The 11 Ugliest Sports Uniforms Ever Worn

By David Woods on October 6th, 2009

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Last weekend, the Seattle Seahawks burned retinas across the nation by debuting day-glo green jerseys. These eyesores were universally maligned by drunk football fans and meathead commentators (two groups known for their exquisite fashion sense), but they weren’t even the first lime green football jerseys to be worn by a pro football team (the WLAF’s Orlando Thunder hold that distinction).

In honor of the Seahawks, we present to you the 11 ugliest sports uniforms ever worn.

Southern California Sun (1974-1975)

This long-defunct World Football League team had the audacity to not only wear magenta jerseys, but pair them with orange pants.

University of Oregon Football (1990s-2000s)

Mixing and matching different pants, jerseys and helmets allows Oregon to choose between more than 350 different combinations, each of which looks more ridiculous than if the players showed up to play wearing pajamas.

Tampa Bay Storm (1991-1992)

No, Zubaz was not a bad dream brought on by all the Jolt Cola you were drinking in the early ‘90s. It was very, very real.

Tucson Toros (1980)

Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis has admitted to tossing a no-hitter under the influence of acid, but he still denies that he designed the uniforms for the Tucson Toros of the Pacific Coast League later that same day.

Chicago White Sox (1976)

Yep, a major league team once thought that it would be a good idea to take the field in shorts. Why, you ask? Perhaps it was to distract fans from the ridiculous collar.

Denver Nuggets (1982-1993)

Liberace would puke if he saw these uniforms.

Toronto Raptors (1995-1999)

Big. Purple. Dinosaur. And yet the team got upset when fans nicknamed this uniform the “Angry Barney”…

Vancouver Canucks (1978-1984)

These monstrosities were affectionately known as the “flying V” (and less affectionately as “clown costumes”).

Alaska Aces

At long last, humankind has invented something tackier than the tuxedo t-shirt: the tuxedo hockey jersey. Thankfully, these were only worn once (on a New Year’s Eve). They are but one of hundreds of terrible one-night promotional jerseys worn by minor-league hockey teams.

Arsenal (1991)

Fans likened this shirt to a bruised banana. Frankly, they were being kind.

Atletico Bilbao (2004)

These might have looked more at home at Pittsburgh’s Heinz Field than they did on a soccer pitch in the Basque region of Spain. Get it? (It’s a ketchup joke.)