PHILADELPHIA, PA — Less than a half an hour after the Phillies made their long awaited reveal of their City Connect jerseys, a magnitude 4.8 earthquake gripped the earth and shook it with displeasure.
Or at least that’s how it was if you asked the hordes of the phaithful Friday who reeled from alarm both geologic and aesthetic when they caught their first glimpse of the new uniforms.
The jerseys are part of a Nike platform to provide alternative uniforms that capture a city’s unique character, history, and culture. Several teams debuted their City Connects last year, including gorgeous renderings like these done for the Chicago Cubs.
Find out what's happening in Norristownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Philly’s, not so much.
The team branded the uniforms with the tagline “Unapologetically Philly.” The blue and gold jerseys are meant to embody the Philadelphia flag, and the letters “Philly” are meant to look like Benjamin Franklin’s lightning bolts.
Find out what's happening in Norristownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
But as many pointed out, the colors blue and gold are never commonly associated with Philadelphia, the Philadelphia city flag is far from ubiquitous, and the color scheme — whether for a flag or a jersey — is not unique to Philadelphia.
Here’s a sampling of fan reactions.
“That earthquake was God telling us how much he hates the Phillies city connect jerseys,” one fan said.
“The Phillies dropped a uniform so ugly nature convulsed and caused an earthquake,” another agreed.
Some version of “Does anyone really associate those colors with the city?” was asked by many.
“Worst since Eagles canary unis?” WIP Host Glen Macnow asked.
“Looks like the Ukrainian national team,” added another fan.
The collar of the uniform, like much of the rest of the uniform, is blue, which the team said is “intended to represent what Philadelphia is at its core: a blue-collar big city with a small-town feel.”
The team appears set on wearing the new jerseys for each Friday home game in 2024.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
Click Here: mens f1 polo,classic f1 shirts