This is a totally interesting dilemma for the NFL’s "Color Rush" initiative, and I never gave it a second thought myself, so it’s possible the league was caught off guard as well.
The reviews on the first ever "Color Rush" game were mixed, but the NFL got the thumbs down from colorblind fans.
According to Larry Brown Sports via The National Eye Institute, colorblind fans may have thought the Jets and Bills were on the same team at times.
“As many as 8 percent of men and 0.5 percent of women with Northern European ancestry have the common form of red-green color blindness.
“Men are much more likely to be colorblind than women because the genes responsible for the most common, inherited color blindness are on the X chromosome. Males only have one X chromosome, while females have two X chromosomes. In females, a functional gene on only one of the X chromosomes is enough to compensate for the loss on the other. This kind of inheritance pattern is called X-linked, and primarily affects males. Inherited color blindness can be present at birth, begin in childhood, or not appear until the adult years.”
Deadspin provided some context on just what color blind fans were experiencing:
Here's what tonight's NFL game looks like to people with red-green colorblindness: https://t.co/xjGrDXiXI5 pic.twitter.com/2IRSKpqCGf
— Deadspin (@Deadspin) November 13, 2015
Some fans provided their experience as well:
How the colorblind see #BUFvsNYJ _ we see pants with white and blue trim vs. pants with white trim. pic.twitter.com/faxr8Wjssy
— Michael A. Giarrusso (@MichaelG1) November 13, 2015
The next few weeks should only get even more interesting.
By Glenn Erby
