Bring Back the Brown

by Wes Williams

Most throwback uniforms are hideous.

When teams wear those unsightly monstrosities, fans cringe and are thankful design experts improved on the team’s modern design with neutral colors. Mild colors like blues, reds, and blacks have been replacing almost every professional sports teams previous color combinations because they were ugly.

Contrary to the above were the brown and yellow San Diego Padres uniforms prior to 1985. Those brown and yellow uniforms of yesteryear were different, original, and much better looking than their bland current uniforms.

The Padres uniforms started getting uglier in 1991 as the team ditched their brown and yellow colors for navy blue and orange.

Why the change? Some pencil pusher in merchandising probably said that the brown and yellow did not match his navy designer suit.

Navy blue and orange are still not widely used in professional sports, but it was not as original as the brown and yellow. At least these uniforms were tolerable.

Then the wheels fell off.

About a decade ago when moving into their new ballpark, the Padres decided to switch their decent navy blue and orange uniforms to a bland blue, white, and sand color combination. The uniforms were boring and almost seemed to look like a slightly modified rival Dodgers jersey.

Were the pencil pushers at it again? Were they trying to make the uniform so bland it would match any suit? No longer are the Padres distinct in any way, they just blend into the multitude of safe color choices teams make.

Brown and yellow distinguishes the team from all Major League Baseball teams. Those colors jump off the screen and scream "we are the Padres"!

Hopefully the new ownership group will bring back the brown as they bring in new players to take the boring clothed team out of the cellar.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia and F. McGrady