SF Examiner February 10th 1996

SANTA CLARA - The changes in the 49ers' uniforms for the 1996 season might best be described as a turn back to the future. Although the colors will be different from those of the last few years, they will not be entirely new.

Shown early in the week at the annual sporting goods show in Atlanta, but yet to be officially announced by the team, the uniforms feature a darker red jersey - akin to Stanford's - and gold pants, the same hue worn by Notre Dame players. The pants in recent years were khaki colored.

The changes were instituted in part for the team's 50th anniversary celebration this year and in part to boost merchandise sales. Based on the 49ers' popularity (only the Dallas Cowboys' paraphernalia is a bigger seller among NFL teams), marketing experts estimate the Niners' new look could generate an additional $60 million in sales.

Another NFL team that will be changing uniforms is the Philadelphia Eagles, which, following the current trend to dark colors, is shifting from the distinctive kelly green of the last 50 years to a green-black tone described as midnight green.

Since starting in 1946, the Niners have worn jerseys of different shades of red, from crimson to oxblood, and pants that were white or gold. In fact, the throwback uniforms worn in 1994 were replicas of those worn in the 1950s - white pants and dark red jerseys with white, shadowed numbers.

The 1996 jerseys will also feature the shadowed numbers. But they will not be burgundy. That belongs to the Washington Redskins.

"These uniforms," said someone close to the 49ers, "are going to be similar to the throw-back uniforms. There shouldn't be a strong fan reaction to them."

Not as strong, the 49ers hope, as the reaction to the attempted change in the helmet logo five years ago when management sought to replace the familiar interlocking "SF" with "49ers." There was such an outcry that the idea was dropped.

Forty Niners president Carmen Policy was at the NFL meetings in Chicago, and vice president and personnel chief Dwight Clark at the college draft combine in Indianapolis, so there was no team comment on the uniform change.

Credit: EXAMINER STAFF