The Psychology of the New Uniform
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons unveiled new player uniforms this week and the reaction was hilarious. Fans panned the jerseys (especially Atlanta’s) from all angles causing the outfits to trend for a few hours. But don’t be fooled, I’ve been following sports long enough to know what a jersey change signifies, especially when it happens frequently.
Most often it’s the sign of a sketchy owner. What type of businessman changes the entire look of his product? The answer is simple: a billionaire who is trying to re-brand his product, sell more apparel, and convince observers that they’re seeing something new. The new threads of a billion dollar organization always garner attention. Even if that attention is negative, it can temporarily draw attention away from the win-loss column.
In most cases, the jersey changes we do see come from unsuccessful organizations looking to start fresh. The Falcons and Bucs fall into that category, and reports are as many as 3 more teams will join them in making uniform changes this offseason.
Football is heavily rooted in tradition, so we still get tons of teams that go extended periods of time without major uniform alterations. Basketball is not nearly as beholden to the idea of tradition. Still, the Bulls, Spurs, Celtics, Heat and Lakers have undergone minimal changes to their look in the last 4 decades. It shouldn’t be a surprise. Each of these franchises have won multiple championships. A change to their look would be a disassociation with the peak of their respective popularity.
Zach Lavine and Dejounte Murray in the 2019-20 season sporting jerseys eerily similar to ones of the past. The Bulls and Spurs have enjoyed success and don’t change uniforms often.
But let’s look at the Lakers. Even the most popular team of the modern NBA has gone through uniform insecurity in recent years. They’ve spent the better part of the last decade missing the playoffs and sent Kobe into retirement on a sour note. They debuted new uniforms just as they prepared to welcome Lebron in 2018.
The Los Angeles Lakers updated their uniforms in 2018 after missing the playoffs for five consecutive years. In 2019, they missed it again.
He’s important in this conversation, as his presence (or lack thereof) can change the entire outlook for a team. See the Cleveland Cavaliers both before and after his first arrival and departure. In basketball, the change is almost always a sign that things haven’t been going well. Look at how often Phoenix, Philly, Sacramento, Orlando and Minnesota change their jersey. It’s as if every 3-4 years the organizations try to wipe our memories.
Ultimately, I feel like the entire concept of the uniform change is a distraction and a ploy. We need to be knowledgeable fans and recognize when our teams are trying to deflect. Then maybe we can avoid ending up with whatever it is the Falcons are about to be wearing next season. Yikes.
