Seven years ago, @Jim_Mullin of Vancouveremployed a five-element scheme to rate the design of boththe greatestandthe oddestCFL uniforms. Here’s how he explained it:
Tradition: Most CFL teams have a deep tradition and roots connected to their communities. It’s not a coincidence that Calgary’s dominant colour is red, or the Argos led the way for all Toronto sports teams with blue. To not respect your traditional elements costs you points.
Functionality: Are the numbers on the uniform discernible to the naked eye if you’re sitting in row 50?There are a surprising number of new designs throughout the sports world which violate this basic premise of having a uniform in the first place.
Continuity: The development of a solid and reliable brand is evolutionary. Nothing reeks of desperation quite like an overhaul of your colours and logo.
Originality: How does your team’s persona stand alone in the crowd? How have they been able to take the technological innovations of the time and incorporate them into the story of your team?
Balance: In the same sense that one should not wear a baseball cap with a business suit, teams should thoughtfully coordinate and balance all elements of colour in their uniforms. All black uniforms with a different coloured helmet are the biggest offenders of this rule. Also, do your stripes match up? Are they the same pattern throughout the uniform?
Considering the new Alouettes’ uniforms, wildly more interesting than the foundational soap opera, I decided to try and create a poll based on Mullin’s rating scheme.
