NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- So the Tennessee Titans uniforms have been released to mixed reviews. As always, these uniforms will grow on people, for better or worse, in the coming months and years. I found out some of the details that went into planning the uniform changes and will share them here, along with my review of the threads.
This was nearly a four-year project, with some lulls in between as controlling ownership of the franchise switched hands. It began in early 2014 and ended late in 2017.
The NFL and Nike were pleased with how Titans controlling owner Amy Adams Strunk allowed their creative teams freedom in many of the design elements. The Titans came prepared with the color scheme they wanted (navy blue, Columbia blue and white; silver was added during design stage as a nod to Greek mythology) and a strong desire to keep what has been known as the flaming thumbtack design as the logo on the helmet.
"We digged back to the idea of a Titan, mythical warriors, what a great story to tell around these guys that are on the field playing this game every day," said NFL art director Chris Stackhouse. "So we wanted to tap into that and say, maybe that isn't a fireball. Maybe that's a shield of armor being forged. That led us down the path of using the sword as a detail, talking about the icon on the helmet as a shield, and getting the mentality of the uniform as a suit of armor."
In seeking a "fierce" helmet to go with the uniform, the design team wanted to shift away from the white helmet. They tossed around a couple of different color ideas before deciding upon the navy blue helmets.
Outside of the the color scheme and desire to maintain the logo, Strunk had two other priorities: making sure the new uniforms were true to the fans and state of Tennessee, and keeping the visuals and details a secret until the reveal.
They went to great lengths, hosting meetings with Nike and the NFL in a neutral state so that no outside source would pick up on the new uniforms. Those who saw the uniforms early, including players, had to sign a nondisclosure agreement.
Overall, secrecy was achieved, outside of minor details revealed by Strunk herself, until there were leaks just days before the release. The leaks were legitimate. The NFL began investigating them. Strunk was predictably upset. This was her baby and she wanted it to be a surprise for fans.
But the leaked photos, which were apparently taken in poorly lit apparel rooms with only the jersey, might have been a blessing in disguise. It might have created more interest and intrigue around the uniform, and much of the public expectations were low.
Fans in attendance Wednesday didn't seem to care much about the leaks, whether they had seen them or not. They were having a good time and there was a lot of love given to the Titans.
My take: Do I think these uniforms are among the best in the NFL? Nope. Do I think these are among the worst? Not at all. They're somewhere in the group of 20-something teams in between, and that's fine.
I saw the uniform leaks earlier this week and, like many others, I didn't like them. I thought Wednesday night had a chance to be rough.
But when Marcus Mariota led the Titans out in revealing the new uniforms, I felt like a college student who thought they had failed a final exam but was somewhat relieved when the teacher passed back a B-minus or a C-plus. I'd say that would also be my overall grade for the uniforms. It was significantly better than the leaks, with the full uniform completing the picture and looking better on the players, but there were elements that prevented it from being great.
Overall, I don't have a strong feeling either way on the uniforms. I really like the shoulders -- both design and color scheme -- on all three jerseys and many of the details that go with it, such as the red stars and red Nike check. You can tell the NFL, Nike and the Titans put a lot of thought into this project.
Like many others, I'm not a fan of the number font on some of the jerseys, particularly Mariota's No. 8. Then again, some numbers work better with it, such as Taylor Lewan's No. 77. I understand why it was done, which I discuss here, but this is the uniform's weakest visual point. I would have been interested in upgrading from the flaming thumbtack or shield on the helmet, but that wasn't going to change.
The biggest win came from the publicity the Titans and NFL received. On a chilly Wednesday night in early April, approximately 20,000 fans came out to stand in the middle of a long street in Nashville for several hours to see some new uniforms. They enjoyed it, too. That's a major plus for all involved. Football is still king. A NFL rep told me they will use this as the standard for future uniform reveals.
Strunk also had a perfect platform and showcase why Nashville should host the NFL draft in 2019 or 2020. Nashville is one of five finalists to host in one of the years, and voting is expected to take place at next month's league meetings in Atlanta. Nashville made an extremely strong case on Wednesday. I'm sure the NFL paid attention.