It doesn’t take much imagination to guess what Ed Policy thinks of the Packers’ soon-to-be unveiled “Rivalries” uniforms.
Writing in his monthly column last week, Policy didn’t give many specifics about what the Packers’ uniform would look like, but his response was telling. Answering a fan question about if or when the Packers would ever unveil a “true” alternate uniform, rather than a throwback, Policy said this (emphasis mine):
As I mentioned back in November, there is a true alternate uniform in the works.
Last year, the NFL unveiled a new rivalries uniform for teams in the AFC East and NFC West. The NFC North is on the docket this year. Stay tuned and you’ll learn more in the coming months – but I will say this truly alternate uniform will celebrate owners and emphasize our uniqueness…
Policy is too polished and professional to come right out and say it, but having worked in a variety of different corporate communications and marketing roles over the last decade or so, allow me to translate: these suck and I hate them.
Let’s be real: if he knew he had something good on his hands, he’d say something like “I think you’re really going to like these” or “fans will be excited about our new Rivalries uniforms” or “I can’t wait for you to see our Rivalries uniforms.” Instead, he’s saying the things you say when there’s nothing good to say about a project you have no ownership over: well, they’re certainly unique.
And to be clear, the Packers have very little involvement in these uniforms. The Rivalries program is the NFL’s version of the MLB City Connect uniforms or the NBA’s Association/Icon/City/Statement system, which seemingly gives every team approximately 40 new uniforms every season. Nike, which controls the jersey contracts (and thus the merchandising) for all three leagues, clearly wants to get more jersey designs into the consumer pipeline, and coming up with nonsense initiatives like the Rivalries thing is a surefire way to do it.
To that end, let me put my cards on the table: I know from a uniform perspective, I’m not the target market here. The proliferation of alternates isn’t for people who like tradition or stability or consistent visual identity. It’s for people inclined to repost uniform announcements with a fire emoji or to describe them as “clean” (shouldn’t uniforms be clean?) or “tight,” which is to say, young people, or people who wish they were young.
I’m taking some jabs at those people, but they deserve a seat at the table, too. Whatever gets people into the big tent that is football; if that’s what gets you watching, come on in.
That doesn’t mean the uniforms are good, though, and I think that’s what Policy is getting at. But what do they actually look like? We’ve got one small hint in that direction, too.
Last November, Policy wrote that the Packers Rivalries uniform was “not based on a historic uniform, but is inspired by one of the most unique and defining pieces of Packers history.”
Coupled with his recent comments about the uniforms celebrating Packers owners, I think we’ve got a couple of good guesses. The less obvious choice is that the design will incorporate a Packers stock certificate somehow. That’s about as on the nose as it gets when you look for a combination of ownership and a unique piece of Packers history.
But more likely, I think the design will incorporate an even more significant visual piece of Packers history: the Cheesehead. A cheese-centric design makes all kinds of sense, especially if it highlights the people who customize their Cheeseheads to attend owners meetings and/or games, which, as we all know, are basically the same thing. And since the Packers now own the company that produces Cheeseheads, they have every incentive to lean into the proliferation of the league’s most iconic headwear.
The only question now is how far the cheese motif could go. But if that does indeed turn out to be the design, there’s a built-in slogan ready and waiting for our dairy-focused football team: behold, the power of cheese.
Ed Policy may not like it, but I suppose that is certainly unique.
