Sports Design Blog

Monday Morning Review: Florida Gators

The Thanksgiving holiday was jam packed with sporting event after sporting event. There were a ton of design related issues to think about over the last four days, but one stands out as the subject that needs discussion today.

What in the world were the Florida Gators wearing in their game against Florida State? Research tells me that they were wearing Nike's new Pro Combat uniform. It is apparently Nike's new "System of Dress" for football and the Gators were one of the first few teams to don this new look.

The Florida Gators traditionally wear one of the cleanest, best designed uniforms in college football. Their orange and royal blue colors work well together and the uniform design is easily recognized.

The uniforms that the team wore this weekend were a bit shocking to the eyes. I understand Nike wanting to advance technology with this revolutionary uniform material, but did they have to completely change the look of the team in such a drastic and unexplainable way? Were those feathers on the shoulders?

About the only element that made any sense was the helmet. The helmet was a tribute to an old throwback style that the team used many years ago, with a modern "F" font. I can understand the thinking behind it, but I still think it was too far from the current one.

You know I like the fusion of retro and modern, so I'll give the helmet a pass. The uniforms on the other hand? Maybe it was just the shock of a completely new look for a team who is so familiar, but I don't think I am digging what the Gators were wearing on the field.

Hopefully this is just an experiment and not a permanent change.

Classic SDB: What If? Houston Astros

This story originally ran back in July. It was another "What If?" that looked into why the Houston Astros should bring back their classic old school logos. This article received all kinds of positive feedback and was one of the most viewed articles in the blog's history.

What If?: Houston Astros

As many of you know, I have written about my love of the Houston Astros uniforms from the 1970's and 1980's several times. The Astros were by far my favorite team growing up and the whole thing started with the uniforms and the logos. I was a huge fan of the rainbow era uniforms. I was an even bigger fan of the second evolution of the rainbow look with the shoulder stripes. Everything about the Astros logos and uniforms was at the top of my list.

When the team switched to their new look in 1994, I lost my love for the team. The last two logo and uniform evolutions for the team have not lived up to the great looks they had early on. So...what if you could take the team's current color scheme and styling and add some retro flair back into it? Here's my shot at bringing back some of that old school magic, paired with their color combination of today.

The first step in a return to retro greatness is to bring back the H-star hat. This hat is classic Astros and there is no excuse not to have it as a part of the Astros uniform set. Though originally done in orange and navy, the new set could use the Astros current black and brick colors. Bringing back these classic hats would be the foundation for the rest of the return to retro.

Next, you must bring back the famous logo with the orbiting baseballs. Since the Astrodome is no more, you would need to update the logo, removing the Astrodome. The modern retro logo would feature the newly reintroduced H-star from the hat in place of the Astrodome image. Bringing this classic logo back would be another great step in connecting the team with its glorious graphic past. Update the colors to Astros black, brick and sand and you have the modern version of the classic logo.

Next, you need to bring back the classic Astros font and graphics from the old uniform set and update it to today's color scheme. The white home uniforms would feature the retro look of the old Astros font with the star underneath. The logo would mimic the colors of their current jersey, with the letters and star in black, outlined in sand and brick. (click on the images for more detailed views). The sleeve of the jersey would feature a patch of the new retro logo. The home set would then be paired up with the brick colored version of the H-star cap.

For the road uniforms, you feature a very similar look, but based in the team's road grey color. Again you would have the classic Astros font and star, outlined in the team's sand and brick colors. This road uniform set would be paired with the new black version of the H-star cap. Again, the new retro logo would appear on the sleeve. Now you have a set of uniforms with the team's modern colors and retro logo stylings that connects in a real way with their past.

Just for good measure, you will need a set of alternate home and road jerseys to top off the set. The road alternates would be a brick colored jersey with the retro type and star. The letters and star would be black, with the brick and sand switching positions on the outline to accent the dark jersey. Pair this set up with the new road cap and you are ready to go.

The home alternates would feature a new black based jersey with the Astros type and star in brick, outlined in black and sand. The black jerseys would make the same statement that the old navy Astros BP jerseys did back in the day. If the weather is too hot for black, close the roof and play ball! This set would pair up nicely with the home brick colored H-star caps.

So there you have it, a return to graphics glory for the Astros, with a modern twist. Returning to the team's great graphic roots from the 1970's and 1980's would definitley be a welcome move by many fans. It would be a great way for the team to connect with its graphic and uniform history. This is my take on how the team could do it. I know I'd be in line to get my hands on all of this stuff if it hit the field again.

Classic SDB: What If Cincinnati Bengals

For the first of my classic articles, I wanted to run one that got the most feedback of anything ever written on SDB. Originally, I just wanted to take a look at what it might be like if the Bengals used their current logo package and made a change to their helmets. I did not intend this to be a criticism of the helmet they wear today, just an exercise in fantasy. Just like Stan Lee wasn't suggesting the Fantastic Four "should" have different superpowers, only that it would be interesting to see what it would be like if they did. The article brought out many emotions from Bengals fans, so here is a look back at my post from July titled:

"What If?" Cincinnati Bengals"

The Cincinnati Bengals have had one of the most unique helmets in the history of the NFL. The overall tiger stripe design was a revolutionary look when it was introduced and is still one of the most innovative around. However, the striped helmet has now been around for nearly 30 years! What if, the Cincinnati Bengals were to change the look of these helmets? What directions could the team go to give them a fresh new look to replace the 30 year old striped dome? First, it is very unlikely to ever see this happening, because the current helmet is embossed into the seatbacks at Paul Brown Stadium, but it would be fun to take a look at possible options to give the Bengals a new look.

First, it would be interesting to see what the team would look like with a primarily black helmet. One option that would be easy to implement would be to create a new version of the current one, but change the base color to black and only have the hint of black striping over the top. This would give the helmet a meaner look, but would keep the striped design in place, thus eliminating the need to replace seats at Paul Brown Stadium.

Another way to go would be to make the Bengals' helmets look more like those of traditional NFL teams. This could be achieved by placing the team's "B" logo on the side of a solid black helmet. The "B" would make a nice helmet logo and give the team a completely new look, with some tiger stripes thrown in for good measure. Of course, this look would also work with an orange background as well.

Since the team is known for their helmet design being outside the mainstream, what if you were to take the team's jumping tiger mascot and put it on each side of the helmet in a unique position. Placing the tiger on this way and this large would give the team another out of the ordinary look like no other team.

Another option for a black Bengals helmet would be to use the tiger face as a main logo on the side of a solid black helmet. Again, this would be much more similar to the traditional NFL type design.

Any of these new helmet designs could easily be paired up with the team's current uniforms, providing the Bengals with a new, but familiar look. 

As I have written before about the Bengals, I am a huge fan of their old school simple look from the 1960's and 70's. What if you could bring back some of that old school flair with a modern twist? Start with the helmet. By taking the team's more modern logo font and giving it a bit of an arch, you create a modern retro version of the old style Bengals helmet. This design utilizes the team's current font, but brings back all of the greatness of the team's original helmet.

To go along with the helmets, you could give the team's jerseys a bit of a back to the future feel as well. How about you simplify the jersey down to the way they were back in the 1970's, but update the sleeve stripes in a way that pays tribute to the way they were in the past. You could give the stripes some modern flair that also incorporates some of the more recent striped look of today? Put the two together and you have a modern looking return to the past for the Cincinnati Bengals.

Happy Thanksgiving from Sports Design Blog

I want to wish all of the readers of Sports Design Blog a Happy Thanksgiving! This week I will be trying to wrap up several design projects. I am also in charge of roasting the family bird, so this will be a busy week. With that said, I'll be taking a break until next Monday after the holiday.

That doesn't mean you can't stop by each day to see what's going on. I'm going to run a few classic posts from SDB past. I'll try to find a few posts that evoked some serious feedback and will run one each day over the course of the week. For those who are new to SDB, it may be the first time you see some of the older stuff from the blog. If you're a regular, hopefully they will bring back warm memories!

So, enjoy the holiday, I'll see you with new stuff next week!

The Len Bias Effect on the sports business

Last night I watched ESPN's 30 for 30 episode about the death of Len Bias. The show brought back many of the emotions I felt at that time when we heard the news of what had happened. At that time as a teenager, basketball was the center of mine and my friends' universe, and the news of his tragic passing hit all of us very hard.

We all know that Bias' death had a tragic impact on his family and friends. His death left his fans nationwide in disbelief. His passing turned the Maryland basketball program upside down. His death also had a huge impact on society as a whole. The impact of the loss to the Boston Celtics was illustrated by their 21 year drought between championships. In the Golden Era of NBA basketball, Bias was poised to become its next big star.

Watching the show got me thinking about it from a different angle. How did Len Bias' death change the history of the sports products industry? At the time, Nike had struck gold with Michael Jordan and the success of the Air Jordan. Jordan burst on to the NBA scene and his shoe became the catalyst for the biggest boom in the history of the sports industry. Converse had endorsements from the NBA's biggest pre-Jordan stars in Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. It looked very likely that Bias had the talent and the potential to become the next great superstar in the NBA, joining the other three as one of the most powerful endorsers in the game.

Bias was the first round pick in the 1986 NBA draft of the Boston Celtics. Immediately after being drafted by the Celtics, he signed an endorsement contract with Reebok. Had Bias taken the court for the 1986 season wearing a Reebok shoe, he may have been able to add a completely new dynamic to the basketball shoe business at the time. The talent and style that Bias' would have displayed in the NBA may have given Reebok a product that could have been a rival to the Air Jordan. We will never know what heights Bias could have achieved and what impact he may have had on how the shoe business played out in the 1980's and 1990's. The entire business could have gone a completely different direction.

Bias had a playing style that would have immediately placed him among the most popular players in the game. It is quite likely that he may have been able to give Michael Jordan a run for his money in merchandise sales. Sales of Michael Jordan related products propelled the sports licensed products industry into its greatest period ever. Jordan was the undisputed king of product sales. How might that have changed if we would have been lucky enough to see Len Bias develop on the NBA court? Bias' talent and popularity would very likely have given the industry a completely new dynamic. Bias' success with the Boston Celtics might have made apparel from the team give Chicago Bulls apparel a run for its money as the top seller in sports.

The loss of Len Bias still stands out as one of the most shocking and tragic losses the sports industry has ever experienced. Bias' incredible talent would have given basketball fans another great superstar to admire and root for. There is no way to measure the impact he would have had on the NBA, the sport of basketball and the business of sports as well. We will always be left to wonder what Len Bias may have achieved on the court and the special memories he would have left behind for all of us to remember and how he could have changed the course of the business of sports.

One Last Look at Baseball.....again!

During the World Series, we had a guest column on SDB from frequent contributor Dan Leonard. Dan's column received lots of great feedback and he wanted to do a follow-up  on his baseball subject. So, without further introduction, here's Dan's column:

By Dan Leonard

I've received quite a bit of positive feedback from readers on my guest column. This comment on my article was made by Starskee on October 30th:

It's curious to consider that innovation is often tempered by superstition and superstition can drive teams to emulate the design of winning teams. A team could come out with some wacky new design and be ridiculed, but if they're winning, all will be forgiven. And then emulated! Having said that, I do dig the classic uniforms. By the way, the font and uniform style of the L.A. Dodgers is still pretty much the original Brooklyn look, right? (Except for the knickers/socks, I guess...)

Starskee's point is quite insightful.

The early 70s Oakland Athletics came out with new uniforms in kelly green, gold and white jerseys that were interchangeable with their white pants. It was a huge break from traditional, staid baseball uniforms. In addition to the radical colored jerseys, they sported gold socks beneath the kelly green stirrups, also a departure from the norm. Yes, those A's teams were certainly trendy, and successful! These stylish dudes won three consecutive world series championships from 1972-74, all while sporting long hair, sideburns, beards and mustaches.

I was devastated when my hometown favorite, Pittsburgh Pirates were unable to hold onto their National League crown in 1972. Their loss in the  divisional playoffs to the Cincinnati Reds forfeited a chance for the grooviest Series baseball had ever seen!

Those Pirates ultimately mimicked the successful Oakland franchise in 1976 with their own radical black, gold and pinstriped, interchangeable jerseys and pants. It was the Centennial celebration of the National League that year and many teams were sporting pill-box styled caps, similar to those worn during the senior circuit's first season. With two different colored caps, they outdid their predecessors, the A's, wearing their jerseys and pants in 15 different combinations.

The Buccos did become superstitious, too. During the 1979 season, the elder statesman, 38 year-old team captain , Willie Stargell decreed that they would only wear the black jerseys with gold pants or vice versa. Thereby, disbanding the pinstriped versions altogether, during their divisional playoffs and World Series games.

Stargell added to the color of those uniforms. Throughout the pennant -winning campaign, he awarded gold 'Stargell Stars' to teammates who's contributions helped win crucial ballgames. The stars were worn on the black pill-box styled caps in between the gold stripes. This exemplified Willie's leadership. He'd been through previous pennant-winning wars, as a young member of the world championship 1971 team led by the great Roberto Clemente, then 37.

All this culminated in the only themed-song title team to date. The '79 Pirates had adopted Sister Sledge's, "We Are Family" as their song during that summer. Some of the player's wives danced to the music on top of the dugout  celebrating a world series victory over the Baltimore Orioles!

The New York Yankees celebrated their 27th World Series title this season. We often fault the big market teams for buying the latest, greatest players, and pennants. Lets give Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera their due. Having only been Yankees, their leadership has been responsible for many championships. It's fun to remember when other small market teams had the same opportunities. Who can imagine Willie Stargell as anything other than a Pittsburgh Pirate?

 

Monday Morning Review: NFL Colors

A few weeks ago, I did a post about how the color yellow influences my enjoyment of watching football. Yesterday, I was obviously watching my hometown Bengals take on the Steelers. In addition to this being one of my favorite games of the year because of the rivalry between the two teams, it is also one of the most visually appealing games to watch as well. Yesterday's game was a great example of the uniform colors on the field making a game enjoyable. The Bengals and Steelers are a contrast between new school design (Bengals) and old school desing (Steelers).

The uniform combinations that both teams were wearing, combined with both team's colors made the game very pleasing to the eyes. The battle of black and the combination of the rich orange and yellow colors looked great together. Even the color of the grass and the graphics around the stadium contributed to the visual appeal of the game. In addition to being a great game with big implications, it was also a visual treat on Sunday afternoon.

During the Bengals game, the broadcast would periodically show updates from the Jets/Jaguars contest. This game was an extreme visual contrast from the Bengals/Steelers matchup. I am a fan of the Jets old school/new school uniforms, but the game was completely void of the colors that made the other game so visually appealing. This game featured cool colors, no bright colors and way too much white. The pale color of the field even contributed to this game being much less visually appealing than the battle for AFC North supremacy.

I know it is a bit strange that I watch football in this way, but one of the things that makes me a big fan of the NFL is the color combinations of the teams on the field. Outside of my loyalty to the Bengals, most of the time I will watch a game based entirely on the color combinations on the field. These two games from Sunday provided looks from completely opposite ends of the spectrum.

Old School Design: Converse All Stars

You know I've been a student of the basketball shoe industry ever since I slid that first pair of Air Jordan 1's onto my feet in the mid 1980's. I've written several times about the classics form the 1980's like the Air Jordan, the Converse Weapon and the Pony City Wing and the impact they had on the shoe business during that time.

As I was buying and wearing these crazy shoes in the 1980's, my Dad continued to swear by his Converse All Stars. I'll never forget the site of him taping up his ankles and sliding on his off-white low cut classic Chuck Taylor All Stars. He really had no need for the technology of the modern basketball shoe, just the comfort and familiarity of the original.

This ad from a 1969 Sports Illustrated features those classic original Converse All Stars. Before they became a fashion statement, the All Star was the shoe of choice for an entire generation of basketball players. This is the shoe that started the industry and was the standard of basketball performance for athletes for many years. The ad provides a great look at "your father's basketball shoe" and has an innocence that we can't imagine anymore.

The basketball shoe industry has certainly come a long way since the Chuck Taylor Converse All Star ruled the court.

Sports Design Entrepreneurism

 
I wanted to give you some information about someone who had a sports themed idea and followed through on the steps it took to make that idea a reality. I had a chance to work with Abbie at JAHBA Products early on in her product development process. I began working with her to design some labels for a grill spice brand that she had created and was beginning to sell to a wider audience.

Abbie wanted to take those grill spices and apply for a license with the Ohio State University to put their official logos on the bottles. I helped her as she began that process and got her started with some labels designs. I had not heard an update on her progress until just recently and was proud to see where she had taken the ideas she had.

Not only had she gotten the Ohio State license for the grilling spices (which are outstanding by the way), but she had also acquired a license for and produced several other OSU themed tailgating items for sale. Other items include a grilling kit, ice cube trays, a baking dish and a plush picture frame.

I really am excited that she was able to take her ideas and follow through on them to actually take them into the marketplace. It shows a lot of determination to take a good idea and actually follow through with it and get the products licensed and produced. Congratulations to Abbie and her group for following a sports design dream and making it a reality.

You can find more information on these products at the company's official website www.thebuckeyestuff.com. They also produced a great video about the products that you can view on YouTube. 

Return of the classic Buccaneers uniforms

Sunday's NFL game schedule was light on throwback designs. There were no major AFL games but there was one game that presented a great look back at a classic uniform set from the past. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought back the original orange uniforms that the team wore at its founding and throughout its early history.

The game against the Packers created a look that could have easily been like watching a game several decades ago. The classic Buccaneers look along with the timeless look of the Packers created a beautiful game to watch. The classic Buccaneers colors brought back some great memories, though the Bucs had some really awful years while wearing these colors. Time has lessened the blow of those colors being associated with some really bad teams. Now those colors just look great making a rare appearance on the field and bring back images of great Bucs players from the past.

Great looking game, classic cool old school uniforms.