National Football League - Carolina Panthers
Carolina Panthers Unveil Alternate Blue Jerseys
Panthers to wear blue jerseys October 25, 2002
 A little more than a month into the autumn season,
leaves are still changing colors and falling from trees
in the Carolinas. Something else will change colors at
Ericsson Stadium on Sunday when Carolina plays Tampa
Bay. Instead of their familiar white or black jerseys,
the Panthers will wear blue jerseys against the
Buccaneers. The NFL has given teams the option to wear
an alternate jersey at one home game during the 2002
regular season. The jersey can either be a "throwback"
or "classic" jersey, or teams can introduce a new, third
color as Carolina has.
To complete their fall look for their first NFC South
home game, the Panthers will wear silver pants and black
socks with the blue jerseys.
"It gives teams a way to show off a different color
or to honor a classic season. Some teams are looking to
evolve their uniforms, and this is one way to do that as
long as that color is part of the team’s existing color
palette," said Brian McCarthy, the NFL’s director of
corporate communications. "It will be a one-time thing,
and it gives teams a chance to try something new or to
honor a season or coincide with an event."
 Alternate jerseys have been fashionable for years in
other professional sports like Major League Baseball,
the NBA and NHL. For example, the Pittsburgh Pirates
once had nine different uniform combinations to choose
from. The Philadelphia 76ers have jerseys in four
different colors. Several NHL teams feature alternate
sweaters at many of their home games.
The
Cleveland Browns wore an alternate orange jersey instead
of their traditional brown jersey last week versus the
Houston Texans. During the 1970s and 1980s, the Browns
wore orange pants but never orange jerseys. At least 12
teams have notified the league with plans to wear a
third top this year.
NFL teams previously wore throwback jerseys in 1994
as part of the league's 75th anniversary. Last season,
teams playing on Thanksgiving Day wore classic tops.
That will happen again this year when Detroit hosts New
England and Washington visits Dallas on Thanksgiving.
This article was taken from
www.panthers.com. All rights reserved.
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