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Packers (especially) and Jets: DITCH THE UGLY THROWBACK UNIFORMS!!!

There is NOTHING good about the throwback uniforms the Green Bay Packers wore today against the St. Louis Rams. The Packers have worn these monstrosities before on occasion and of course it's all about marketing - though one wonders why anyone in their right mind would want to wear something so ugly and obviously dated. Memo to Packers: Pack these ugly uniforms in. You have beautiful duds, wear the ones we all know and love. History is one thing (and here's a link to some history of the Packers' uniforms) but looking ridiculous if you don't have to is just plain, well, ridiculous.

Sure, the Packers are indelibly part fo the fabric of NFL history. But so are the Montreal Canadiens indelibly part of the fabric of NHL history, and that didn't excuse their wearing those ridiculous 'barbershop pole' uniforms on occasion during their 100th anniversary season a few years ago.

Then there's the New York Jets, who continue to periodically - as recently as a few weeks ago - trot out the nearly as ugly as the Packers' throwbacks. What you see below are the Jets' throwbacks, which are the old American Football League New York Titans' (precursors to the Jets) uniforms. OK, maybe they're not that bad. But they're not the Jets.

 

Old AFL uniforms were worn by NFL teams that played in the AFL during the 2010 season as part of celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the AFL. But we're not celebrating any AFL anniversary any more (not to mention that the Titans were the Titans, the Jets are the Jets) and the Jets' traditional uniforms,  the ones they wore when Joe Namath led them to Super Bowl III victory, are classic - and by the way, way better than what the Jets wore beginning in the late 1970s for more than a decade before reverting to what we all know and love.

The Associated Press

Interestingly, this photo, taken from a game last week between the Jets (in what they should always wear) and New England Patriots, shows the Patriots in their throwback uniforms they wore during their AFL days but also for many years once they joined the NFL, until the late 1990s. The throwback Patriots' uniforms are fine, in my view, although if I were the Patriots I'd stick to what they wear now, (below, right) since their Super Bowl and consistent contender success in recent times has all come with their current look.

But at least their throwbacks aren't the ugly throwback abominations periodically worn by the Jets and, particularly, Packers.

NFL coaches nearly come to blows: 49ers' Jim Harbaugh vs. Lions' Jim Schwartz - Schwartz was out of line

Seriously, I'm not sure what Detroit Lions' head coach Jim Schwartz was upset about today (besides losing, of course). So San Francisco 49ers' coach Jim Harbaugh got (maybe) a little over-enthusiastic with his handshake after the win. Talk about an overreaction by Schwartz.

 

After the game, Harbaugh said it was 'on him', that he shook Schwartz' hand too hard but I'd be surprised if Harbaugh wasn't really thinking, WTF? So I'm excited and I shake his hand hard, pat him on the back (Schwartz claimed he was shoved; er, no) and the guy goes bonkers on me?

Schwartz comes off looking like what Bugs Bunny would describe as 'a maroon' on this one.

Besides which, Schwartz has already become known for his own fist-pumping celebrations, looking for fights and, oh yeah, uttering expletives (check out his mother--- clip on YouTube) as he claimed Harbaugh did.  Here's just one example; there's many others on YouTube, just search Jim Schwartz. Jim Pot, meet Jim Kettle. Sheesh, Schwartz. Get over yoiurself.

 

The new Winnipeg Jets: So that's who played for the Atlanta Thrashers

Watching the Winnipeg Jets being introduced before their (in this incarnation) NHL debut home game today against the Montreal Canadiens, I couldn't help but think: Oh, that's who played for the Atlanta Thrashers.

Aside from (long since departed) Ilya Kovalchuk and Dustin Byfuglien (who made his name with the Chicago Blackhawks) and now, given his pre-season exploits, Kitchener's own Mark Scheifele (a rookie), the new Jets are largely unknown, having played in the hockey outpost of Atlanta.

Soon, if not already, given that they play in Canada now, we will know them intimately.

Very cool. But now the puck drops and, really, not to take the starch out of it but the anticipation is over and it's just another game, or soon will become one. We've all seen it a million times before.

Back to more pressing sporting pursuits, given the calendar - baseball playoffs and football.