Tip prefers Pat Patriot to Flying Elvis

[patsfan13]

My favorite Uniforms are the ones that remind you that the league has a history.

Green Bay
Pittsburgh
Colts (yeah I know)


None of them have been significantly changed and none of them look dated. The ones that end up looking dated are the ones that try too hard to look "futuristic" and "cool."

Agree totally, I would add the Bears uni to that group.

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

gleaned from the network which shall not be named.

The Voldemort Network?

 

[Tunescribe]

I love how people jump through hoops to prove with a study what has been so thoroughly disproven by the actual practice. After all, if "study shows in sports, red is winningest color," we can just do a study more germane to New England football and declare "Study shows that for New England Patriots, real dark blue is winningest color."

It baffles me that anybody could prefer the old unis, and thank God, they'll never be brought back, except on nostalgia days. I have a certain affection for Pat Patriot, but it surprises me how often you see that logo among the icons here, and even the memorobilia still sold for the team.

I would EXPECT some nostalgia, but I would think the pure unadulterated poor design of that original logo, and the original uniform, would have helped the transition process.

Like the other guy here who called them "loser" uniforms, I see the old logo and think of Earl Campbell stomping all over us, or an offensive lineman scoring a TD on us in the SB (by the way THAT is the source of my having no sympathy for whiners who don't want Vrabel scoring on them today,) or I think of losing 52-0 to the Miami Dolphins. I think of those decades of wondering if we could squeek into the playoffs, or on good years, thinking what a great run it is to win the division 3 years running or something.

You can say "classic" until you're blue in the face. I still think boring. I'm in my 40s, and I don't think "ooooh the league has a history" when I see the Colts' uniforms, I think "so let's see you guys play Villanova this week, right?"

They look dated and static. Of course, as we all know, fans will always love the past, even if the present is better. Somewhere in Broncosland, there are fans who wish the dumb looking horse poking out of the "D" is better than the mean cyberhorse. There are probably even fans who wish the goofy cartoon horse that preceded that one would come back. Hell, I've seen people on here using the three-cornered hat logo as an avatar. Or should I say avatard.

It's 2008 people... Pat Patriot is a nice statement that you really really swear to God watched the team before they were good, and I suspect that's a secret motive for public love of Pat Patriot ("look at me, I'm not a bandwagon guy!") There's history of course, and loyalty, blah blah blah. But from the standpoint of what looks good, the old unis just don't.

PFnV

Good post, sums up my feelings as well. Also, there's the argument that red was historically inaccurate for a team named the Patriots to begin with (the British wore red). But regarding the Pat Patriot cartoon figure: the artwork style of this cartoon is very much of its time and besides appearing very dated, it is static. From a distance, it looks like a tripod.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Good post, sums up my feelings as well. Also, there's the argument that red was historically inaccurate for a team named the Patriots to begin with (the British wore red). But regarding the Pat Patriot cartoon figure: the artwork style of this cartoon is very much of its time and besides appearing very dated, it is static. From a distance, it looks like a tripod.

Not to mention the fact that (just guessing here) they probably didn't hike many footballs. (I love Italian Pat the Patriot a lot more than I love Pat Patriot. )

 

[N.Eman]

yeah flying elvis is the best. Not that the old one sucks but this era its great having the flying elvis, certainly beats the rest.

 

[BPF]

Some background on Pat Patriot. He originally appeared in a 1959 editorial cartoon by a Boston Globe artist named Phil Bissell. After Billy Sullivan got permission to use Pat for free it became the Patriots' logo.

Phil Bissell himself referred to Pat as a "a lopsided Chinaman" in an essay by SI's Leigh Montville, who in the same essay called Pat "the worst logo anywhere." *(Couldn't find link)* In the early 1970's Billy Sullivan's son-in-law tried to get the logo changed after spending $30K to create a new one but a fan vote at half time of a game had Pat Patriot as the winner.

Personally I like both logos but the Flying Elvis logo looks sleaker, modern and tougher. Pat is tough in his own way and people around here might relate to him more. Jim Donaldson put it well in 2002, "Elvis is cold. Pat looked like the sort of guy Patriots fans would want to have a beer with. In fact, Pat looked like he'd already had a couple of beers." Pat Patriot is more New England in some ways, maybe that's why people miss him. Donaldson also said, "Pat had character. That was fitting, because he was from an era when the league had more characters. He looked tough -- not in a thuggish way, but in the same way as a rollicking sailor, coming down the gangplank of a whaler just returned to Nantucket."

