In 1993, the New England Patriots made a massive mistake.
The Pats, to that point, had struggled through the harsh landscape of the NFL for 33 years with limited success. New England had been to just one Super Bowl in its existence and was blown out 46-10 in a game where a defensive tackle scored a rushing touchdown. Between 1989 and 1992, the franchise won 14 total games.
In search of a change, the Patriots hired Bill Parcells to effectively run all things football, from coaching to personnel decisions. This worked out well enough. The problem, however, was the branding one that accompanied the team’s shift in priorities. Out went the iconic Pat Patriot logo and the fruit punch red of New England’s perfect uniforms. In came dark blue and this garbage heap on the helmet.
