Thrashers retire 3rd jerseyAfter three long seasons, the Atlanta Thrashers have mercifully announced they are retiring their football basketball third jersey.

Blueland Blog, an arm of the Thrashers' official website, posted the news today and added that the team will NOT wear a third jersey at all in the 2011-12 season. Blogger Ben Wright wrote:

Some fans loved them, and others weren’t big fans. Whether you were a fan of the red third jerseys or not, they were unique, but their time has come to an end.

After launching in the fall of 2008 and being worn for three seasons as an alternate home jersey the red Thrashers jersey is being retired. The Thrashers will return to the basics next season and stick with their regular home and road uniforms with no third jersey in 2011-12.

Were you a fan? Will you miss it?

I may not be a Thrashers fan. But as someone with an appreciation for hockey uniforms, I think it was a wreck. But that wasn't always the case.

When it was first unveiled on Oct. 8, 2008, I wrote, "this is a great jersey if you can look past the front of it. I like sleeves, the logo element on the shoulders and the striping looks great. I just can't quite get past the text and the giant number on the front."

I still mostly stand by that. I like slightly oversized shoulder patches and the stripes on the sleeves. And I was always on the fence about the socks and the odd elements on the sides of the jersey.

But after years of seeing it over and over again I've been unable to reconcile the front of that uniform. It's just not what a hockey uniform should look like. Not that I'm any kind of authority on that. I'm a fan like anyone else. And coloring outside the lines is usually a good thing.

I just won't miss this one. Will you? Will you miss the Thrashers having a third jersey option? Should they take another stab in 2012-13 or stick with two for a while?

Related: Atlanta Thrashers jersey gallery