The standard NFL uniform regalia doesn't change all that often, excluding the odd commemorative patch here and there. But this season in the NFL, two major changes have been made to the uniform styles fans have come to know and love.
Each uniform change has its own specific purpose and is designed to call attention to different aspects of the game.
The lime-green dot is placed on the back of a player's helmet, and is used to signify the one designated player for each team that has a radio headset inside of his helmet. The dot was deemed necessary because of the potential for a problem situation to arise where teams could conceivably place headsets inside more players' helmets, thus giving them a competitive advantage as far as communicating with their teammates. Having multiple headets would be most advantageous in a situation on the road when the opposing crowd is cheering loudly and disrupting the play calls. A team with multiple headsets would have little problem communicating, taking away some of the other team's home field advantage. Quarterbacks are the main wearers of the green dot stickers.
The second uniform change is the addition of the "C" patch on a player's right shoulder. The "C" stands for "captain," and each captain is elected for a one-year term to be a captain. Not all captains have the "C" on their jersey, however, making it a little confusing. That's because a maximum of six players per team can wear the patch on their jerseys, and some teams like the Patriots for example have more than six (New England has seven and Tom Brady is actually the one who doesn't wear the patch). The four stars underneath each "C" logo represent are each filled in for every year a player fulfills his duties as captain, but they are not retroactive, so no one in the league actually has more than one star under his "C" at this point in time. Some teams don't wear them as often as others, however.
Both uniform changes make things look a little different, but should continue to be a part of NFL uniforms for years to come. Unlike some past uniform changes, these ones actually have some staying power because of the different aspects of the game they symbolize.
Each uniform change has its own specific purpose and is designed to call attention to different aspects of the game.
The lime-green dot is placed on the back of a player's helmet, and is used to signify the one designated player for each team that has a radio headset inside of his helmet. The dot was deemed necessary because of the potential for a problem situation to arise where teams could conceivably place headsets inside more players' helmets, thus giving them a competitive advantage as far as communicating with their teammates. Having multiple headets would be most advantageous in a situation on the road when the opposing crowd is cheering loudly and disrupting the play calls. A team with multiple headsets would have little problem communicating, taking away some of the other team's home field advantage. Quarterbacks are the main wearers of the green dot stickers.
The second uniform change is the addition of the "C" patch on a player's right shoulder. The "C" stands for "captain," and each captain is elected for a one-year term to be a captain. Not all captains have the "C" on their jersey, however, making it a little confusing. That's because a maximum of six players per team can wear the patch on their jerseys, and some teams like the Patriots for example have more than six (New England has seven and Tom Brady is actually the one who doesn't wear the patch). The four stars underneath each "C" logo represent are each filled in for every year a player fulfills his duties as captain, but they are not retroactive, so no one in the league actually has more than one star under his "C" at this point in time. Some teams don't wear them as often as others, however.
Both uniform changes make things look a little different, but should continue to be a part of NFL uniforms for years to come. Unlike some past uniform changes, these ones actually have some staying power because of the different aspects of the game they symbolize.
RSS Feed