Old School/New School: Titans vs. Steelers

As I watched the NFL opener on Thursday between the Steelers and Titans, I couldn't help but think about how each of these teams represent opposite ends of the NFL uniform design spectrum. Most of the time, I'm watching the games just to see the uniform combinations on the field, its just who I am, and this game was a great combination of design styles. When you see teams like these two play, you see great examples of two different schools of thought on uniform design. The game was a classic example of old school vs. new school design.

The Steelers represent the old school, traditional old school of NFL uniform design. The team has had the same basic look for many years. The Steelers jerseys are simple, yet easily recognizable. The simple striping on the sleeves are classic examples of old school NFL jersey design. There is nothing particularly flashy about the jersey, just simple classic style.

The Steelers also have a very traditional helmet design. The black helmet is highlighted by a simple yellow stripe over the top and a simple logo on one side. The logo being on only one side is about the only thing that makes the Steelers helmets a bit unusual. The simple classic design is all old school NFL.

The Titans are a different story. They represent the new school of NFL uniform design. The Titans come from very traditional design roots, as the old Houston Oilers. The look the team now has in Tennessee is loaded with modern NFL uniform design elements. The jerseys that the Titans wear feature color blocking over the tops of the shoulders instead of the more traditional sleeve striping used by the Steelers. The jerseys also feature a more modern number style and unique placement of the team's logos on the sleeves.

The Titans' helmets also use more modern NFL design elements. The helmets feature the Titan's modern style logo on each side using colors similar to those used by the old Oilers, with some Tennessee added in. What makes the Titans helmet unique and set up a modern design trend is the unusual striping over the top. While most NFL teams had traditionally gone with some combination of simple stripes, like the Steelers, the Titans helmet features two stripes that narrow as they go over the top and do not connect with the back of the helmet.

In addition to being a great NFL game ending in an overtime victory for the Steelers, it was also a great opportunity to see two very different uniform design styles on the field together.

Comments

[marc]

good topic, jim! as a browns fan, my hatred of the steelers runs deep -- my respect for them as an organization, however, is stratospherically high. i've always been a fan of their uniforms and rank them second only to the raiders.

one thing i particularly love about the steelers uni is the matte-ness of their helmet. while the other nfl teams have their helmet at a level of gloss you only see at an auto show, the steelers dull theirs down. the reason for this is unknown to me, but dang it, i dig it.

the only thing i like about the titan uniform is the helmet. it's a beaut. from it's three stars representative of the state flag of TN to the nod to oiler blue, it's probably my favorite latter-day helmet design. the remainder of the uniform, however, can get lost at the cleaners in my opinion. the font's not bad -- it's modern, yet blocky enough to be neo-traditional -- but the two-tone look is just brutal. granted, the titans don't look anywhere near as cringe-inducing as the bills, but they're awful nonetheless.

don't get me wrong.... i'm glad designers are trying to break the mold by taking uniforms to places they've not been before, and perhaps my biases lie in the fact that the titan's design is new and different and i'm old-school, but just because it's new and different doesn't mean it looks good. as a designer, i realize it's a difficult task to design something new and fresh without offending the eyes of the traditionalist.

[Gregg]

I'm furious you would call the Steelers Old School. Ever since some idiot decided to drop the classic block numbering from the 70s and 80s this team looks like they might as well be playing in a dress. A petition to go back to the real Old School is on line somewhere. Do us a favor and write about how the Giants went back to classic designs and so should the black and gold.