Teal? Why?

I like ice hockey. It is my Canadian husband’s influence on me. I have been to just one game and was excited even before it started. The arena was very cool and almost 20000 Montrealers were buzzing. My husband’s favorite team is the Montreal Canadiens. Mine is the San Jose Sharks. Why? I like their uniform. I love teal.

Teal is not just blue. Teal is not green like algae at the bottom of a swimming pool. Teal is wonderful and evokes thoughts about the sea. Why is teal not more popular? Teal is even the subject of derision. I wondered why. Here is a little research about it.

What is Teal?

Teal is between HEX #008080 and #008099. In the RGB system, it is rgb (0%,50%,50%) or rgb (0,128,128). Teal has an intense chroma and bright value. The background color of this page is teal.

Teal in Sports

The Society for Sports Uniforms Research (SSUR) is, according to their Website, "an organization devoted to preservation and documentation of uniforms in all sports, in all leagues, for all teams throughout history". It is true! You can see how a team's uniform has changed over the years. Still, a lot of the archival databases are empty. It is a developing project. Here is the recent history of teal in pro sports:

• In the NFL, the Carolina Panthers have used 'Panther Blue' since 1995. (I say it is just on the blue side of teal.);
  
• The NFL's Jacksonville Jaguars have used 'Jacksonville Jaguars Teal' since 1995;
  
• In MLB, the Florida Marlins have used 'Marlin Blue/Teal' since 1993;
  
• In the NBA, the Charlotte Hornets, used teal and purple as primary colors from 1988 to 2002. Purple! This predates the famous SJ Sharks uniform. Now, the New Orleans Hornets still use the same color scheme and the WNBA's Charlotte Sting do, too;
  
• In the XFL, the Memphis Maniax used 'Memphis Maniax Teal' while still maniacal;
  
• The first use of teal in the NHL was by the California Golden Seals. In the 1974-75 season, they used 'Pacific Teal' in a mostly 'Sun Yellow' scheme with white skates ;
  
• In 1991, the San Jose Sharks had the right color at the right time in the right scheme and with the a complementary logo, too. They are sharks, after all. Only a drowned hornet would have a connection with teal blue. The SJ Sharks did change once, in 1998, to " Deep Pacific Teal', but could not recapture the marketing madness for their uniform. None of the other teams had any success with theirs.

Teal and Color-forecasting

In the early 1990s, the San Jose Sharks organization made an enlightened decision. They chose teal. I am still waiting on a response from that organization about their original marketing research. I will add it as soon as (or if) it arrives.

To be certain, teams want men, women and children to pay for tickets. The color scheme got a positive response from both genders.

Dr. Max Luscher, a German Professor, researched Colour Psychology. He confirmed the relationship between the color of packaging and sales. A light blue, such as teal blue, is appropriate for creative products. An ice hockey team provides entertainment so it is a good match. Frankly, I think the convergence of many factors, including the fact that teal was underused in 1991, led to the great success of their uniform. I am still waiting on a response, but I doubt it will read, "We got lucky". The trouble with teal is that it has to wait another twenty or thirty years to return into fashion.

Oh! CLICK HERE to download the response from the San Jose Sharks!