The NFL debuted their Color Rush campaign last week on Thursday Night Football, when the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills faced off while donning special color-on-color custom football uniforms. It was a cool marketing promotion for the league to spice up an often boring TNF stage, but it had a tiny hiccup. It didn’t consider the impact on folks that are colorblind.
Former Giants kicker Lawrence Tynes actually tweeted out before the game that fans may have a tough time deciphering what’s going on during the game, as the Jets were wearing all green and the Bills were wearing all red uniforms. With red-green being the most popular type of colorblindness, Tynes’ observation didn’t just make sense, but it ended up being true.
Those who deal with colorblindness that took in the game voiced their displeasure, suggesting the game was “torture”. That would make sense, since to someone that is colorblind, it would be rather difficult to follow the game with players from both teams looking nearly identical. The only real difference would be uniform design and helmet logos. However, when players are piled up or smashing together, that logic goes out the window.
Luckily that’s not going to be an issue tonight and the NFL also plans on addressing it for the 2016 NFL season.
In week 11 the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars face off for another intense divisional clash, one that will be enhanced with Tennessee wearing bold powder blue uniforms and the Jaguars gold uniforms. It’s a color combination that will be far less difficult to deal with if you’re color blind, and fans should have no problem enjoying the game.
Titans and Jaguars fans, at least. Last week gave NFL fans a pretty intense game with a lot on the line, but tonight’s game, not so much. The Titans and Jaguars are both surprisingly (and sadly) still in the race for the awful AFC South, but both are well below .500 and don’t always play an exciting brand of football.
Both sides will at least be colorful tonight, however, and in at least one sense, easy to watch.
Like the new Color Rush promotion or flat out hate it? Tell us in the comments below!
