You know them, you love them, and you just wish you could get one last look.
Every once in a while, a jersey style shows up that’s much too memorable to simply fade away from common memory. No matter how many years have passed since its time in the sun, a single glimpse at one of these uniforms send sports lovers everywhere straight back down memory lane.
The unique style and color choices of each team’s jersey are fundamental to curating a dedicated fanbase that recognizes their favorite team no matter what situation they’re in. Retro and vintage jerseys help to remind their most dedicated followers about the past wins, awards, and monumental successes that made them what they are today.
These three throwback jerseys from our favorite MLB, NHL, and NFL teams are still recognized today by sports fans all around the globe.
Chicago Cubs, 1908
There’s no denying it: the 1908 Chicago Cubs jersey can be considered one of the most iconic American baseball uniforms in the entire country. The characteristic white pattern with blue vertical pinstripes has been replicated onto hundreds of baseball related food packages, bobble heads, and various memorabilia.
Following their third consecutive pennant from the National League and winning the World Series, the Cubs celebrated their impressive season wearing their large letter “Cs” encompassing a baseball bat-carrying bear.
Several notable players helped to carry the Cubs through their all-star season, winning a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Some of these players included:
- First Baseman Frank Leroy Chance, succeeding Frank Styles as team manager shortly before their championship win in 1905.
- Second Baseman Johnny Evers, named the league’s most valuable player in 1914.
- Team shortstop Joe Tinker, part of a deadly trio with Chance and Evers.
- World famous starting pitcher Mordecai Brown, who finished second in the National League in wins and earned run average (ERA) in 1908.
While the Cubs have stayed out of the limelight for several years, the team made a historic comeback in 2016 as the World Series winners once again.
Dallas Cowboys, 1960-71
Love them or hate them, the Dallas Cowboys have made one of the biggest marks on NFL history.
Their 1960 season jerseys boasted straight royal blue torsos with angular white shoulders, encasing a blue star on each side. Their jersey number was repeated both on the shoulders in blue, and in large white font on the front and back. A crisscrossed collar design was fully unique to the team but scrapped after only a few seasons. Perhaps most notably, these jerseys were long-sleeved and thick, very different from the shoulder-length and lightweight material now used in games.
This incredible team played its 1960 season as their first ever game in National League Football, performing even more poorly than their predecessors the Dallas Texans. With zero wins, eleven losses, and a single tie, the Dallas Cowboys completed their first season in last place at the Western Conference.
Even a winless season would not stop the Cowboys, continuing to gradually improve over the next ten years. In 1970 the team made their first ever Superbowl appearance, losing a hard-fought battle. The Cowboys were not content with second best, returning to the Superbowl a year later in 1971. Crushing the upstart Miami Dolphins with a record 252 yards rushing, the team went forward to claim their first-ever win. As you know, the rest is history.
Detroit Red Wings, 2001-2006
The newest throwback jersey on the list, the Detroit Red Wing’s legendary 2001 season is one of the best-ever successes lead by the ‘red wheel’ team. In fact, the Red Wings are considered to be one of the best teams of all time, hosting ten Hockey Hall of Fame candidates and legendary coach Scotty Bowman, a Hall of Fame inductee that lead the team to victory in their unforgettable 2001 season.
Not only did the Red Wings sell out all 41 home games during the season, but they won 51 of their scheduled 82 games. Sporting all red jerseys (white backgrounds for away games) with the iconic red wing on the front, the team swept through their competition to win the 2001 Central Division, as well as their third President’s Trophy (of six as of 2008). Their gameplay has garnered the adoration of thousands of hockey fans around the world.
The Final Word
Throwback jerseys are important pieces of history that are forever preserved in the hearts and minds of fans. From Baseball to Football to Hockey players around the country, throwback jerseys signify both past and future for America’s favorite sports teams.
