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Date Posted: 22:46:12 10/17/18 Wed
Author: Dan C.
Author Host/IP: 47.18.3.53
Subject: 1973 Eagles helmet - definitive proof

Roman Gabriel will probably offer the most conclusive info re: the 1973 Eagles' helmet, as '73 was his first season in Philly. So any photo of him with a white helmet would be one that would reveal if there was or wasn't a black outline bordering the green wing.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/289778557266682736/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/289778557265894579/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/289778557264284380/
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/454793262345109203/

Before anyone hollers about there being a black outline in the last photo, please notice that EVERYTHING in the photo appears to have a dark outline. It's called "chromatic aberration" or distortion, and results in colored-edge fringing of objects in a photograph. Also known as spherochromatism, it is an effect resulting from dispersion in which there is a failure of a lens to focus all colors to the same convergence point. In other words, there IS no black outline, just a problem with the lens used to take the photograph. Notice how the entire photo manifests this issue.

With all due respect to Helmet Hut, I believe their conviction that a 1973 Eagles helmet with a black outline existed is an example of confirmation bias. The urge to be the one to "discover" a previously unknown helmet version can be too much to resist. There may also be financial incentive to offer a "new" throwback helmet for collectors. Rather than seeing chromatic aberration, they see a black outline...because it is in their interests to see a black outline. Someone else unfamiliar with photography, out of ignorance, might be tempted to also draw that conclusion.

Also, check out this video on Youtube, littered with close-ups, covering the 1973 Eagles, and 1st-year head coach Mike McCormick:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w4G1yICBd1o
1 minute 10 second mark - no black outline
1:18 - no black outline
4:00 - no black outline
5:38 - no black outline
6:34 - no black outline
7:35 - no black outline
10:21 thru 10:30 - no black outline
10:33 - no black outline
11:31 - even the helmet-car doesn't have a black outline
12:54 - no black outline
13:55 - no black outline
14:39 - no black outline
14:43 - no black outline
14:56 - no black outline
15:12 - no black outline
15:21 - no black outline
17:03 - no black outline (you can count Gabriel's nose hairs in this one, it's so clear)
17:29 - more nose hairs, and still no black outline
17:58 - no black outline
18:27 - no black outline
18:52 thru 19:08 - no black outline
20:59 - no black outline
22:09 - no black outline
22:49 - Harold Carmichael's nose hairs, and no black outline
In other words, 1973 - no black outline

I was an avid football fan and helmet freak starting in 1971. I used to draw each team's helmet with my artist-dad's array of colored pens, pencils and markers. And every detail mattered to me. Each season, we would actually LOOK for changes in each team. And we watched at least 2 Eagles games on TV, and watched every week's highlight show in 1973. And I was never aware of any addition of any black outline to the Eagles' helmet decals that year.

For everyone's reference, here's a list of the 1973 Eagles players who were not on the team prior to '73, and so would only have worn a white Eagles helmet in '73:
#5 Roman Gabriel
#20 John Outlaw
#21 Wes Chesson
#30 Joe Lavender
#36 Norm Bulaich (no black outline)
http://manteresting.com/nail/norm-bulaich-rb-1970s
#41 Randy Logan
#48 Greg Oliver
#51 Dick Cunningham
#52 Kevin Reilly
#54 Tom Roussel
#56 Dean Halverson
#61 Bill Dunstan
#62 Guy Morriss
#66 Roy Kirksey
#71 Will Wynn
#75 Dennis Wirgowski
#76 Jerry Sisemore
#77 Gerry Philbin
#80 Don Zimmerman
#81 Stan Davis
#82 Bob Picard
#85 Marlin McKeever
#86 Charle Young

If you see any photos of these players with white Eagles helmets, they can only be from 1973.

And if anyone thinks the dark stripes flanking the green stripe on the pants is suggestive of a dark outline around their helmet decal, check out this photo of John Reaves from 1972 (he wore #6 in '72 and #7 in '73):

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/quarterback-john-reaves-of-the-philadelphia-eagles-drops-news-photo/855939044

Dark stripes flanking the green stripe. In 1972. When there was no black outline around the wing.

In short, if you think there was a black outline around the green wing on the 1973 Eagles helmets, you've been fooled by the photographic phenomenon known as chromatic aberration.

Oh, and for what it's worth, at 8:55 of the YouTube video above, John Facenda gives the CORRECT pronunciation of the phrase "short-lived." (back when proper diction mattered)

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Replies:

[> Re: 1973 Eagles helmet - definitive proof -- Dan C., 22:53:32 10/17/18 Wed (47.18.3.53)

It should be 22:42 of the YouTube video, not 22:49, if you want to see Harold Carmichael's nose hairs and complete lack of black outline around the wings on his helmet.


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[> Re: 1973 Eagles helmet - definitive proof -- charles arey, 14:52:38 10/24/18 Wed (98.20.170.28)

Thanks for your report, Dan. Would you mind if I reproduce your comments at the website? I think you've made a convincing argument against the black outline theory.

It appears to me that the only remaining "pro-black outline" arguments would be that: perhaps it was used for only a short time; or perhaps a small number of helmets had the black outline (though I see only the weakest evidence for either suggestion). Surely if a black outline was ever present there should exist at least ONE clear photograph showing such a design in use.

Thanks also for the term "chromatic aberration" - I've actually heard of that term (it comes up sometimes in astronomy, one of my other interests) but I was unaware that it was applicable in this situation. Looking at the old Eagles' helmet photograph I added to the website probably 15 years ago, I think i see additional signs of aberration that I hadn't noticed before - there are a couple of weak "halos" visible around the white helmet in that photograph.


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[> Re: 1973 Eagles helmet - definitive proof -- Dan C., 11:09:12 10/26/18 Fri (47.18.3.53)

Happy to help solve this "mystery" Charles. Use whatever you'd like from my post. Hope you and yours are well.


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[> Re: 1973 Eagles helmet - definitive proof -- Dan C., 16:38:24 11/16/18 Fri (47.18.3.53)

Also check out this vid from the 1973 Eagles-Bills game:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cU0FYTKRV90

Go to the 12:25 mark. If anyone thinks they see a black out line around those wings, go make an appointment to have your eyes removed, because they clearly aren't working any more.


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[> Re: 1973 Eagles helmet - definitive proof -- Dan Canter, 17:20:02 02/28/19 Thu (47.18.3.53)

One more nail in the coffin of the Eagles' mythical black-outline/green wing 1973 helmets:

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/502151427195828539/

That's Roman Gabriel (#5), in his only season wearing a white Eagles helmet, and Harold Carmichael (#17).


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[> Re: 1973 Eagles helmet - definitive proof -- Dan C., 02:53:16 05/12/19 Sun (47.18.3.53)

From the Eagles-Giants Week 2 match-up in 1973...(at 43:15)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQXhD_kIdDc

Whaddaya know, no black outline for the green wings on their helmet.


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