CALGARY -- Henry Burris and the Calgary Stampeders will be sporting a new look during the 2011 CFL season.
Burris unveiled the team’s new black helmet on Saturday prior to the Stampeders’ intra-squad game. The black Riddell helmet features the well-known Stamps horse on either side and will be worn by the team for road games in 2011.
The Stamps will continue to wear their customary red helmets at home.
“I think we’re going to look great in black,? said Burris. “It’s always exciting to have a new look and I’m really impressed with these helmets.?
John Forzani, chairman of the Stampeders, founded The Forzani Group and has spent a lifetime in sports marketing. Forzani was also an offensive guard with the Stamps from 1971-76. He believes the black helmets are a natural fit with the Stamps.
“Making updates to any professional team uniform is never easy but I’m confident our fans will love the new look of our team on the road,? said Forzani. “We’re excited to see and hear fan reaction to the new helmet.?
The Stampeders held their annual training camp BBQ on Saturday, prior to the team’s intra-squad game. The fans in attendance were the first in Calgary to see the new black helmet.
Stampeders training camp continues with daily sessions at McMahon as the Red and White prepare for their first pre-season contest against the BC Lions on June 15. The Stamps conclude their pre-season with a game against the Eskimos in Edmonton on June 24.
I wonder if this is the first time in professional football that a team has worn a different helmet for road games? I guess the look should be interesting to say the least…
in 86 the Cats switched to Black Helmets after a contest to come up with new uniforms. Black went over well in the Hammer. I do miss the gold helmet though. Personally I think a white helmet would look good on the Stamps
Stamps colours are red and white not black and red (which are Ottawa's traditional colours). I know it's going to be a few more years before Ottawa comes back, but they will very most likely use their traditional colours when they do (regardless of what name they choose). Black is a teriary colour for Calgary, I don't like they way it's starting to dominate the uniform designs (road and 3rd unis). Will have to change again when Ottawa comes back as they will be primarily black with some red and white.
Anyway, not keen on the change, but probably in the minority here.
I’m mostly in agreement, and mainly for the same reasons. If Ottawa were guaranteed never to come back, though, I’d say have it. I love black and red together.
Terrible decision. What were once some of the nicest uniforms in football have been ruined by the increasing emphasis on black. Black's time as a nice uniform colour came and went around 1991.
I like the Black helmets. but i am a fan of the black. i never liked the white helmets on the stamps. for some reason it always looked a little bush. Works on other teams, but not so much fore the stamps. The Stamps had the worst uniforms in the 80's. hands down. so i feel like we have come a long way in the last 20-30 years. sask, toronto, edmonton, always have looked real sharp. so im really happy about the effort the stamps are putting into trying to be elite as far as uniforms go.
With ottawa... im guessing they wont go with tradition colours forthe new team. and colour mixing is acceptable when retro games take place. my fav BC uniforms were the black and silver. again, i just like the black.
Enough already with the black! There are only two CFL teams that should wear it: Hamilton and BC. Hamilton as more of a primary colour and BC as more of secondary colour.
Thankfully the Riders seem to be weaning themselves off black trim, back to their traditional "green and white," while the Stamps seem to be going in the opposite direction. When I think of the "Stampeders," I think of red and white. Period. Full stop.
They've now bastardized the best helmet in the league.
I like the idea of changing colors of helmets for home and away, I think going black on the road is cool, I love it when Edmonton wore the green helmet about two years ago, thought it looked sharp.
I like it. It should never be a permanent change (home and away) but a little variety is nice... especially in an 8 team league where you see the same teams over and over again. That's also one of the reasons I like the throwback uniforms.
I also liked it when the Als broke out this helmet...
And Calgary has had the most consistent helmets in the league over the last 30 years... always red, always a black facemask, and always with the white horse. The stripes changed periodically and eventually disappeared in the 90's, but always a white horse on a red helmet with a black cage.
The best Calgary can do for a throwback helmet is...
Compare that to the Lions who just in the last decade have worn...
And Calgary team colours have evolved from the red and white of the Stamps, to the Red and Yellow of the Flames to today's red and black (with an optional splash of yellow) of the Stamps...
Calgary is a red and black town, so IMO if the Stamps were to ever break out an alternate helmet colour, it had to be black. And IMO it looks pretty cool...
Even though I think it looks good, I hope they never consider wearing it full time. Hopefully they’ll keep it around for one or two games a year like their black alternate jerseys or like the Bombers’ alternate helmet