That's all well and good and I do like old Pat Patriot logo but why make a change when there is no need to at this point? The new unis look great, we win so there is no prob. Keep things as they are. Different unis for different eras, embrace them both and appreciate them. Some old players might prefer Pat Patriot but all the new players have played with Flying Elvis their entire career, save for a throwback game here or there. If it ain't broke, why fix it? And this way we miss old Pat Patriot a lot more.

This is an interesting site on the AFL, link to Patriots page: http://www.conigliofamily.com/Patriots.htm

I had no idea there was this many die hard AFL fans still out there.

 

[italian pat patriot]

(I love Italian Pat the Patriot a lot more than I love Pat Patriot. )

g r a z i e

 

[italian pat patriot]

Pat is tough in his own way and people around here might relate to him more. Jim Donaldson put it well in 2002, "Elvis is cold. Pat looked like the sort of guy Patriots fans would want to have a beer with. In fact, Pat looked like he'd already had a couple of beers." Pat Patriot is more New England in some ways, maybe that's why people miss him. Donaldson also said, "Pat had character. That was fitting, because he was from an era when the league had more characters. He looked tough -- not in a thuggish way, but in the same way as a rollicking sailor, coming down the gangplank of a whaler just returned to Nantucket."
And this way we miss old Pat Patriot a lot more.

great, well said for me

 

[Seymour93]

I like both logos. We should keep the Flying Elvis and wear Pat Patriot once a year.

 

[jmt57]

Some background on Pat Patriot. He originally appeared in a 1959 editorial cartoon by a Boston Globe artist named Phil Bissell. After Billy Sullivan got permission to use Pat for free it became the Patriots' logo.

Phil Bissell himself referred to Pat as a "a lopsided Chinaman" in an essay by SI's Leigh Montville, who in the same essay called Pat "the worst logo anywhere." *(Couldn't find link)* In the early 1970's Billy Sullivan's son-in-law tried to get the logo changed after spending $30K to create a new one but a fan vote at half time of a game had Pat Patriot as the winner.

Personally I like both logos but the Flying Elvis logo looks sleaker, modern and tougher. Pat is tough in his own way and people around here might relate to him more. Jim Donaldson put it well in 2002, "Elvis is cold. Pat looked like the sort of guy Patriots fans would want to have a beer with. In fact, Pat looked like he'd already had a couple of beers." Pat Patriot is more New England in some ways, maybe that's why people miss him. Donaldson also said, "Pat had character. That was fitting, because he was from an era when the league had more characters. He looked tough -- not in a thuggish way, but in the same way as a rollicking sailor, coming down the gangplank of a whaler just returned to Nantucket."

That's all well and good and I do like old Pat Patriot logo but why make a change when there is no need to at this point? The new unis look great, we win so there is no prob. Keep things as they are. Different unis for different eras, embrace them both and appreciate them. Some old players might prefer Pat Patriot but all the new players have played with Flying Elvis their entire career, save for a throwback game here or there. If it ain't broke, why fix it? And this way we miss old Pat Patriot a lot more.

This is an interesting site on the AFL, link to Patriots page: http://www.conigliofamily.com/Patriots.htm

I had no idea there was this many die hard AFL fans still out there.

A couple of other sites that may be of interest to those that enjoy taking a historical look at teams, uniforms and logos. My apologies in advance to those of you that would prefer to erase any memories of the Pats prior to Bob Kraft becoming the owner.

Remember the AFL -- releated to the site mentioned above
Sports Logos -- click on the NFL logo
Football Uniform History -- done by same person as above site
Helmet Pix and Helmet Hut -- more helmets
Pro Football Hall of Fame -- page on the AFL
Pro Football Reference -- click on teams and you can go through year by year records, individual game box scores, year by year stats, all time team leaders, etc. No pictures but an incredible amount of stats and history.

 

[Kontradiction]

Flying Elvis is the slickest and in my mind the best logo in the league.

I stepped away from my Pats fan hood and looked at the entire league to determine that as well. I god damn love our uniform and logo.

Completely agree.

Runners Up:
Jaguars (blacks)
Dallas (whites)
Steelers

Gotta add the all black Ravens uniforms in there too.

 

[godef]

gleaned from the network which shall not be named.

I think if he played most of his career wearing teh Flying Elvis, he might think otherise. As it were, he only played what, 1 year, 2 years top, with the new uni's, which by the way wasn't as cool back then as now. Rememebr the color-on-color home numbers and the wavy pant stripes?

At this moment, I'm trying to mentally conjure Steve Grogan wearing the modern uniform... and it just ain't happening.

