34 replies to this topic

[NNDman]

Anyone have a clue as to why Pittsburgh put the yellow on the shoulders of their jerseys for a few seasons in the 1960s? Was it one of the first fashion statments in the NFL?? And I mean egg YOLK! LOL

[jackfu]

Anyone have a clue as to why Pittsburgh put the yellow on the shoulders of their jerseys for a few seasons in the 1960s? Was it one of the first fashion statments in the NFL?? And I mean egg YOLK! LOL

As I recall it was only for 1967, no clue as to why. I liked 'em. So much for tastes!

[BD Sullivan]

Anyone have a clue as to why Pittsburgh put the yellow on the shoulders of their jerseys for a few seasons in the 1960s? Was it one of the first fashion statments in the NFL?? And I mean egg YOLK! LOL

While trying to research this, I came across a uniform snafu I hadn't heard of before. On 9/25/66, the Redskins came to Pittsburgh with their white jerseys, assuming the Steelers would be donning their black ones. However, after realizing in pre-game warmups that the Skins were in white, Pittsburgh had to use a police escort to travel 15 miles and pick up the black jerseys. Due to this problem, the game was delayed approximately 15 minutes.

[jackfu]

While trying to research this, I came across a uniform snafu I hadn't heard of before. On 9/25/66, the Redskins came to Pittsburgh with their white jerseys, assuming the Steelers would be donning their black ones. However, after realizing in pre-game warmups that the Skins were in white, Pittsburgh had to use a police escort to travel 15 miles and pick up the black jerseys. Due to this problem, the game was delayed approximately 15 minutes.

Wow! A similar thing happened in a (63?) game with the Vikings (they wore purple pants with their white jerseys then) and ?, and the Vikes switched (at halftime?) to purple jerseys and wound up wearing all purple. I thought it was cool, but it never caught on.

[JohnR]

Anyone have a clue as to why Pittsburgh put the yellow on the shoulders of their jerseys for a few seasons in the 1960s? Was it one of the first fashion statments in the NFL?? And I mean egg YOLK! LOL

Can't remember the exact source, but I read recently that the shoulder coloring was triangular in shape to represent the 3 rivers. Shoulder coloring had been seen many times in the past, but leave it up the Steelers to raise it from the dead. The Edsel of uniform designs?

[Mark Durr]

Can't remember the exact source, but I read recently that the shoulder coloring was triangular in shape to represent the 3 rivers. Shoulder coloring had been seen many times in the past, but leave it up the Steelers to raise it from the dead. The Edsel of uniform designs?

Good memory -- that's pretty what it says on the Steelers website (they also were trying to distinguish themselves from the Packers):

http://www.steelers....07-369872A3AD0A


Looks like you can still get order your very own 1967 jersey with your name proudly displayed on the back:

http://shop.steelers.../product/97384/




As to NNDman's aptly-titled post, it was a "yoke" the whole team had to bear...

[Rupert Patrick]

Wow! A similar thing happened in a (63?) game with the Vikings (they wore purple pants with their white jerseys then) and ?, and the Vikes switched (at halftime?) to purple jerseys and wound up wearing all purple. I thought it was cool, but it never caught on.

I've seen footage from that game, it was on one of the NFL Films Lost Treasures episodes. The game you are thinking of was the 1964 game (it was played in Minnesota) where the Lions and Vikings both came out wearing white jerseys, and there was confusion for the first quarter or so until somebody from the Vikings equipment staff returned with purple jerseys, and the game was held up for several minutes while the Vikings players put on purple jerseys on the sidelines. Since the Vikings had on purple pants to go with the white jerseys, when they switched to purple jerseys they wore all purple that day.

[Rupert Patrick]

Good memory -- that's pretty what it says on the Steelers website (they also were trying to distinguish themselves from the Packers):

http://www.steelers....07-369872A3AD0A


Looks like you can still get order your very own 1967 jersey with your name proudly displayed on the back:

http://shop.steelers.../product/97384/




As to NNDman's aptly-titled post, it was a "yoke" the whole team had to bear...

If you name is Ron Mexico, I bet you still can't get your name on the back of an NFL Jersey.

