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Update: My thoughts on the fashion show are here.

There’s always excitement when you hear that your favorite team is going to be changing their uniforms. Sometimes, it turns out for the better, as in the case of the Jets and Falcons. Most of the time, however, the new change looks like it came straight out of the Arena League or the defunct-XFL: Bills, Vikings, Cardinals, and Bengals. My beloved Chargers have had some of the best looking uniforms for the past several years. I’ve always like how they have incorporated the lightning bolt logo into the shoulder area; most teams just have a solid or striped color there. The curve of the bolt provides a natural place below for the player’s number, whereas the trend today is to have the number on the shoulder top.

When I heard that the Chargers were going to be tweaking their uniforms, I was hoping that they would go back to their powder-blue uniforms. Those are without doubt the best looking uniforms in pro sports. Unfortunately, the Spanos family has always held firm against bringing these unis back full-time — probably because they weren’t the owners of the team when these uniforms were in fashion. The powder-blues do come back twice a year as a throwback jersey, fortunately.

A day ago, someone on the Chargers Forum posted a purported photo of the new uniform (see photo above). At first glance, it’s better than most NFL teams’ uniforms, but it could have been much better. The new uniforms look inspired by the Minnesota Vikings’ duds? Gone are the curved lightning bolt and numbers on the biceps. Hello, numbers on the shoulder top, a more straightened bolt, and a stitched on Chargers logo in the front. The accent colors of powder-blue don’t match with the royal blue uniform color. I shudder to think what the helmet might look like. If it’s white, I might be able to live with it. I’ll tell you what, though, LT sure doesn’t look happy to be wearing this jersey! He does say it makes him look bigger:

“It kind of makes you look like you’re bigger than what you are,” Tomlinson said. “I know people always say, ‘Well you look small.’ Now I may look a little bigger. I think that’s going to help me hopefully score more touchdowns.”

Update: An article in the San Diego Union Tribune confirms the uniform change. The Chargers website has also been updated.

I’ve modified the new design to something I like a little better.

There’s a big clearance sale of Charger jersey’s happening at the Charger Store. If this uniform is going to be the new one, I’d stock up on your current supplies while they last!

All that said, there’s one possible good thing could come with a new uniform change, and that’s a Super Bowl victory. The Broncos and Rams did it in the year they changed unis, why not the Chargers? Of course, we should have won last year, but that’s another tale to tell.