 

[DW Toys]

My favorite Uniforms are the ones that remind you that the league has a history.

Green Bay
Pittsburgh
Colts (yeah I know)


None of them have been significantly changed and none of them look dated. The ones that end up looking dated are the ones that try too hard to look "futuristic" and "cool."

I vote the old uniforms. They were and still are today, classic. Some of the Grogan and Steve Nelson also "Babe" and Jim Nance (even earlier) lead teams of that uniform era were pretty good! There are four other teams with silver helmets (or close to it) besides the Pats, as in the Boys, Oakland, Seattle, the Raiders and Tampa. Boring!
Although I also like the old Bills, Chargers and Broncos uniforms better.

I like the old "single bar" wide receiver helmets like Don Maynard , Gino, Tommy McDonald, Lance Rentzel when he was "Bambi" look. I liked the two single bar face mask (put together to make up one) like Y.A Tittle, Johnny Unitas, Len Dawson, Paul Horning, Jim Brown etc. The Chiefs had a great wide receiver that had three together (can't recall his name).

My favorite look was Russ Francis. He had the little mini-cage with the mustache underneath and cool pads. Then he had the cool neck roll sometimes. I had to have one when I played in high school.

Don't agree on the Bears uniforms. The ugliest uniforms are the Bears still today. How many people remember Gale Sayers wearing the kids helmet with the white plastic face mask "K-Mart" look? But then again when you were a kid, that was the only helmet with facemask they had on every uniform with little tiny numbers that looked 1920ish.

How about Gene Upshaw and his helmet back in the day? It was leather wrapped I believe.

Who can forget the "clear" face masks they had in the 50"s?
D.W. Toys

 

[Crowpointer]

My favorite Uniforms are the ones that remind you that the league has a history.

Green Bay
Pittsburgh
Colts (yeah I know)


None of them have been significantly changed and none of them look dated. The ones that end up looking dated are the ones that try too hard to look "futuristic" and "cool."

I would add the Rams before they made the yellow on the helmet gold.

 

[fnordcircle]

[Tippett] was asked, since he wore both helmets, whether he preferred Pat Patriot or the Flying Elvis logo. "If I had to pick," Tippett said after hemming and hawing, "I just have love for the old Pat Patriot. He just looks like a rugged dude. I would go down a dark alleyway with him any day."

Yeah so, like, why is Andre going down into dark alleyways with rugged looking men and what are they doing in the darkness?

 

[Gumby]

I think this is just a generational thing.

Would like to know how many of us who prefer Pat are >35. I suspect well over 90%.

And how many who prefer Elvis are <35. I suspect ~70%.

As to the guy who thinks red is a 'winning color'; ... it didn't help much vs da Bears.

 

[TP76]

I think this is just a generational thing.

Would like to know how many of us who prefer Pat are >35. I suspect well over 90%.

And how many who prefer Elvis are <35. I suspect ~70%.

As to the guy who thinks red is a 'winning color'; ... it didn't help much vs da Bears.

Probably right with a few exceptions. I enjoyed the heck out of watching those teams and they were some very good teams that played football the way it should be played - smashmouth style (Fairbanks roots @ OU). The 76 team was the team that made me a Pats fan, and, if not for a nightmarish penalty in the closing minute of a playoff game - could possibly have resulted in a championship. Those two teams Raider and Pats were the best in the league that year IMO. Then, the 78 campaign that yielded an NFL single season rushing record that will in all likelyhood, stand for quite some time (and all without a 1000 yard rusher). The 80's under Barry and the original "snow bowl", the 1982 classic against the Fish (I still remember the bewildering stare by Shula after the game). I kind of take offense to the term "loser" when applying it to the Patriots who played in that era, before and after. It's a disservice to the wonderful teams and players that played in that era and gave us so many memorable and exciting seasons. Including one player, who was just recently recognized for his contributions to the game.

As far as the uniforms go, I would be all in favor of the newer blue uni with the old helmet... just a personal preference I guess.

 

[Wildo7]

I think this is just a generational thing.

Would like to know how many of us who prefer Pat are >35. I suspect well over 90%.

And how many who prefer Elvis are <35. I suspect ~70%.

As to the guy who thinks red is a 'winning color'; ... it didn't help much vs da Bears.

I'm only 24.

 

[Patriotis]

I'm only 24.

I'm 24 as well and dig Pat Patriot uniforms, but instead of red I'd like to see dark blue we have now.

 

[Scouse Patriot]

The current logo looks pretty cool if you look along the LoS and they're all lined up, ready for a fight.