But Everyone is Doing It! Black For Black's Sake Edition

Last week, we discussed three trends in sports uniforms over the years, the powder blue craze, the bright-color phase, and the teal and purple years. This week, I will present another trend that has recently taken hold in sports...

 Black for Black's Sake (BFBS) 

Image from uni-watch.com

Black for Black's sake is a trend that describes, according to Uni Watch, "teams that gratuitously add black to their uniform design even though black was never one of their team colors." This trend really peaked during the 1990's and 2000's when it seemed like every team from all levels of sports began wearing black in their uniforms.


In the MLB, numerous teams have added black to their color schemes. However, the five that stand out the most are the New York Mets, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds, Toronto Blue Jays, and Oakland Athletics. Amazingly, only the Mets still wear a black uniforms, and even that is being phased out of use.




The most notable case in the NFL are the Detroit Lions, who traditionally wore Honolulu Blue and Silver, but added black in 2003. The Lions still include black trim, but phased out the black uniform in 2009.


The Arizona Cardinals, one of the most historic teams in the NFL, sported Cardinal and white uniforms for most of its history, but added black trim in 2005. In 2010, the Cardinals also added a black uniform to their set.




In the NBA, the two most notable teams to use BFBS are the New York Knicks, and the Boston Celtics. While the Celtics only use black in their alternate uniforms, the Knicks have black incorporated into their uniforms full time, something they did not do in the past.



The NHL currently has one offender. The Calgary Flames have historically worn Red and Yellow, but in 1995, the Flames added black trim. Black has been a part of Flames uniforms ever since.


Black for Black's Sake is mostly seen at the college and high school lever, where teams do not have to follow as strict uniform rules (when it comes to changing uniforms) and can add black to their uniforms more freely. 


In college, Oregon is the most obvious offender. In fact, some uniforms the Ducks wear don't even include the school's official colors (Green and Yellow). Of course, look anywhere and you will probably be able to find a team that has worn a black uniform at some point in time. At this level, it is very common.


One common explanation for the craze for wearing black is that black looks tougher than other colors. Others just believe black has become popular because "it looks cool" and can go with any other color. Whatever the explanation, black in sports uniforms (that have not historically contained black) will be around for along time.


 I personally am not a fan of the trend (this does not include teams like the Boston Bruins or Pittsburgh Steelers, who have always worn black), and am glad that many professional teams no longer take part in the trend.