Ode to Grey Facemasks

For the most part millennials today only know football helmets with colored facemasks. This is a given for them. No concern about what looks best. Facemasks are one more part of the uniform that comes in the team color. Is this what looks best? Let’s think about this.

In the early 70’s the San Diego Chargers debuted yellow face masks, and the movement spread like wildfire. Eventually the Falcons went from grey masks on their red helmets to white, then black masks with the red helmet. A train wreck, if you ask me.

 

The goal is for the facemask to not stand out. It should blend in with the helmet. Grey masks are the best. Look at Randall Cunningham (#12, top). He's got that huge three bar mask and you can barely see it. White masks on white helmets are fine. A dark helmet with a matching dark mask is okay. Think Chicago Bears. Why? The mask doesn’t stand out from the helmet shell.

The Atlanta Falcons had an okay looking helmet: black with a black mask. Then they “updated” their uniforms, going trendy with a black lid with silver mask. I love it. Looks old school to me.

What’s bad is a light colored helmet with a dark mask. Like Georgia Tech. Gold helmet with a navy mask. White helmet with navy mask. You got this huge dark thing hanging off the front. Not good. So much better last year when GT trotted out gold masks to match the gold helmet. Which looks best, and which worst?

A white mask on a darker helmet stands out as well, and doesn’t look good either. The Vikings looked terrible in white masks. Same with the Giants. Not a fan of the Redskins or Chargers with yellow masks.

UGA and Clemson have worn white facemasks for so long that they almost look good. Kansas City Chiefs. Fans have forgotten those helmets with grey facemasks. If there is a 2020 season, Clemson is slated to wear throwback grey facemasks in one game. Can’t wait.

Red masks are the worst. New England Patriots. NC State. Louisville. They’re colorful but ugly, standing out too much. When the Pats first switched the grey helmets their masks were great. And looked great. Then they switched to red. Much worse.

 

At least facemasks aren’t as thick as they used to be. A thinner mask doesn’t show up as much, so it isn’t as ugly. Look at Dan Marino and his huge thick mask and tell me a white or grey mask wouldn’t look better.

I will admit: grey masks are old school. Alabama. Raiders. Cowboys. Southern Cal (below). Notre Dame. New York Giants. 49ers. Arizona Cardinals. Old school. But they look good because they don’t stand out.

Team color choice is the same with other football uniform extras. Belts for pants. Gloves. Sleeves. Socks. Shoes. Chinstraps. Parents today fork out big bucks every season so their kid will fit in. For sure you don’t want them to be the only kid on a blue team with a green chinstrap.  Horrors! Makes the parent look just as bad as the kid, and we can’t have that. Another reason grey facemasks (and white chinstraps) look best. But don’t get me started on chinstraps.