A little off topic from the free agency and draft hype, I thought that this news was worthwhile in posting. According to reports, Nike, the sports apparel conglomerate plans to unveil their new designs for each NFL franchise’s uniforms before the draft next month on April 3rd.
Nike is of course well known world-wide for everything from golf clubs to underwear, and anything sports-related in-between. Most recently, Nike has had a ton of success designing jerseys for several collegiate squads, most notably: The Oregon Ducks football team. Love ‘em or hate ‘em, there’s no denying that Nike’s designs are eye-catching, and in my opinion, add a fresh look to sports teams at any level.
While college fan bases may tend to be younger and more accepting of changes to long-time standing traditions of colors, patterns, etc. on their favorite teams’ uniforms, fan bases around the NFL may not be so willing to accept the coming modifications. Franchises deeply rooted in tradition, such as the: Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers have fans that most likely would not accept any changes to their respective team’s uniforms. Apparently, Nike has taken this all into consideration while designing the new uniforms. Nike’s President and CEO Mark Parker explains:
"We've innovated at a very high level, the uniforms are lighter, they're faster, they're better fitting. So, the athletes are actually very excited about what we're going to bring to the professional game. People are wondering - What are you going to do? Are you going to get crazy with the uniforms? I think we're actually going to have some fun, but respect the tradition of these teams at the same time."
Founded in 1996, the Baltimore Ravens don’t quite have the same history and long-standing traditions that some franchises have had since the early-1900s. While Nike doesn’t sound ready to drastically alter uniforms around the NFL, I personally would welcome a slight bit of change to the current Ravens’ look.
How do you feel about a new look coming to the Ravens’ uniform and what, if any, changes would you like to see made to the current uniform? Let's hear your ideas for how the Ravens should enhance their uniform!