Arizona Sports Uniform Playoffs Day #4
Jul 22, 2016, 7:05 AM | Updated: 11:29 am
It’s the first-ever Arizona Sports Uniform Playoffs!
Over the next several weeks, we’ll be polling you, the sports fans of Arizona, to determine the best-dressed pro team in the history of The Grand Canyon State.
We’ve ranked 48 different uniforms worn by major-league teams based in the Valley for voting purposes.
In the first round, we’ll feature four different matchups per day. Seeds 17-48 will be voted on in Week 1, with the top 16 seeds earning byes into the second round.
Without further ado, here are today’s four first-round matchups (voting closes at 7:00 a.m. Saturday, July 23).
(And, if you want a different look at each uniform, click the links in the paragraph for each.)
#30 D-backs current primary homes vs. #35 Suns first orange alternates
You can say one thing about the D-backs home uniforms that were released last December: they definitely drew a reaction from people. Since the D-backs have only been around since 1998, they aren’t tied to baseball tradition the way some other teams are, so they went radical with their second major uniform update in team history. The white primary home unis featured shoulder and side stripes highlighted by a diamond pattern that also appears on the bottom of the pants.
The Suns had been around for 35 years before they ever donned an orange uniform. These alternates were rolled out in the 2003-04 season and proved to be divisive among the fan base. Some didn’t like the bright orange color, while others cited the lack of purple — the team’s base color — and the abbreviation ‘PHX’ on the chest as negatives.
#19 Coyotes current road whites vs. #46 Coyotes black kachina roads
The Coyotes introduced their third-generation of uniforms in time for the 2015-16 season with black shoulder panels as the big change on both the home and road sweaters.
Upon arrival in 1996, the Coyotes unveiled a wild-looking road jersey that was predominantly black with brick, sand and white trim in a Southwestern design.
#22 D-backs sleeveless gray roads vs. #43 Suns current home whites
The Diamondbacks changed up their road uniforms in time for the 2001 season, taking the sleeves off of their pinstriped gray jerseys and changing the font color to predominantly purple. They also removed the jersey front numbers, a feature that wouldn’t return to any D-backs jersey until 2016.
In August of 2013, following weeks of internet teases, the Phoenix Suns unveiled their fourth major uniform style. Many longtime Suns fans criticized the home uniforms, which became the first in team history to not include a stitch of purple in them.
#27 Coyotes red home uniforms Edge template vs. #38 Suns Nash-era purple roads
The Coyotes wore these brick red home unis from 2007 to 2015, which included a run to the Western Conference Final in 2012 — the furthest they’d ever advanced in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Suns did a whole lot of winning in these uniforms, which were introduced in 2000. Although the first version of this design featured a very shiny, metallic look that was eventually toned down.
RESULTS FROM DAY 3 • #31 D-backs original homes DEF. #34 Cardinals 75th anniversary throwbacks 89% to 11%• #18 Suns Civic Pride alts DEF. #47 Suns sleeved orange alts 69% to 31%
• #23 D-backs sleeved ‘A’ homes DEF. #42 Coyotes current home reds 61% to 39%
• #26 Coyotes originals “Kachina” whites DEF. #39 Suns current orange alts 56% to 44%
