Say It Isn’t So! Another Turd Jersey!?
By Editorial Staff
I now have to relinquish my bragging rights. I was so proud of my Ducks for eschewing the practice of trotting out retro, throwback, alternate, third, whathaveyou jerseys and sticking to their primary design.
**SIGH** Recently, the Ducks announced they will be unveiling an alternate jersey this upcoming season. The official press release said that the organization had held off because the current design hadn’t been in place long enough and they wanted fans to get used to it before offering an alternative. They also assure the fans that we are going love the new design.
Now, let’s think about this for a moment. Let’s have a look at the Ducks jersey history.
In 1992, a mildly amusing film (apologies to Cam Fowler) that was basically a watered down Bad News Bears on ice was released. One year later, Disney decided the L.A. Kings deserved some competition and we were introduced to Wild Wing, duck calls, The Pond and a duck mask jersey.
In fact, the Ducks original jersey was named the “most fashionable” uniform in all of sports at the inaugural ESPY awards in 1997.
Chew on that for a moment. Not just in hockey, but ALL OF SPORTS. The mind reels at the concept.
Then things took a turn for the worse. The “Anaheim” baseball-style jersey was bad enough, but words cannot convey the horror of the cartoon monstrosity.
So, what exactly do we have to look forward to? The team isn’t old enough to justify a throwback jersey and the previous two alts do not bode well for the future.
I pray they don’t go the way of the Kings with their “blackout
” jerseys or (even worse) the hideous designs of the Tampa Bay Lightning (BOLTS) or the Ottowa Senators (SENS). Oh, and one cannot discuss bad jerseys without throwing in the barber poles on acid as displayed by the Montreal Canadiens.
Going back to bashing the Kings for a moment, at a game shortly after their turd jersey had been unveiled, I wondered aloud to my companion why so many people were wearing the ugly monstrosities. A season ticket holder – sporting a stylish 99 throwback sweater – piped up; “because they’re on sale”.
To me, the best and most iconic alternate jerseys currently are the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Chicago Blackhawks, the Boston Bruins and the Vancouver Canucks.
I’m keeping my fingers and toes crossed that my Ducks don’t screw it up this time. But then again, what could possibly be more awful than the cartoon Wild Wing?
Wait, how does the old saying go? Just when you think it can’t get any worse, it will.
**shudder**
Ooh! I almost forgot! I stumbled across the Habs look for next season: