Lone Star Mess: Dallas’ uniform debacle

June 9, 2013 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Fans designing the uniform? Either genius or a disaster waiting to happen

The Dallas Cowboys have one of the most iconic sports uniforms in history. From the white jerseys, to the iconic navy star on the helmet, the Cowboys logo and uniform are as recognizable as Coca Cola. Unfortunately, while the Cowboys may have one of the best uniforms and logo in sports, the other Dallas teams don’t provide the same nostalgia. The Mavericks and Stars are updating their looks for the 2013 season. First, renegade NBA owner Mark Cuban is once again thinking outside the box. Rather then hire a professional design team, Cuban has announced that the fans will have the chance to redesign the logo and uniform in a fan contest. While this does give the team great publicity, along with increasing the relationship between the fans and the team, it also could be a publicity stunt that goes horribly wrong. But seriously though do you really want some twelve-year-old with crayons designing your pro team’s uniforms? To see what the fans have come up with so far check it out (here). However, there is still hope that the Mavs could have some pretty awesome uniforms, however the same cannot be said for their NHL counterparts. The Dallas stars have had

Houston we have a problem

an identity crisis for a few years now. After years of uniforms that just read “Dallas” in a boring script, when it was announced that Stars would get their long-awaited makeover people rejoiced! Then when the jerseys made their debut fans were seeing stars, and not in the good way. Rather then tweak their intimidating black and dark greens uniforms, the Stars decided to ripoff of the old Hartford Whalers. Seriously call Gary Bettman these uniforms were stolen! Seriously the lighter green, and a black that suspiciously looks navy, I think the Whalers were robbed. While the uniforms might have been ok, the logo just kills these uniforms. You thought Dallas would have learned from their infamous constellation uniform disaster, but unfortunately the new logo is terrible. A giant D with a simple star? Really? These uniforms are disappointing. This is just another attempt of what I call “modern retro”, when a team tries to make themselves have a classic look, when they don’t have that classic look. While some Stars fans may like the change, personally I hate these uniforms. I think the Stars have a major identity crisis and these new uniforms aren’t helping. What do you think about the Stars new uniforms? Take the poll to vote for your favorite.

NFL’s newest looks

April 27, 2013 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

Since the NFL partnered with NIKE it wasn’t if but when many teams would update their uniforms. This offseason three teams have updated their logos and uniforms in order to look good for the cameras for the 2013 NFL season. Here’s how I rated the newest looks in the NFL from worst to first!

Mike Wallace shows off his new threads

The Miami Dolphins: Well I never thought I’d say this but I miss the old dolphin logo. With a new “modern Miami” logo, apparently they’re having dinner with the Marlins brass, the Dolphins have the worst of the new uniforms. While they earn points for no orange uniform I don’t like the new color scheme. the Blue and orange worked very well together, however the new uniforms have reduced the orange to just a minor accent color instead focusing primarily on the teal and a darker shade of blue. While cleaner looking, these uniforms lack the charm and individuality of the previous and tried a little to hard to be both modern and traditional. You have to either go traditional or modern, you can’t do both. Unfortunately these uniforms while sleeker don’t represent the history of the Dolphins like the old ones did.

Going back to the purple people eaters.

Minnesota Vikings: And I thought Adrian Peterson looked tough before. While the Vikings also updated their logo, although it’s practically impossible to tell, they decided to ditch their old uniforms which had way too much piping and colors to go old school. These bad boys go back to the darker shade of purple and ditch all of the noise of the previous incarnation to just be simple but pure. With the minor details such as the numbers looking like the bow of a ship, and the sweeping horn design on the shoulder, which will make All Day look even faster, the Vikings new uniforms hit the mark combining modern-day sleekness and the Vikings storied history

Hey they might be bad, but at least they look good!

