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In conjunction with the build-up to Super Bowl LI, I was watching some old Steelers DVDs from the 1970s, followed by some YouTube footage from the 1980s, which preceded viewing some more DVDs from the 1990s and 2000s, and I noticed something very telling:
The Steelers uniforms haven’t really changed since Three Rivers Stadium opened in 1970.
This led to me re-watching the awesome highlights of Pittsburgh’s pulsating 31-27 AFC North-clinching victory over the Ravens on Christmas Day at Heinz Field, in-which the Steelers wore their fabulous color rush uniforms that featured gold numbers, black pants and a thick gold trim that ran down each pant-leg.
It was so sleek, so stylish, so modern.
If the Steelers adopted that style as their regular home uniforms, who could possibly oppose this?
I mean, let’s face it, the black jerseys with the white numbers and the gold pants, that’s so 1970s. Do we really need a reminder of those times in 2017?
And while we’re on the subject of much-needed change, what’s up with the helmets and only having the logo on one side and not the other? There are times when a particular network displays the helmets of the Steelers and their opponents in-order to promote an upcoming match-up, and said network often displays Pittsburgh’s helmet with the logo side hidden and the blank side featured.
Talk about embarrassing. Talk about rage-inducing.
And while we’re on the subject of logos, what’s up with the hypocycloid logo that has been around forever and ever?
How about the word “Steelers” on both sides of the helmet in slick, sleek, modern script writing?
It would be so cool, so chic, so 2017.
Better yet, since it is 2017, and players are more about self-promotion, how about just the word “Steelers” in slick, sleek, modern script writing on the right side of the helmet, and something else, like the players’ names on the left side? Or, even more fantastic still, what about a player’s nickname or what he’s most known for?
What is star receiver Antonio Brown best known for? The phrase “Business is Boomin,” right? How awesome would it be for AB to sport “Boomin” on the left side of his helmet each and every game? Or what about “Business” on the left side of his helmet and “Boomin” on the right?
Antonio loves his various promotional/tribute cleats, so how much more would he love various promotional/tribute helmets?
Brown has one year remaining on his current contract, and I think working promotional helmet language into his next deal would be a recipe for signing his name in blood to stay in Pittsburgh forever.
And while we’re on the subject of much-needed change, does every professional sports team in Pittsburgh need to have a black and gold color scheme?
Picture this: team mascot Steely McBeam decked out in red, white and blue on both sides of a gray helmet. As for the rest, Steely’s red, white and blue profile emblazoned on both sleeves of a blue jersey with gray trim going around the shoulders, white numbering with red trim on the front and back, along with gray pants with red and blue trim down the sides.
I like it already.
The Steelers haven’t won a Super Bowl in a very long time, and some changes—some tweaks—are perhaps needed to bring about a seventh Lombardi trophy.
Perhaps more than anything else, new uniforms will be what launches the Steelers into championship success, once again.