by By JORDAN GODWIN, FOR THE chronicle , The Houston Chronicle

Record: 3-2.

Today: vs. Thunder, 7:30 p.m.

TV/radio: FSH, 610 AM and 850 AM (Spanish).

Inside: Rockets making changes to keep one step ahead. page C4

MORE: See photos of alternate jerseys for the Rockets and Houston's other teams, and vote for your favorite. chron.com/sports

It remains to be seen whether the Rockets' sizzling start will translate into a playoff appearance this season, but tonight they'll look every bit the part of an NBA champion.

Trevor Ariza, Luis Scola, Aaron Brooks and the rest of the new-generation Rockets will pay homage to the franchise's storied past when they play their first regular-season game in their new alternate jerseys.

Look out, Oklahoma City Thunder: The ketchup and mustard is back.

"The feedback has been great, and fans are very fired up," said Chris Dacy, the Rockets' chief strategy officer. "They're happy to see the traditional look from the championship days."

Unveiled in September, the jerseys will serve as an occasional alternative to the team's current red-and-white combinations. The Rockets' creative marketing team started designing the jersey more than a year ago when the NBA granted permission to proceed.

Due to licensing contracts and merchandising strategies with Adidas, the NBA is conservative about allowing teams to create new jerseys.

"We were one of the few teams that still didn't have an alternate jersey, and we were very excited when the NBA approached us with the prospect," Dacy said. "It was on our radar screen for years."

The Rockets did their homework and found that retro jerseys are still a fan favorite. But instead of simply replicating the old jerseys, they gave them a modern twist. For the first time since the 1990s, they used the city's name instead of " Rockets " to give the team more identity. They used a font similar to the current uniforms' but tilted it like the old jerseys.

The creative team submitted the design to the league office, which made a few minor tweaks. The NBA also added several features that make the jerseys more comfortable. The shoulders are narrower for added comfort, and they're made of lightweight micro-mesh that doesn't get too heavy when wet.

Seeing red

Across town, the Texans have a red alternative of their own. "Battle Red Day" has brought excitement to fans twice a season since 2003.

"When the schedules come out, we get tons of phone calls from people asking when Battle Red Day is," said Melissa Rentz, the Texans' director of advertising and branding. "The fans like to see the team in the red jerseys, and they usually play well on Battle Red Day."

Whether it's the jerseys or the added hype, the Texans have indeed fared well in red. They're 7-3 on Battle Red Day, including a loss to Jacksonville earlier this season. Rentz said the occasion is typically scheduled later in the season, and that's when the Texans have done best. They're 5-1 in red in games played in November or December.

But unlike the Rockets , the Texans' alternates aren't inspired by retro jerseys - the young franchise doesn't have anything to "throw back" to.

"We're currently in the process of building a tradition," Rentz said. "Maybe in 20 or 30 years, we can use today's jerseys as retros, but for now, we're still working on it."

One of the best-selling retro jerseys in all of sports is the Astros' rainbow jersey of the 1970s. The jerseys were immensely popular, but not everyone was a fan.

A few critics

Before one turn-back-the-clock game in 1999, then-closer Billy Wagner joked with fans about his disapproval of the uniforms.

"This might be the ugliest thing I've ever worn," Wagner said at the time.

The Astros now have three alternate jerseys.

But the Rockets have the only alternate jersey that hearkens back to a title team.

"It's a bold color and a big part of the history of our franchise," Dacy said of the Rockets . "We have a passionate fan base, and people are ready to see these new jerseys in action."

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