Hey Browns, Cardinals, Lions, Saints...Change Your Shirts!

In this election season, the word "change" has taken on a new meaning of not meaning much at all.

But when it comes to the NFL, change tends to lead to real improvements that can be easily documented and all dressed up with a ridiculously big ring.

Of course, changes in personnel, coaching, and management are all obvious factors in producing a winner in the NFL, but what about uniforms?

Simply put, what effect does a drastic change in the "look" of an NFL franchise have on a team's success? Teams are always tweaking the colors, or adding a stripe here and there. They might go for more metallic sparkle in the helmet or even don a throwback uniform (this one's worked pretty well for the Jets two game weeks in a row), but these aren't being considered "drastic" changes for the purpose of this article.

First of all, what do the Browns, Cardinals, Lions, and Saints all have in common? Look at their uniforms. These are the only long-time NFL franchises that have never drastically changed their look in the Super Bowl era and also never made it to the Super Bowl. That's right, the combined number of Super Bowl appearances by these four teams is...zero.

So who has made a drastic change work, and why would any team consider overhauling their entire uniform, even their helmet logo, when everyone knows that it is who is in the uniforms that really matters?

There is plenty of evidence to support some tweaking of those Fleur-de-lis helmets.

Exhibit A- The Denver Broncos are the most immediate and obvious team when it comes to this theory. They unveiled their current look for the 1997 season and instantly won back-to-back Super Bowls. They, of course, had Terrell Davis and John Elway, but no one can say they didn't have drastically new uniforms.

Exhibit B- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers re-did their entire look for the 1998 season (perhaps they'd noticed what the Broncos did) and even though they didn't win right away, it only took them five years to bring home the big one in 2003. The striking fact here is that we are talking about the Tampa Bay team that had for so long been challenging the Saints for worst NFL team ever. They started making the playoffs when they put on their new digs.

Exhibit C- The New England Patriots changed their total look way back in 1993, so it took them a while to get their first ring in 2002. Overall, they so far have gone to five Super Bowls and won three of them since the change. I don't see them changing back to the old red and white anytime soon.

Exhibit D- The Baltimore Ravens...Okay this one is a bit confusing, but here goes.  Technically we should say the Cleveland Browns did the most drastic change of all.  New uniform, new mascot, and new city! But no one can say that all of this most drastic change of the team's look didn't bring success. They won a Super Bowl in 2001 not long after the big redux in 1996.

There is some serious documented proof that a drastic change in team look can lead to success. 

To add a little more meat to this theoretical sandwich, we have to remember the new-look Titans missing a title by a yard in 2000 and the "Greatest Show on Turf" Rams and their new look success around the same time. Even though they actually won their ring a year before the switch to their current uniforms, they might have already gotten a peak at what they'd be wearing the next year, and mentally put it on (I know this is a pathetic reach, but you never know!). 

Those who want to laugh at this theory will obviously bring up teams like the Cowboys, 49ers, and Steelers who have pretty much kept it the same and still run off numerous Super Bowl victories. And I agree that no uniform can replace savvy ownership, astute management, creative coaching, and Pro-Bowl caliber playing. Not all teams have been so blessed over the years.

So I guess I have to leave it up to the long standing, long disappointed franchises mentioned in the headline to disprove this theory. But I am sure the fans wouldn't mind seeing the Lions in brick red or the Cardinals becoming blue birds. You never know what could happen.