Top 10 worst sports uniforms

Dave Golokhov / Askmen.com

Like it or not, we live in a superficial world. How you look and how you dress is taken as a representation of your self.

Photo gallery ... Ugly sports uniforms

And with so many eyes gazing and glaring, one should always want to look his or her best. That's not always the case, however — particularly in the sports industry.

Before the puck is dropped, the coin is tossed or the first pitch is thrown, each team suits up in a uniform that will inevitably exude a certain impression.

So, considering that sports franchises spend millions of dollars on their players, stadiums and marketing, shouldn't they shell out a couple of bucks to ensure that their athletes look as sharp and confident as possible?

Here's a list of the top 10 teams who cut corners on uniform creativity, and left their players imprisoned in the most unappealing jerseys in sports.

10. Newcastle United FC (home)
Jersey lifespan: 1894-present

The creator of the Newcastle United jersey didn't have a very colorful imagination; his gray thinking turned out a uniform that alternates between thick black and white stripes.

It's unclear whether he was inspired by the outfits of early 1900s jailbirds, hockey and football referees, or simply zebras. Whatever the case, none of these are really prime images to be affiliated with.

9. Golden State Warriors (home/away)
Jersey lifespan: 1962-1971

Nate Thurmond sports the old Golden State Warriors threads of the 60s. (Walter Iooss Jr./NBAE / Getty Images)

A team's uniform is supposed to ooze with confidence and instill a bit of fear in the opponent, but the Golden State Warriors' cheesy mid-'60s concoction did quite the opposite. The predominant color was a cheddar-yellow and the trim was blue. With a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge on the front and a trademark San Francisco trolley on the back, this stitched postcard was more welcoming than it was threatening.

8. Miami Dolphins (alternate)
Jersey lifespan: 2003-present

The color orange has high visibility and is eye-catching, but the all-orange Miami Dolphins' third jersey is more repelling than appealing. The few that do find the orange coloring young, hip and attractive, are usually turned off by the decision to use a clashing mint green as the complementary color. The only thing saving the Dolphins from looking like one giant Orange Crush ad is the fact that their helmet is predominantly white.

7. Denver Nuggets (road)
Jersey lifespan: 1976-1998

The world of sports has not been the most welcome place for the gay fitness community, but the Denver Nuggets tried to break the ice. With a red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple stripe across the midsection, the Nuggets jersey bore a striking resemblance to the rainbow flag over a 20-year period. Although their look has since evolved, throwback Nuggets jerseys can still frequently be seen at gay and lesbian pride events.

6. Tampa Bay Lightning (alternate)
Jersey lifespan: 1996-1999

This jersey looks like the product of a collaborated effort by a third-grade class. The theme of lightning is translated into a lame graphic of a storm, with a wave on the lower part that tucks in. Around the team logo is what might be the worst depiction of rain in the history of mankind, which can easily be mistaken for pieces of masking and electrical tape. But the tacky maraschino cherry on top has to be the yellow lightning bolts on the arm sleeves. As they say, when it rains, it pours.

5. Chicago White Sox (home)
Jersey lifespan: 1976

Fashion statements are fairly limited in the sport of baseball. You can customize the color of your glove, you can wear a Livestrong wristband or you can move the bill of your cap off-center. Well, the '76 White Sox decided to push the envelope, fitting their team with shorts instead of pants. The navy blue cutoffs were combined with knee-high socks, quickly turning the White Sox into the league's laughing stock. Even though they donned the shorts just once, this uni will be etched in the minds of baseball fans forever.

4. Nashville Predators (alternate)
Jersey lifespan: 2001-present

There are few colors recognized by the human eye that are more revolting than the shade of pus. That didn't deter the Predators from sampling that tone for their third jersey. On the front is a sabertooth tiger poking his head through a triangle. And you thought Quentin Tarantino's thinking was bizarre.

Sean Burroughs sports the Padres' camouflage uniform. (Jeff Gross / Getty Images)

3. San Diego Padres (alternate)
Jersey lifespan: 2003-2004

Sometimes in sports, teams perform so poorly that they want to hide. The San Diego Padres tried to do the next best thing by wearing a camouflage jersey; what they didn't realize was that baseball games are played in a stadium, not a jungle. Instead of blending into the background, they stood out like sore thumbs in their army fatigue outfits. Some might call it innovative. I call it ugly.

2. Vancouver Canucks (home/away)
Jersey lifespan: 1978-1985

Sports jerseys are always a quick fix if you're in need of an easy Halloween costume, but the 1978-85 Canucks looked like they were trick or treating 365 days a year. Their jersey's three predominant colors of black, yellow and orange/red borrowed the color scheme from the October 31st holiday, and they couldn't shake that pumpkin theme for almost a decade.

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (alternate)
Jersey lifespan: 1976-96

The key to this horrendous outfit was not the burnt orange jersey or the white pants. It was the helmet. On it is a buccaneer who is either winking, has something in his eye or has lost his eyepatch. Furthermore, he's holding a dagger in his teeth, and he's topped with a pirate's hat that's about to blow off. Seems like our one-eyed friend is about to walk the plank.

The ugliest uniforms ever

People do look and do pay attention to how you fashion yourself. So when you step into the public eye, try to look your best — especially if you're entertaining thousands of sports fans.