Jacksonville Jaguars: Talk about making a statement. For years Jacksonville has been a bad football team. While this trend will probably continue at least they’ll look awesome doing it. The new logo is ferocious and intimidating and is the best revamped logo in the NFL. The helmets are ground breaking, fading from black in the front to gold in the back to look like a jaguar pattern. The Uniforms are sleek, stylish, and use the team colors of teal, black and gold very well. The new teal jersey looks great with the black numbers, shoulders, and pants since the black really pops with the gold outlining. The all white look is crisp and clean once again highlighting the teal with the black. However, my favorite are the all black bad boys. All black uniforms with teal and gold trim and the white numerals that really pop. It was great to see the Jags bring back the black 2 years ago but this uniform kicks it up a notch. Now at least playing for the Jaguars will mean players will get to wear one of the best uniforms in the NFL. Do you agree with the list? Comment below

Back to the drawing board: worst logos in NHL history

February 18, 2013October 27, 2013 / Rich Sports Talk / Leave a comment

The NHL is known for some of the best logos in professional sports. The Original Six of the Maple Leafs, Blackhawks, Rangers, Bruins, Canadiens, and Red Wings have classic logos that have withstood the test of time. There are of course many other teams in the league and while some of them have great logos, some well are almost as bad as an NHL lockout. It takes a lot to make a great logo and sometimes teams try to hard to have a unique look. Other times teams have great logos but for whatever reason feel they need to “modernize” the teams image. A team’s logo is it’s identity and sometimes when these changes are made to beloved logos the fans will make their disapproval well-known. Here are the worst logos in NHL history

1) New York Islanders: the Gorton’s Fisherman

Apparently the Gorton’s fisherman plays hockey now

You know it’s a disaster when your new logo only last one season. In 1995 the Islanders changed from their iconic colors and logo to feature ocean blue and orange colors with the new fisherman logo. Ok I dare someone to tell me they like this logo. The fans were of course furious when the iconic long island and stick logo was replaced by this disaster. It also doesn’t help when every other team begins chanting “we want fish sticks” when they play your team. Seriously Islanders, did you get a secret sponsorship with Gortons just so they could put their fisherman in your logo? The Islanders quickly realized their blunder and when they were able to removed this logo from the jersey, but it took them years to go back to their iconic jerseys which they won their Stanley Cups in. This is one logo that I know Islanders’ fans never want to see again!

2 Dallas Stars: The artist apparently failed anatomy

Bull + Stars = What is that?

This logo was one of the most controversial in NHL history. It’s supposed to be the constellation of Taurus which is confusing and doesn’t make sense. However, this logo is infamous for being called the “Stars uterus logo”. Obviously this was a P.R. nightmare and the jerseys only lasted two seasons. While the Stars went out on a limb with this logo it still makes you wonder what the heck were they going for? Green bulls, red comets, stars all over the place it doesn’t make sense! Can’t you do a Northstars logo instead? Also maybe hire a logo designer who understands what anatomy looks like to you don’t offend people! While the stars have reverted back to their old logo, this terrible idea will defiantly haunt them for some time.

3 Boston Bruins: The Bruin

Why the an original six team would use a different logo I will never know

For the late 90s and early 2000s the Bruins called this eyesore their third jersey. Hmm the Bruins spoked wheel or classic walking Bruin logo, two of the best logos in NHL history were overlooked for this??? For future reference to any team out there, if your mascot is a fierce animal for the love of god don’t make it look like something a five-year old would want to hug. When I hear little kids say that bear is cute it just makes me wonder how the Bruins must have felt wearing this on the ice against other teams. OOOOOOHHHH the big bad taxi cabs with the giant beanie baby head jersey are going to get us!! If you’re an original six team you already have great logos. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel, pun intended, just use what works!!

4) Pittsburgh Penguins: the triangle bird

Another attempt to modernize a classic logo

Ok I’m no bird expert but I don’t think penguins look like triangles. I’m just glad Sid the Kid didn’t have to wear this pathetic logo. Another case of let’s take another iconic logo, the skating penguin, and make it sleeker. This logo likes like it should be used for a shipping company not an NHL franchise. It’s too simple and when you replace an iconic logo you better up the ante. Fortunately the Penguins realized their mistake and have gone back to the skating penguin logo that we all know and love. I’m still trying to figure this one out.