[jackfu]

Good memory -- that's pretty what it says on the Steelers website (they also were trying to distinguish themselves from the Packers):

http://www.steelers....07-369872A3AD0A


Looks like you can still get order your very own 1967 jersey with your name proudly displayed on the back:

http://shop.steelers.../product/97384/




As to NNDman's aptly-titled post, it was a "yoke" the whole team had to bear...

Thanks! I'll take them at their word, but I always thought it was (when viewed from above) shaped like a diamond like the ones on their helmet decals. I don't get the Packers' analogy, with black and gold and black helmets vs. green and gold and gold helmets.

[3243]

And ironically, when the Steelers designed their current uniforms (except for the numerical font) in 1968, they went for a Packerish desiign.

[BD Sullivan]

And ironically, when the Steelers designed their current uniforms (except for the numerical font) in 1968, they went for a Packerish desiign.

Bill Austin, a former Lombardi assistant in Green Bay, was their head coach at the time.

[Todd Pence]

In a 1970 preseason game in Salt Lake City between the Broncos and the Patriots, a mixup had both teams showing up on the field in white jerseys. The Broncos were forced to wear the University of Utah's uniforms.

[BigMck]

The teams decide who is wearing what uniform before the season starts now. How did they do it in the 60's?

[Blue Falcon]

The teams decide who is wearing what uniform before the season starts now. How did they do it in the 60's?

Telegrams and smoke signals.

Seriously, I don't know when the NFL mandated that teams choose before the season what uniform they will wear for each game. However, they CAN change their mind up to 24 hours before kickoff team, as long as they notify the other team. This works for everyone except Mike Shanahan, who despite being notified in 2003 that the Chargers wanted to wear their white uniforms at home for that game, had the Broncos show up in the white jerseys anyway. The NFL forced the Broncos to wear their white jerseys at home against the Chargers later in the season.

[classic3283]

In a 1970 preseason game in Salt Lake City between the Broncos and the Patriots, a mixup had both teams showing up on the field in white jerseys. The Broncos were forced to wear the University of Utah's uniforms.

Great nugget of information. I'm assuming the Broncos wore the University of Utah jerseys because they were the designated home team.

[jackfu]

Lots of great info here, thanks! Honestly, can't we dispense with the white jersey requirement (assuming there still is one)now? Back in the 50's when most TV's were black and white, it made sense, I guess. Obviously, teams should be allowed to wear white if they desire (I don't see the Cowboys giving up that tradition), but let's give it a try - let both teams wear their "home" jerseys, eh? Thanks! - jack

[coach tj troup]

Lots of great info here, thanks! Honestly, can't we dispense with the white jersey requirement (assuming there still is one)now? Back in the 50's when most TV's were black and white, it made sense, I guess. Obviously, teams should be allowed to wear white if they desire (I don't see the Cowboys giving up that tradition), but let's give it a try - let both teams wear their "home" jerseys, eh? Thanks! - jack

....there is footage(lions '53 highlight film)of lions and colts playing night game and they are both in their blue jersey's...a difference in hue....yet, neither in white.

[BD Sullivan]

The only time the Browns didn't wear white at home between 1964-74 was in a 1968 game against the Rams, when L.A. (then coached by George Allen) forgot the blue jerseys they were supposed to wear.

[Blue Falcon]

The only time the Browns didn't wear white at home between 1964-74 was in a 1968 game against the Rams, when L.A. (then coached by George Allen) forgot the blue jerseys they were supposed to wear.

I guess Allen didn't want to break the Rams 47-game streak of wearing their white jerseys. They started in week 10 of the 1967 season, and didn't wear the blue jerseys again until late in the 1972 season. As far as I can tell, this is the NFL record for a team wearing the same uniform.

[jackfu]

I guess Allen didn't want to break the Rams 47-game streak of wearing their white jerseys. They started in week 10 of the 1967 season, and didn't wear the blue jerseys again until late in the 1972 season. As far as I can tell, this is the NFL record for a team wearing the same uniform.

Wow! Thanks. So George Allen "forgot"? I recall stories that he was quite superstitious, so maybe it wasn't just a lapse of memory? No offense intended. I remember Jerry Kramer stating that superstition was quite common in pro sports.