Leaked: Subtle but bold changes to Miami Dolphins uniform
By Brian Miller
The Miami Dolphins uniform changes will be unveiled later today but we have our first look at what the Dolphins will be introducing.
A short while ago we received an image of Kenyan Drake and Bobby McCain sporting the new Miami Dolphins jerseys that will be officially revealed later today. I have been able to confirm that this image is authentic.
Something has been added and something has been lost. Miami is bringing back the orange in a vibrant bold way that has been missing since the new logo debuted five years ago. With the addition of the original “Dolphins Orange” the need for the dark blue stripes and outlines are now gone.
With the return of the darker orange to the outlines of the numbers and names as well as the sunburst around the Dolphins, Miami has brought some history back into their modern look. In a way it serves as the bridge between the old and the new as it has been a big part of every uniform change throughout history.
In the above image we get to see what the white uniforms will look like. The first thing that comes to mind is the saturation of the orange and how it stands out against the white. The pants of Drake’s uniform are bit harder to see so if any changes exist with the striping we will know later today when the Dolphins officially present the new uniform tweaks but I’m told the dark blue stripes will not be there.
The Dolphins have said that the changes would not be significantly different but that is not true. Simple? Yes, for sure, but we can now see how much of a difference simple and subtle can make. The Dolphins will also be adding these changes to their aqua road jerseys as well.
The change from the dark blue stripe is also significant. First added in 1997 when the Dolphins moved from the Don Shula era styles to the Jimmy Johnson style, a dark blue was added around portions of the Dolphin and to the uniforms. This was a big point of contention for many fans who did not like the addition and change. In other words, us “old fans”.
The blue still remains a part of the actual logo as seen in the image above but it is more of a shadow on the Dolphin and no longer prominent on the jersey itself. In a way it makes sense for the blue to stay on some part of the uniform as it was part of the Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas legacies. In fact there is an entire generation of Dolphins fans who know only the blue as part of the uniform so it is something for everyone.
Over the course of the last month or so, since the Dolphins announced that changes to the uniforms were being made, fans have been hoping for a bolder and richer orange. Some specifically on Twitter have been hoping that the orange would return to the outline of the numbers and on the nameplate. This change is going to make a lot of fans happy, this one included.
It is nice to see a return to “Dolphins Orange” and it appears the Dolphins have been listening to their fan base as it relates to the teams uniforms. As simple as they want to call it, it is a welcome change and makes the Miami Dolphins feel more like the Miami Dolphins again. For us old fans, that means something.