Top 10 Tuesday: The Best Jerseys in College and Pro Sports
By Leo Howell
Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
In this week’s edition of Top 10 Tuesdays, the Pewter Plank plays fashion police and gives you the definitive list of the 10 best jerseys in all of sports. And we’re not talking about teams with the best jerseys, we’re talking the very best jerseys specifically. Sure, Oregon has cool jerseys. But which one of the millions of combinations is the best? We’ll break it down for you, starting with number 10. (Be sure to click on the names of the teams to see the jerseys, if you’re not familiar with what they look like.)
10. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (red jerseys) and Tampa Bay Rays (blue alternate jerseys) (tied)
I had to be a bit of a homer, but I do love these jerseys. The Buccaneers red shirts are really good looking, and the new logo puts old Buccaneer Bruce to shame. The Rays jerseys are pretty tame on most days, but when they bust out the alternates, it looks really, really nice. These aren’t the best jerseys in the world, but they’re good enough, and they get some home cooking and sneak into the top 10.
9. Colorado State football and basketball throwback jerseys
The pumpkin and alfalfa uniform that CSU rocks in homage to their days as the Colorado A&M Aggies are unique, and really quite sharp. They’re like a more subtle and clean version of Miami’s orange uniforms, and it works well as the occasionally used alternate shirt.
8. Colorado Avalanche alternate jersey
The Avalanche have an awesome color scheme as it is, mixing a pair of colors not seen anywhere else in major North American sports. The alternate sweater accentuates the unique shade of blue used in the logo and regular sweaters, and looks really nice. The Avs have a great set of sweaters all around, but the alternate is by far the best.
The Ducks have come a long way in terms of branding and appearance, and their current look is their best yet. The third jersey shows off the logo better than their other sweaters do, and the black and orange tones work very well together.
6. Oklahoma City Thunder alternate jersey
I will continue the trend of alternate and third jerseys with this pick, but buck the trend of picking only unique and flashy uniforms. The Thunder’s alternate is simple, classy, but different enough to really stand out. The creativity with the placement of the team name is likely to start a trend going forward.
Another simpler jersey comes in at number five, and it’s because of great use of color. The Texans red shirts are a great shade of red that is neither too bright or dull, cut with a really nice dark shade of blue. Combine it with a great logo and helmets, and the Texans look sharp on game day.
The Broncos take the colors of my beloved Florida Gators, and put them to use in a much more creative way. The dark blue spliced with orange is a great contrast, and the logo and helmet match really well. Much like the Texans, it’s fairly simple, but it all works together well.
The Jazz have gone through big changes in branding recently, and the simplification of the logo, along with this really nice shade of green, makes for a great NBA jersey. The Association has plenty of good shirts, but the Jazz have the best of the bunch.
2. San Diego Chargers Powder Blue jersey
The Chargers are one of a few teams who break out a new color as a base for a shirt, and it works perfectly. The Bolts have classy jerseys all around, and a simple but effective logo, but the powder blues give the Chargers one of the best looks in sports.
1. University of Oregon Football yellow shirt/black pants jersey
You had to know Oregon would top this list, right? The yellow shirt with the new duck feather feature on the shoulders is epic, and the black helmet and pants are an excellent contrast. Oregon has a ton of great combinations, but this one is the absolute best.
That’s it for this week’s edition of Top 10 Tuesday. Let us know what topics you want to see on the next edition, and leave your thoughts on the list I’ve compiled! Use the comments section below, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook.