The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the laughing stock of the NFL since the team’s inception. The fashion gods punished them for wearing those unsightly fluorescent orange and white uniforms. Talk about a fashion faux pas.
Okay, admittedly, clothes don’t make the man. But, in the case of uniforms, they sure as hell get your perennial doormat team turned around within five years. If your team is muddling in mediocrity, your team doesn’t need a new coach or better players. More often than not, a fashion designer is all your team needs.
1. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons made a uniform change in ‘97. Ka-boom! Two years later, they’re in their first Super Bowl ever. Okay, so they get blown-out 34-19 by the Denver Broncos. No team was going to deny John Elway that year.
But, hey, who cares, right? Atlanta fans are doing the “Dirty Bird” in small towns throughout Georgia and man, they’re just glad they made it to a friggin’ championship game for once.
2. Baltimore Ravens
The former Cleveland Browns never made it to a Super Bowl. In ‘99, they not only change uniforms, they relocate to Baltimore all together and become the Ravens. Two years later, wham-o, all that history of losing seasons and gut-wrenching loses to the Broncos go by the wayside. They win their first Super Bowl, 34-7, over the Giants. Black and purple is the new black.
3. Denver Broncos
All the Broncos and Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway were known for were three Super Bowl chokes within four years. With nothing to lose, the team changes uniforms in ‘97. Cha-ching! The next year, they’re in the big game, and they defeat the Green Bay Packers 31-24 for their first championship. It only gets better when they clip the Falcons the next season for a second consecutive championship.
4. New England Patriots
Let’s face it, Patriot Pat wasn’t cutting it. In ‘93, the team decides to update their uniform and logo to what’s mockingly referred to as “the flying Elvis.” Mock all you want haters, but they’ll be seeing you in the Super Bowl four years later. They go down to the Packers 35-21, but alas, the flying Elvis gets his ultimate revenge later by single-handedly getting the Patriots three championships in four years.
5. New York Giants
It’s been 10 years since the Giants’ last title. They look back in time for inspiration. Visions of Sam Huff and Frank Gifford come to mind. They go retro. The old lower-case “ny” logo is the new Giants logo.
Whack! One year later in ‘01, they’re facing the Baltimore Ravens in the big dance. They may have lost 34-7 to one of the best defenses of all time, but more importantly, they look good going down in defeat, and that’s all that really matters.
6. New York Jets
In ‘98, the Jets bring back the uniforms and logo of the Joe Namath era. The Jets last playoff win was back in ‘86 and the team was a running joke. Wham! One year later, the team’s vying for a Super Bowl berth, but lose to the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. They qualify for the playoffs in five of the next nine years.
7. Philadelphia Eagles
They updated their uniform in ‘96, as well as their logo, from an eagle that wouldn’t scare a pigeon to a screeching one with some serious ‘tude. Boom! Within the next four years, they return to the playoffs. The team plays in four straight NFC championship games, with a Super Bowl appearance in ‘05, losing a close one against the New England Patriots, 24-21. Okay, no ring, but it’s the best playoff stretch in franchise history.
8. Seattle Seahawks
What’s the Seahawks’ claim to fame up until ‘01? Brian Bosworth. Enough said. The team changes uniforms in ‘02. Surprise! Four years later, they’re in their first Super Bowl. So what if they lose to the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-10 in the lamest NFL title game ever.
Seattle fans can finally put their lattes down and cheer on their team for once. More importantly, they now have something more to brag about than over-hyped linebackers with bad mullets.
9. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Bucs were the laughing stock of the league since the team’s inception. The fashion gods punished them for wearing those awful and unsightly fluorescent orange and white uniforms. Talk about a fashion faux pas.
Bucco Bruce with his feather hat, earring, winking eye, and dandy dagger just does not induce fear in opponents. In ‘98, they change uniforms and five years later, they’re blowing out the Oakland Raiders, 48-21, for their first title.
10. Tennessee Titans
Here come the Houston Oilers rolling into town. For a short while, they played as the Tennessee Oilers and keep their old uniforms. That ain’t going to work. In ‘99, they change names and uniforms and lo’ and behold, next year their playing for all the marbles (coming up one yard short to the St. Louis Rams).
So what if they stole their name from the old New York Jets and have the least threatening team colors (baby blue and white) in the league? It worked!
Who’ll Be Lifting the Vince Lombardi Trophy Soon?
The Arizona Cardinals updated their uniforms in ‘05. The San Diego Chargers also did so in ‘07. But, for the Cincinnati Bengals and Detroit Lions, who made recent uniform changes, even new threads may not be enough to get them over the hump.