5 ) Nashville Predators: trying again and again

Another failed attempt by the Predators to have a good logo

One of the problems of being an expansion team is that you have create a new logo. The Predators have done this again… and again…. and again. Now they have a sleeker yellow and blue predator which while not the best logo s far better than it’s predecessors. For a franchise that at one point actually used a skull as a logo picking the worst logo of the bunch was like trying to pick the king of the stupids. But this one takes the case. It’s not menacing, has way too many colors, and is trying to do to many things at once. I understand that it’s not easy to make new logos but I mean come on this looks like it should be on the Flintstone’s cartoon not an NHL sweater. At least Nashville has learned from this disaster

6) Buffalo Sabres : Buffaslug

Let’s play guess what this logo looks like

Look on the ice it’s a slug, no it’s a Pikachu, no it’s Donald Trump’s hairpiece! Nope this is the famous buff-slug logo the Sabres wore from 2006-2010. After years of an updates Sabres logo and team colors of red, black, and grey. The club decided to go back to its original color scheme. Good idea! Bad idea instead of using the classic logo the fans love let’s use a modern version! Ok what buffalo has no legs? Seriously Buffalo another great logo passed over for this. No wonder fans were pissed. When you can’t even tell what your mascot is you know you have a serious logo problem.

7) LA Kings: Would you like fries with that?

The Great One wore this? I didn’t know he worked part-time at B.K.?

Wow Burger King got a new mascot? Nope, believe it or not Wayne Gretzky and the Kings wore this logo for hockey. If they played the Islanders we could have a full meal! Seriously you guys there were no food sponsorships under the table? Is Ronald McDonald next in on the action? This logo looks like they tried to make a barbarian looking king look intimidating. Ok if you’re not the Lakers or LSU don’t try using purple and gold. they know how to use it, you don’t. When your logo gets confused for a fast food mascot you know you messed up. Could be worse, the mascot could have looked like the chick for Wendys.

8) Columbus Blue Jackets: Weird Jacket

Beware of the killer bee?

The Blue Jackets are supposed to be about the Blue Jackets of Columbus that fought in the Civil War. Now A Blue Jacket isn’t exactly an easy mascot to create, but come on a bee with red eyes in a Civil War outfit? Seriously? Nothing says we’re a great hockey team like having an angry-looking wasp as a logo. Not to point out the obvious but how is a bee supposed to wear clothing? More importantly if they are the blue jackets why is the bee a yellow jacket? Thank god Columbus got rid of this train wreck. While their new logo isn’t exactly great either, it sure beats the angry bees. Jeez I can just hear Nicholas Cage “not the bees!!!! AAAAHHHHH”!

9) Mighty Ducks of Anaheim: Wild Wing to the rescue?

Thank you Anaheim, this ruins one of my favorite kids shows

Oh boy. This one hurts me. I loved the animated Mighty Ducks TV show as a kid. I loved Wild Wing as the leader of the Ducks. Crazy TV show, yes but it did get me into hockey at a young age. So in a brilliant move by the Mighty Ducks let’s throw Disney, the tv show, the pro team, mascot, and jersey into a blender mix it up and get this. I know it’s a eehh logo but the worst part of it was that this was the chest logo for the alternate jersey for a period of time. I could see it now asking NHL players with no teeth “excuse me, would you mind wearing this Disney jersey, the kids will love it”! For all those Mighty Ducks players that has to wear this, on behalf of all NHL fans sorry about that.

10) California Seals: Kindergarten project

Seriously? This was the best you could come up with?

As if it wash;t bad enough that a team had to be called “The Seals”. How can we possibly make it worst? Give them a logo that looks like it was created in a kindergarten art class! Look at this. The colors are awful, the logo looks like a native american craving, and how does that look like a seal? This should be on some grandmothers refrigerator not on an NHL sweater! Seriously we couldn’t put an actually seal in the logo? That looks like a fishing lure not a seal! I guess the only good news is that this logo isn’t around anymore. Sorry Californians, like your former governor something’s are better off being terminated after a while. Do you agree of disagree? What do you think is the worst NHL logo? Comment below!