The NFL Should Let the 49ers Wear Their Throwback Jerseys in the Super Bowl
By Kyle Koster
The San Francisco 49ers want to wear their all-white throwback jerseys against Kansas City in the Super Bowl, something we can all agree would be great.
The NFL, in its infinite wisdom, has declined the request. This is a problem.
Some news: The 49ers will make a push to wear their all-white ‘94 throwback uniforms in the Super Bowl at Miami. The problem, Richard Sherman tells me, is that the NFL currently won’t allow it. The 49ers got an exception to wear these unis Week 17 at Seattle; would like one again
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) January 20, 2020
Back in 1994, these were the Niners' 75th anniversary uniforms. They kept winning while wearing them and continued to do so through the Super Bowl. You've seen the highlights of Steve Young looking fresh as hell in red as he carved the San Diego Chargers up for six touchdowns. Well, the current 49ers want to rock the same design only in white.
The NFL, unsurprisingly, has rules about how many times a team can wear an alternate uniform. Just like they have rules about cleats, and socks, and helmets. Fastidiousness is valued at 345 Park. No one gets to the top without an obsession with details and desire to squash extra fun.
There's an obvious and cynical reason for the NFL to decline the request and it has to do with commemorative jersey sales. Pro Football Talk points out that there are already three Niners jerseys for sale with the Super Bowl patch. And who would want to take a brief hit in apparel sales to do the right thing? Certainly not a $14 billion league.
So things are looking bleak for fans of sartorial excellence and it's a damn shame. Any plea for the NFL to back down is undoubtably a waste of breath, but it can't hurt to try. I urge those who value justice to speak out and create a groundswell. A maximum pressure campaign could cause the league to at least reconsider the plea before ultimately saying no.