What were the Thunder thinking?

I know this is a really old and tired discussion, but I just had to get it out of my head today. As I watched the Spurs take on the Oklahoma City Thunder last night in Oklahoma, I just couldn't stop being annoyed at their terrible logo and the lost graphic opportunity that the teams represents.

I guess I just haven't seen many Thunder games on their home court. I only see them play a few times a year, so last night must have been the first time I really let their look bother me. What were the owners of the Thunder thinking when they picked the team's logo and colors?

The logo and team colors just make no sense at all. When you think of "thunder", you think of descriptive words like power, noise, loud, dark, storm, ominous, fear, intimidation, and lightning. Is there anything about the colors of the Thunder that relates in any way to a term or image you would associate with "thunder"? The team's colors are more representative of an Easter basket than they are related to even a gentle spring shower, let alone a thunderstorm. The poor choice of colors is even more magnified by the team's home court design.

There are so many great ways that you could have created an image relating to a powerful force of nature like thunder. The team's logo looks like it would have worked for any name the team picked. The graphic possibilities should have been endless for a team with a name like that. Dark blues, blacks, silvers, golds, dark greys all would have been colors that would have created a really memorable look for the team, instead they use light blue, red and yellow.

Sorry for this old argument today, but it really got to me as I watched the game last night. What a wasted opportunity for something that could have been graphically great. Its a shame we lost a classic look like the Sonics for this.

Comments

[Erik Davila]

I totally agree. This looks so generic and uninspired. As if it were done for some B level sports movie. I would imagine they've had enough backlash that they will soon come up with a re-design and color makeover. At least I hope so. Definitely need to have some sort of combination of Spurs and Grizzlies colors. Navy, Black, Gold...somewhere in there.

[johnny griswold]

I'll never understand why teams back themselves into a corner with their team name. What can you do with a name like "Thunder" anyway? There's just no visual for thunder. Sometimes thinking outside of the box is just a dumb idea.

I have to imagine they'll be doing a re-design in short order.

[Daniel J Leonard]

Jim,
Reminds me of when I lived in south Florida during the time the NBA chose to expand by adding the Miami Heat. They held a contest to name the team and 'Heat' was chosen.
My girlfriend told me to enter a logo design because of my artistic abilities and interest in sports. I couldn't come up with an idea I felt would represent what the Miami heat was because it's a feel, not a picture.
Hot, humid, smothering came to mind, great attributes for a tough, defensive team, but nothing one could actually show in a graphic.
When the flaming basketball going through the hoop won, I thought, "That WON? No way!"
Same problem the OKC people have with a sound as their moniker.
I agree, the uniforms are about as imaginative as any YMCA league team might wear.

Daniel J Leonard
Tucson, Arizona

[marc]

another good topic, jim. i can't even begin to express my disdain for names like "thunder," "magic," "heat" and "wild."

using non-nouns as team names is so dang annoying. you can't even pluralize 'em. go "wilds?" go "magics?" don't think so... unless grammatically abhorrent is your thing. as long as they're at it, why not delve into adjective-based names? the "detroit driving" and the "las vegas gambling" are likely the next outside-the-box solution... and you know why they're outside-the-box? 'cause they suck and they should stay outside the box. it's like johnny said, "sometimes thinking outside of the box is just a dumb idea." amen, brother.

on second thought, though, adjective-based team names would be perfect for the marketing people... crowd chants like "GO GAMBLING!" would be ideal for the casinos. aw geez, why do i have the feeling i just did to marketing what brian did on "family guy" to inadvertently prompt peter to belt out "surfin' bird?"

[Hoolie67]

Don't apologize Jim! The Thunder and the NBA deserve to be ripped. All you said is dead on! The NBA as a whole is a uni joke. The only unis that are any good in the NBA are the Celtics, Spurs and Bulls. Even the Lakers, as old and traditional as that uni is, is not a good design! The Knicks have dinked around so much with theirs that they have ruined it. I'm not a fan of the light blue craze of the Nuggets and and Jazz. Most teams' unis are so over designed that it hurts your eyes to watch them. Hey Commissioner Stern, give us a classic Spurs vs. Celtics NBA Finals this year.

[Steve]

Considering the iconic level of the Supersonics logo makes this mistake even sadder.

[J]

I feel the same way! I have gotten used to the logo throughout the last two years but i still don't like it.