Uni Watch's Flashback: Logo, we have a problem

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If you were watching the highlights of Sunday's NFL games, you probably saw a play in which Bears running back Ka'Deem Carey had his left-side helmet logo knocked clean off of his helmet by Packers linebacker Joe Thomas:

And that wasn't the only helmet glitch from that game. Packers linebacker Jake Ryan came away with major damage to his logo decal, striping tape and paint job:

You might be thinking, "With all the news involving concussions, isn't it a little weird to be highlighting these big hits that cause helmet damage?" Fair point. But the reality is these incidents have more to do with the weather than with the severity of the hit. The game-time temperature at Soldier Field was 11 degrees, and history has shown that decal adhesives are more prone to break down in cold weather. Bears decals have been particularly vulnerable to this problem over the years because the team's wishbone-C logo consists of two thin prongs, which means there isn't much surface contact between decal and helmet. On a day with subfreezing temperatures, it doesn't take much for those decals to chip, tear or come loose.

So you can enjoy the novelty of seeing these decal malfunctions without feeling as if you're celebrating a player getting "jacked up." With that in mind, here's a selective timeline of 10 such incidents over the past decade:

Sept. 8, 2007: Rashad Johnson, Alabama

A rare example of a warm-weather decal glitch. When Alabama linebacker Rashad Johnson, who wears No. 49, hit the ground during a 2007 game against Vanderbilt, the "9" on his helmet went flying.

Dec. 23, 2007: Adrian Peterson and Brian Urlacher, Bears

Here we have a classic case of Bears logo damage: torn decals during a late-season, cold-weather game. Once you start looking for it, you'll find that this happens to many Bears players every year.

Jan. 20, 2008: Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, Giants

The Giants' "ny" decal is another logo with thin lines that are vulnerable to breaking. The temperature at Lambeau Field for the 2008 NFC Championship Game was right at zero degrees, so it's no surprise that running backs Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, among others, suffered damage to their helmet decals. (Bradshaw had dealt with similar issues a few weeks earlier. Giants equipment manager Joe Skiba said at the time that Bradshaw often liked to stand near the sideline heaters during cold games, so the cold-hot-cold cycle might have additionally affected his decals' adhesion.)

Nov. 16, 2008: Lance Briggs, Bears

It's one thing for a logo decal to be torn or damaged. It's another for it to be flapping in the breeze, as was the case with Bears linebacker Lance Briggs during a 2008 game in Green Bay.

Dec. 7, 2008: Le'Ron McClain, Ravens

Ever see a raven without its beak? That was the situation for Baltimore running back Le'Ron McClain for a 2008 game in Washington.

Oct. 27, 2012: Damien Williams, Oklahoma

Oklahoma running back Damien Williams had some trouble with his helmet logo during a 2012 game against Notre Dame. Of course, the Irish never have to worry about this kind of thing because they don't bother with helmet logos.

Nov. 24, 2013: Chad Greenway, Vikings

Did real Vikings lose their helmet horns during battle? Minnesota linebacker Chad Greenway lost part of his during a 2013 game in Green Bay.

Jan. 1, 2015: Assorted Oregon and Florida State players

The helmet logo gremlins were out in full force for the 2015 Rose Bowl (which was also a College Football Playoff semifinal), with several Oregon and Florida State players suffering assorted glitches.

Nov. 29, 2015: Chandler Jones and Malcom Brown, Patriots

The Pats' "Flying Elvis" logo nearly flew the coop during a 2015 game in Denver, as defensive linemen Chandler Jones and Malcom Brown both needed a bit of postgame decal maintenance.

Dec. 15, 2016: Assorted Rams players

The Rams' helmet horns are vinyl decals, just like the logos worn by other teams. For Thursday night's game in Seattle, they swapped out their usual gold horns for white versions -- their first time wearing white hots since 1972. Unfortunately, several players' horns didn't hold up in the chilly temperatures.

That list isn't close to complete, but it gives you an idea of how the look of a football team's most iconic visual signature -- its helmet -- can end up seriously compromised, especially on a cold day.

Paul Lukas gives big thanks to everyone who's gotten screen shots of these helmet decal malfunctions over the years. If you like this column, you'll probably like his Uni Watch Blog, plus you can follow him on Twitter and Facebook. Want to learn about his Uni Watch Membership Program or Uni Watch T-Shirt Club, be added to his mailing list so you'll always know when a new column has been posted, or just ask him a question? Contact him here.