Forget what you think you know about the Arizona Cardinals’ colors, because for a chunk of their history, blue was actually in the mix. Yeah, you heard that right, blue! This isn’t just some random uniform tweak; we’re talking about a franchise that started way back when American Football itself was just starting to pop off, springing from rugby, which, let’s be real, came from soccer, the OG “football” globally. It’s a wild ride through their identity, and it totally changes how you see those red birds today.
Seriously, Teams Used to Be Named After Their Socks?
Back in the day, teams didn’t even bother with home and away jerseys. Nope. They just had one set, kinda like early baseball clubs. And those baseball teams? They mostly had the same uniforms, so the only way to tell ’em apart was by their socks! That’s why we still have the “Cincinnati Red Stockings” (now the Reds), “Chicago White Stockings” (White Sox), and “Boston Red Stockings” (Red Sox) carrying that history in their names. Those “stockings” were long, covering the entire shin, perfect for showing off team colors. Every pro team, no matter the sport, has gone through some kind of change, whether it’s their name, colors, logos, city, or even their stadium. Look at the New York Jets: they started as “The Titans of New York” rocking blue, yellow, and a speck of white! Then they became the Jets, changing to green and white. Later, black showed up as an accent in 1990, and by 2019, it was a featured color. They even bounced from the Polo Grounds to Shea Stadium and then to Giants Stadium in New Jersey for home games! That’s a total overhaul.
The Cardinals’ Identity Crisis: From Racine Red to Bidwill Blue
The Cardinals’ own history is just as wild. When they joined the “American Professional Football Association” (APRA) in its first season, 1920, their uniform had a lot of black and brown. The APRA became the NFL just two years later, by the way. They were initially the “Racine Cardinals” because they played their home games on Racine Street in Chicago’s South Side. But in 1922, they had to become the “Chicago Cardinals” because another squad, the “Racine Legion,” joined the NFL and was based in Racine, Wisconsin. To keep things straight, they took on the Chicago name. For a while, until 1931, the Racine Cardinals wore dark red and tan, with a hint of white.
Then things got spicy. In 1932, Charlie “Blue shirt” Bidwill bought the franchise, and guess what? They *added blue jerseys*! Yeah, you read that right. Blue! They kept the dark red socks, but man, blue jerseys? Turns out, those blue jerseys only made an appearance in two games because both teams playing had red uniforms. But still, a blue set of jerseys was around all the way through 1955, except for 1937 and 1949. By 1956, that blue version was totally gone. And for helmets, players wore either red or white through the 1958 season, then white was the only lid until black helmets finally became an option. Crazy to think how much their look has actually flip-flopped over the decades!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Revenge of the Birds.
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