Paul Lukas might be a tad obsessed.
For more than two decades, Lukas has chronicled the highs and lows of sports uniforms more in-depth than perhaps anyone else. He’s painstakingly analyzed and picked apart logos, helmets, color schemes, stripes, patterns … just about everything players are decked out in when they step on the field, court or rink.
Lukas’ passion for sports and uniforms started as a child, growing up in New York. While he became a San Fransisco 49ers fan, he does hold a special place in his heart for his hometown Giants. In adulthood, Lukas embarked on a rewarding career in journalism, covering a wide range of topics, but his fascination with uniforms never wavered.
In 1999, Lukas started Uni Watch, a column covering the sports uniform world for The Village Voice newspaper. The paper cut its sports section in 2003, but Uni Watch lived on. After a brief stop on Slate.com, the column found a home on ESPN.com from 2004-2019, and Lukas started the supplemental uni-watch.com blog in 2006. Uni Watch has also appeared in Sports Illustrated, InsideHook, Facebook’s now-defunct Bulletin platform and, more recently, Lukas has found a new home on Substack.
Earlier this week, Lukas was kind enough to join me for a phone interview. We covered several areas, including the “golden era” of NFL uniforms, why some teams change uni styles frequently and others have barely changed a stripe in decades, Coke vs. Pepsi and how it relates to NFL branding and styles, and what really drives decisions into what players wear on the field.
Click on the link above to check out my chat with Paul!
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