What's Old Is New Again

Everyone loves a throwback.  Whenever a team introduces an alternate uniform, more often than not, it's going to be a throwback look.  Throwback jerseys are also among the most popular with fans and are often among the best-selling items both online and in-person, whether it's a franchise legend's name and number or a modern player in the throwback design.

What I've always found ironic/funny about throwbacks is how they only become beloved well after the fact.  You're unlikely to see either of the World Series participants in a throwback design since their classic look is beloved and has been worn for years.  Meanwhile, the teams that do wear throwbacks only have them because they've changed their uniforms and/or logo over time.  Sometimes more than once.  And all those uniform changes are what make people realize that their old logo/uniform, which they hated at the time, may not have been so bad after all.

The NFL just started letting teams wear an alternate helmet again after a few seasons where they were only allowed to have one.  Plenty of teams have taken advantage of that rule change, with many reintroducing a throwback as their alternate uniform/helmet.  Some of throwbacks we've seen this season have included the Eagles' Kelly green, Pat the Patriot, the Seahawks' silver & blue, the Falcons' original red and the wonderful, glorious Buccaneer Bruce!

Sometimes teams even realize that the throwback is their best look.  Case in point: the New York Jets.  When Bill Parcells took over as Jets coach, they introduced new uniforms that were a modernized version of a throwback look to when they won the Super Bowl with Joe Namath at quarterback.  This season, the Jets have new uniforms again--uniforms that were introduced last season as a throwback.  Now, their 1980s-inspired design is once again their primary look.

They aren't the only team that's gone to a modernized version of an old logo as their "new" look for this season.  Two NHL teams have done the same thing.  The Los Angeles Kings went back to their uniforms from the early 90s with slight modifications.  The Kings' Southern California brethren the Ducks, meanwhile, brought back their wildly popular original logo from 1993 with a twist--Wild Wing is back, but in orange and black, not the Ducks' original colors.

Add the Kings and Ducks to an ever-growing list of NHL teams that went back to a throwback design as their "new" primary logo.  The Islanders ditched their fisherman logo and reinstated the Long Island map almost immediately after making the change the first time.  The Sabres brought back their original colors and logo.  The Penguins.  The Senators.  The Wild have paid tribute to the North Stars by incorporating a third uniform with their green & gold color scheme.  Even Utah, during its last few years in Phoenix, went back to the Coyotes' original logo from when they first moved to Arizona.

NBA teams have like five different uniforms each, so it's hard to tell what even is a team's primary uniform.  So, in the NBA, you've got to go by the logo.  And there have been a few in recent years who've also made the change back to a modernized version of their classic logo.  The Hawks and Sixers returned to their logos from the 80s.  So have the Jazz.  Meanwhile, the Warriors used their logo and uniforms from the 70s as the inspiration for their current logo.

It's really prominent in Major League Baseball.  For every team like the Yankees, Dodgers or Tigers, who've had the same, classic look for years, there are the teams who've gone through multiple logo/uniform changes.  And they often end up cycling back to something from their past.

There are countless examples of MLB teams that have readopted an old logo/uniform as their primary look.  The Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers went through several redesigns before realizing that what their fans wanted was a modernized version of their classic logo.  Same thing with the Orioles.  The cartoon oriole wearing a baseball hat isn't just the uniform they wore when they won their three World Series titles.  It's also by far the best uniform set they've had in their history.

Meanwhile, some teams that are perfectly content with their current uniforms while still letting their fans have the nostalgic feeling a throwback brings.  So, the Braves, Phillies and White Sox have found the perfect compromise.  The wear their throwback as their alternate jersey, and they've made sure to keep it in the rotation even though MLB now limits them to five total uniform combinations.  The Mariners even dropped their gray jersey entirely so that they could keep their throwbacks.

Even if they don't go all the way with the logo, it may just be the old colors people want.  The San Diego Padres are brown and gold.  They're the only team that has ever been able to pull it off, and fans were so happy when they brought the colors back.  Same thing with their former city mates.  The Chargers were known for their powder blue.  They brought it back as a secondary jersey at first, then fully embraced their powder blueness.

Then there's the other team that plays in SoFi Stadium.  When the Rams moved back to LA, they promised a full rebrand was on its way once the stadium opened.  They didn't wait to ditch the gold horns from the end of their St. Louis days, though.  At first, they changed them from gold to white, with classic Rams throwback uniforms mixed in.  Except people hated the white horns, so it became just the throwbacks until they debuted their new uniforms.  They even wore their throwbacks in Super Bowl LVIII!

I get why teams change their logos/uniforms.  Sometimes there's a new owner who wants to leave their mark.  Sometimes they just want a new look or to do something fresh.  Sometimes they're opening a new facility and want new uniforms to go with it.  There are a variety of reasons.  But, it's remarkable how many of those new logos/uniforms leave fans longing for the old look that they once hated.

Or maybe it's just that the appreciation for these uniforms has grown over time.  What once was considered "bad" or "ugly" now elicits fond memories and gives a sense of nostalgia.  So, maybe those old uniforms weren't so bad after all.  Because if they were, I doubt people would miss them once they're gone.