weather. Why??

Nobody gets cold from wearing knickers, especially with under amour or similar tights.

Let's not peg the "old fogie-o-meter"
 

I remember when teams went to colored facemasks instead of gray, shiny material for pants, numbers on the sides of the pants, white shoes, multicolored jerseys with stripes on the sides etc. We all got used to them and now watch NFL Films games from 1980 and realize how different things were style-wise.

I expect there will be some tweaking of the uniform but that the basic design will remain. How many teams have changed uniforms in the last ten years? Bills, Bucs, Giants, Jets, Cowboys (once in a while), 49ers, Rams, Bengals, Chargers, Patriots, Broncos, Seahawks, Cardinals and sometimes the Redkins (all white). Usually, the self proclaimed 'old schoolers' initially squawked but everybody got used to it and went with it. I don't see a difference here.

This a good crack
 

"They should be riding on a horse at Saratoga," one spectator cracked Thursday while watching the officials oversee a practice session.

After seeing that photo, I'm wishing we could wear black shorts for scrimmages and sub-varsity. We're still in white.

I haven't logged on in a while, but had to come back to see what's going on with these new uniforms. I thought maybe they were just for pre-season, but am a bit shocked to see that they'll be used full-time.

I agree with the jockey comment, though!

What on earth have they done?!?!? Those look horrible (to say the least)!!!

I don't think anyone, old school or otherwise, really cared much about teams' uniform changes other than the fans of the particular team -- unless the unis were really outlandish. I'm not a Rams fan, but I didn't like the Rams change a few years ago, since I liked the Rams' uniform. But that wasn't a style thing, rather, the color.

I can deal with the shirt change. If they left everything else alone, that would be fine. Going to sweat pants.

I assume from your name that you haven't worked many games in Wyoming during a mid october blizzard?? If Carhart would come out with a white knicker it would be fine with me for that time of year LOL :D

What I don't like is the numbering and the black pocket.

But overall, the thing I didn't like when watching the game the other night was that the officials blended in so that they were harder to pick out, at least on screen.

Perhaps this is part of what they were looking for, since the officials should be noticed as little as possible, but as someone who watches the officials as much as the players, I found it difficult. The officials and the Eagles' players (in white uniforms with black and green) looked somewhat similar to me on screen. Enough so that I did not like it at all.

Does Wyoming now have an NFL franchise?

We're not talking about 1955 or even 1985. With UA cold gear and a good pair of knickers (Honigs elite), what exactly can you wear, regardless of color, that's going to keep you any warmer on that part of your body Besides that, what exactly do the sweatpants here do that the knickers don't? The real warmth is going to come from the tights of some sort, UA or long underwear. You do know there are ~flannel or windblocker lined knickers, don't you?

I know its hard to believe that Texas has cold weather (though, I'll conceed blizzard conditions would be pushing it a bit), but we do, especially in the panhandle area. I've been outdoors in blistering cold conditions for various things dressed lighter in the legs than I described above (usually, just jeans), and have never had problems with my legs getting cold. Since we can only wear a shirt over, say, a UA cold gear top, yes, I can understand blizzard conditions being a ***** up top, and with the hands and feet as they are hard to keep wrapped up well, but I'm having a hard time with the legs.

Maybe I'm just different than everyone.

I think the new uniforms look like something you'd expect to see a soccer ref wearing.

Oy Vey
 

http://espn-att.starwave.com/photo/2...a_refs_195.jpg http://tinyurl.com/jmknf

These things look like a freaking Futbol uniform. The sky is falling, the sky is falling!!!!!!!!

I saw them up close last night. They are silky and shiney and the only thing I could think of to say was "I hope your horse wins"

Absolutely hideous.

(But I'd sure love to wear one one day)

Just out of curiosity, is this another move by Honig's to then get everyone under the NFL level to buy these uniforms, thereby making a ton of money? Honig's has done this with the MLB unies--twice.

Not involved with Honigs in any way. The NFL had Reebok develop them, and holds the licensing.

They won't be selling this license to Honig's or any other distributor.

This way, you won't see any Miller Lite commercials with "refs" being mocked. At least not in the actual uniform anymore.

I was just at Honig's. The guy showed me the NFL cold-weather pants. Oh MY...they are horrible. Black with a HUGE white stripe.

He mentioned that there have been Reebok troubles and that they are the ones selling them this year.

These uniforms highlight the fact that the average NFL official is a bit chubby except for Ed Hochuli who looks like Mr. Universe.

Not only does he look, but he is! ;)

Alright, I've came around and I guess they are ok. But, what I won't change my mind on is the black kickers. Yuck...

These uniforms are just awful. What the hell were they thinking with those stripes the way they are?

I didn't care for them at first, but the more I see them, the better I like them.

Bob