Rockford Riverhawks

Posted on March 26, 2012 by

I’m a little behind with this one, but it is such an upgrade, I have to say something about the new Rockford Riverhawks logos.

I once owned a Riverhawks cap not so much because I liked the logo but because I stopped in Rockford to see about a job with my old general manager while on my drive of shame back home to Olympia, Washington from Richmond, Indiana where I was laid off/kicked out by the Richmond Roosters. Though he offered me a job, I didn’t take it and I have never worked full-time in baseball again. And though that was the decision that put an end to my short time working in independent baseball, I don’t regret not taking the job.  Never have.

But I digress. I did regret buying the cap because it featured the logo to the right, their inaugural logo and logo they’d use until 2007. It just never did anything for me. Boring colors, silly cartoon face, weak “R”. Not to mention the cap was a Zephyr fitted and I’m a New Era 59/50 guy all the way. I wore it occasionally when I really wanted to be different.

In 2007, they finally updated their logo. The face was still cartoonish, but they improved their color scheme and added a few nice alternates to the mix. Still, the logo screamed cheap and seemed a bit amateurish and already dated especially since they kept the wordmark from their original set of logos.

But last week, the Riverhawks announced a whole new set of logos, and it’s a pretty impressive upgrade for a team that has had basically the same amateur look for the past ten years…

Honestly, if I was pitched a job with this team with these logos instead of those old logos back in 2002, I might still be working in baseball.  But then I might not be married with two kids, either, and I’ll take that life over the turmoil of independent baseball.

These, finally for Rockford, are professional, respectable logos that mean business. Definitely one of the best upgrades released for the 2012 season.

Posted in Baseball, Illinois | Leave a comment

Southwest Washington Soccer Association concept

Posted on March 19, 2012 by

I swear to you, I will start updating The Sports Logo Pundit more regularly. I should. There is something to talk about every single day.

Today, I just want to share a logo that I submitted for my rec soccer league. I don’t know if they’ll pick it because it isn’t a very serious logo and irony doesn’t seem to be appreciated but I think it’s fun and different.

There is also a part of me that doesn’t want them to pick it because I will totally save that harbor seal and use it for my daughter’s first pee wee soccer team.

Posted in Soccer, Washington | Leave a comment

Goodbye Yuma Scorpions

Posted on February 8, 2012 by

20120208-131658.jpg
The Yuma Scorpions, original members of the Golden Baseball League and recently of the woeful North American League, are no more. New ownership has taken over and are rebranding the team as the Yuma Panthers.

Ballpark Biz gets it right when he says that this is a bad move. There have been good and, recently, bad times with the Scorpions but their Studio Simon designed logo was a really nice, professional, solid and respectable brand and is arguably the best thing this team has going for it. I sincerely doubt that they’ll come up with anything even remotely similar or effective. I expect it to be done half-assed and on the cheap.

Prove me wrong Panthers, prove me wrong.

Posted in Arizona, Baseball | Leave a comment

The Clink Room’s Shadow League Voting

Posted on December 16, 2011 by

My entriesVoting is now open for The Clink Room’s Shadow League contest. I have three entries and I would appreciate a vote if you are so inclined. Go here for instructions and to see all the entries. If I had to steer you toward one, I think the Olympia Roundabouts logo (the yellow one, in case you can’t tell) is the best of my entries and has a legitimate shot to get some votes. Sadly it looks kind of janky on the ballot.

As for my votes, I have to admit that I didn’t have a very hard time whittling down the competition. I was generally a little disappointed by the entries. I thought they would be a bit more creative and I definitely expected more visual tricks and optical illusions. But there are some that I really like and will be voting for. I get five votes and I’m voting for my Roundabouts logo and then choosing four other logos from these…

Although the ballot is missing one that I would definitely vote for, the Key West Canes…

So until the Key West Canes appears on the ballot, I’m withholding my votes. As of right now, the definite votes go to the Roundabouts, Canes, The Krakken and the Eels. I’m leaning toward the Lagers (the beer mug) because I like the design and the designer gave the Roundabouts logo a vote but I’m also quite taken with the Hobos logo. The other three are the odd men out, but I do really like them all and are still in consideration.

Posted in Baseball | 4 Comments

Tampa Bay Rowdies

Posted on December 15, 2011 by

20111215-104735.jpgFC Tampa Bay is now the Tampa Bay Rowdies, a name and logo that are a throwback to their previous NASL days. I like it though I hope that they do a secondary logo crest of some kind.

Posted in Florida, Soccer | 1 Comment

South Sound FC Shock

Posted on November 1, 2011 by


The Tacoma Stars are building a new indoor soccer facility in town and have abandoned the Tacoma Soccer Center in a dispute and will play this season in Renton at the Starfire complex. So since the area was going to go without indoor soccer this season, a new club was formed – South Sound FC – and will practice at the Tacoma Soccer Center and play their PASL-Premier games at the Gig Harbor Athletic Club.

Today they released their crest and I have to admit that I’m pleasantly surprised. I didn’t expect much out of this crest, in fact I didn’t think they’d ever actually release a logo even. I even like the red, white, blue and green color scheme. The only thing I don’t like is the font that they used. It’s the only thing that screams that they did this on the cheap.

Posted in Soccer, Washington | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Bloomington Blaze: Response

Posted on October 31, 2011 by

Ok, I’m man enough to admit when I’m wrong or at least talking out of my butt. I was just going through some emails and found one that I missed from Skye Dillon.  He created the Bloomington Blaze logo that I ripped awhile ago. He was nice enough to send along the whole package (above) and explain a few things…

“The two-tone gold bevel was a technique to capture the metallic essence of fire badges and feature it throughout the identity. Through my research, every other team featuring fire or flames just used bright colors and standard outlines, so this was a way to make the brand more ownable for the Blaze.”

That makes a lot of sense and I completely agree that it is a unique look when compared to the other flame teams.  And I’m a fan of the secondary logos, especially the inaugural season logo. That makes a really nice patch.

I think my frustration with this name and logo wasn’t the design itself, it’s the name. The Bloomington Blaze just doesn’t do it for me because it’s so derivative. But now that I hear what Skye is saying and give the logo a second chance, I do like it and I think it’s a design that elevates a lackluster name.

One thing I need to be careful about when it comes to reviews is to not rip designers too much. I think that they are often doing the best that they can and are doing what their clients want. The big decisions are made by the front offices of these teams and they don’t necessarily always have the best taste or at least want something totally different out of their logo than what I want.

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment