Green Bay Packers Among Handful of Teams to Say No to Nike’s New Jerseys
Yesterday, Nike unveiled new uniforms and gear for all 32 NFL teams. For some teams, the changes were subtle; for others, they were much more obvious. Many teams welcomed the changes and saw it as an outstanding marketing opportunity and a way to add new excitement to their brands. Yet some teams have met the changes with a bit of resistance. One of the NFL’s most storied programs, the Green Bay Packers, were one of just five teams to tell the sports apparel giant thanks, but no thanks.
In the midst of all the hype surrounding the new jerseys, Nike created a webpage for each NFL team introducing their new uniforms, rolling them out one by one.
On the Packers’ page, the following statement was printed underneath Nikes’ prototype:
“The Green Bay Packers have decided to stay with their traditional design aesthetic as well as their formal uniform fabrication for the upcoming season.”
Yes, the tradition-rich program that gave us the first two Super Bowl wins, Vince Lombardi, and the Lambeau Leap haa decided to stick with their historic green and gold jersey.
Green Bay turned down any proposed design changes, including even the slightest variations to their traditional colors. The organization also made the decision against using a new fabric that is supposed to be lighter, even when wet.
A Green Bay spokesman did go on to say that they are not opposed to making any changes in the future, but for now they want to leave things as they are.
The Packers aren’t the only team to refuse any uniform changes. The Philadelphia Eagles, Oakland Raiders, and more surprisingly, the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons, also decided to stick with their old jerseys, favoring traditional over trendy.
