Professional Football Researchers Association Forum

I was watching This Week In Pro Football covering the final week of the 1972 regular season. The Rams hosted the Lions in the finale.

Until it was brought back when the Rams returned to L.A. from St. Louis, it was the last time the Rams played in their blue-and-white scheme, including the blue-and-white Ram helmet, as they introduced (or sort of re-introduced) the gold and blue Ram helmet in 1973.

Yet the yellow-and-blue Ram helmet was painted on the field for the ‘72 finale. I know marketing and branding was primitive in ‘72 compared to today, but I still found that to be odd.

What I always found wild was during conference championship games, the visiting team would have their name and sometimes helmet painted in an endzone.

Related to the first post, I recall a year (1975, I think) when the Giants played their first few games with blank helmets because they hadn't put their new logo on them yet. How do you not have that figured out by the time the season starts?

saturdaysarebetter wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2026 8:27 pm What I always found wild was during conference championship games, the visiting team would have their name and sometimes helmet painted in an endzone.

The 1986 AFC Championship Game (the famous DrIve game, Denver at Cleveland) was the last Championship game who had the visiting team name and/or logo in one endzone, but I believe not all the teams did it.

Citizen wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2026 5:58 am Related to the first post, I recall a year (1975, I think) when the Giants played their first few games with blank helmets because they hadn't put their new logo on them yet. How do you not have that figured out by the time the season starts?

I recall the Broncos' WR Rick Upchurch with a plain helmet in 1975 or 1976, and Bills WR Frank Lewis with a jersey without his surname in 1978.

Gary Najman wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2026 12:50 pm

saturdaysarebetter wrote: ↑Thu Aug 20, 2026 8:27 pm What I always found wild was during conference championship games, the visiting team would have their name and sometimes helmet painted in an endzone.

The 1986 AFC Championship Gmae (the famous Drve game, DEnver at Cleveland) was the last Championship game who had the visiting team name and/or logo in one endzone, but I believe not all the teams did it.

Thank you for that info Gary. I wondered when that came to an end.

In the late 60s/early 70s, some teams put the opponent colors/name in the end zone in the regular season.

Ten Minute Ticker wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2026 6:02 pm In the late 60s/early 70s, some teams put the opponent colors/name in the end zone in the regular season.

I'm absolutely gobsmacked!

Ten Minute Ticker wrote: ↑Fri Aug 21, 2026 6:02 pm In the late 60s/early 70s, some teams put the opponent colors/name in the end zone in the regular season.

Also the pad around the goalpost standard.