OT: Great "Leather" Helmet look from Redskins

Submitted by Fhshockey112002 on

Slow Sunday after an impressive win yesterday.  I saw these helmets this morning and thought they were pretty awesome.  

Would anyone else not mind seeing some wings thrown on these as part of a true throwback style uni? I only post the idea since there was rumor of a "shinny helmet" being talked about for next season.

http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/1685333/20121104120946.jpg

Gulogulo37

November 4th, 2012 at 9:29 PM ^

If getting old makes you realize those are awful, i'll speed up the aging process with booze and smokes. Really now, those are atrocious. Those don't look like leather at all. If you forced me at gunpoint to choose chrome helmets or what looks like hastily painted brown helmets, I'd choose the chrome in a second.

justingoblue

November 4th, 2012 at 1:55 PM ^

but for M to pull of a "leather" winged helmet, you'd have to replicate two layers of leather, which they didn't attempt here. I suspect it would look a lot worse with two "layers" and a second color. So, yeah, I think they're a cool idea here, but the wings would be really, really hard to pull off.

Mmmm Hmmm

November 4th, 2012 at 2:09 PM ^

As a Bears fan, I expected to watch Mike Martin to have a nice game against the Bears' interior line.

At this point, however, it seems as though the Bears could kneel every remaining play and still be OK.

corundum

November 4th, 2012 at 2:10 PM ^

They should put actual leather over a regular helmet so it looks authentic but is still safe for the players. Expensive probably, but badass nonetheless.

Hank Hill

November 4th, 2012 at 2:18 PM ^

I would have thought with all of the emphasis on player safety the NFL would have said, "thanks, but no thanks" to that idea.

Aesthetically, I think they are awesome.

Hank Hill

November 4th, 2012 at 3:44 PM ^

Don't wake and bake and try to post on MgoBlog.

I did not proof read what I had written, therefore it came out as an incoherent mess. The leather look hearkens to an era in which football was known for it's more violent side. We can all agree the NFL is trying to move away from that image of it's game.

BlueHills

November 4th, 2012 at 6:53 PM ^

Michigan wore painted leather winged helmets as late as 1954 for sure; they're wearing them in video of the 1954 OSU game. By the 1956 Ron Kramer S.I. cover, they had switched over to plastic. 

My guess is that the transition year was 1955.

Here's an interesting article that mentions that the old leather helmets were surprisingly effective against concussions, though not against skull fractures. There have been arguments over replacing plastic helmets with something softer for a while.

 

MSHOT92

November 4th, 2012 at 4:06 PM ^

with all the wrap/paint/print technology these days, they could probably pull off a leather winged helmet look and it might look cool. All they'd need to add is some tonal shadowing and stitchwork and it might look pretty sweet. That's my opinion because they're just helmets and uniforms. Still the same team, still the same University and players no matter what you put them in.

LSAClassOf2000

November 4th, 2012 at 7:32 PM ^

According to USA Today, this helmet was part of a larger throwback effort today  - (LINK)

Looking at how the helmets fit in with their uniform overall today, it actually was not a bad look. I am not exactly a fan of the matte finish on these, but in the context of the whole uniform, I think it worked for the Redskins. I dare say it was definitely a better effort than the Steelers. 

pbmd

November 4th, 2012 at 7:40 PM ^

these are actually quite ugly and washington was not even able to beat carolina wearing them.

since brandon is not likely to make money selling helmets like jerseys...do not  screw with the michigan winged helmet