Lions uniform changes

[BJBerthiaume]

Even though they used black, I still can't say that I don't like it. I think the Lions desperately needed this.

[GFB]

I don't post much on here, but I check it regularly... I'm a 32 yr old graphic designer in Chicago, but grew up in Detroit and have been a lions fan my entire life (unfortunately)

When I see these new changes as they are leaked, I have to ask myself... who did this. I'm really hoping these are rough drafts, but since it was leaked by NFL.com I have to believe this is a credible change.

At first glance I was happy to see a modernized version of a logo I loved, then I blew it up and saw how it was done and was not happy at all.

Here are some of my issues:

1. The new lion mouth looks more like a can opener than a mouth with teeth.

2. The mane looks like a bad hair day with cow licks sticking up in random spots rather than a flowing mane

3. I don't mind the accent marks on the lions body logo as a whole except for the two lines moving away from the mouth look like modernized drool... if they left them off I'd probably like it more.

4. I hate the new typeface, I like the notches in it, but the movement of the lines seems more female and slightly 90's to me, not modern enough, and not testosterone driven at all. If it was the Lionesses, I'd be ok with it... like if this was a WNBA typeface, it works.

5. I really, really hate the new numbers, everything I said in number 4 doubled.

I guess there's rules about not letting outside designers work on new logos, and I've seen a lot of bad ones suggested. I personally would love to work on it, but that's never going to happen... I was really hoping they wouldn't screw this up and I'm afraid they just did. There is no way I'm buying any new Detroit Lions stuff, if this is the new look.

Ok, I'm going to be depressed the rest of the day now, go ahead and bash what I've said if you want, it's just how I feel as a professional and a fan. I now have to decide if this is bad enough to finally stop being a fan of this team. It just might be.... funny how 0-16 wasn't enough, but this just might be.

Welcome to the boards liquidtiki!

I'm with you step for step. The cow licks especially. Another thing I see that I don't like is that the sleeve stripe is still too thick. Unless they found a new template to fit it on, it will still look like crap when it's on the field.

Exhibit A:

I also have a question for AsM or ColorWerx... do either of you know what font the nameplate uses and is it one-color, two-color, or three-color?

[Atomic]

I'm glad there was no radical change in both logos and uniforms. I like the "evolution" process that the Lions did and was similar to the evolution with the 49ers. While I'm not a fan of the wordmark (I think it would look better with a black outline), I really like what they have done and wish more teams (Vikings, Bills, and Cardinals Uni's as an example) would have gone through a simiar process.

If the Niners weren't my favorite team, I'd gladly rock a Lions jersey.

[In 5..4..3..2..1]

I think the Lions did a good job with the update all around from the logo to the wordmark and the uni's. Could they have left out the black, I hoped they would but for me it does'nt make or break the unis. Same thing with the black facemask I would have rather seen a blue one but I'll live with the black. I feel the exact opposite as some here. I think they avoided a complete disaster by not going crazy with the design or the logo. I like it.This my kind of update.

[oldschoolvikings]

I don't think we're being too negative by saying it coulda been better. I think if the best you can say is it isn't as bad as the Falcons/Bengals/etc. you might need to raise your expectations. When a change is announced, its natural for everyone to hope to be blown away. A uniform that's just OK will always seem like a let down, at least at first.

But I agree about the "Fail" stuff... its tired.

[udubs03]

I think the updated logo looks good except for the head. Something about it just doesn't say 'lion' to me. It looks kind of like a hybrid of a bear and a werewolf. I also find it amusing how there's no black in the wordmark.

[IceCap]

Wow. You guys are a tough crowd.

I think the people who say this FAILS need to count your blessings. The striping all matches perfectly, already vaulting it over Ohio State. The striping scheme on the blue jersey makes the gray pop. The logo is slightly updated but in a good way. The wordmark is modern but classy. It's not like they wanted to go with something drastic. Obviously. But all this talk of how bad this update is makes me raise my eyebrows at this forum that generally loves striping and hates piping. Do you really want the Lions looking like the Falcons? They give you a simple update that brings all the elements together into a design with much more continuity. And it is scoffed at. I think the hipocrisy is overwhelming. Take it for what it's worth, it's an update for a franchise trying to get back on it's feet. The Packers unis are generally well received. In these I see a lot of similarities. But it gets the overused "epic fail" moniker. What is wrong here? Okc Thunder is an epic fail. Not this. Sorry for the rant. I just think that people making a big deal out of a good update.

Overall I think Colorwerx was right.

THANK YOU!

Geeze, this place seems like it's gotten tougher to impress.

What exactly is wrong with the new Lions unis? Are they not different enough? If that's it, well excuse me, but I think you're not looking at things clearly enough.

The Lions didn't go into this update with the intention of pulling a Bills/Falcons/Vikings. They went into this update with the objective of updating their logo set and streamlining their uniform design. They've accomplished both.

The wordmark and logo are definite upgrades, and the striping patten is now consistent through the entire uniform.

They accomplished everything that they set out to do and the end result looks pretty good on top of all of that. So lighten up.

[aerodynamix]

Seeing the leaks out and about on the wonderful world of the internet, I don't have any conflict with this at all. The "new" Bubbles is given some more definition while maintaining the integrity of the classical outline that we knew and loved/loathed. I would've liked to see the Lions come up with a dark charcoal gray more to compliment silver more so than black, but I'm not complaining. Here's my two main reasons why I like 'em:

~ It's clean. No crazy piping all over the place, like the Vikes rebrand recently. The wordmark isn't muddled with gradients or something that could prove a problem in reproduction in print or embroidery. No boring copperplate or spin-off of the prior rebrands, such as the Seahawks, Cards, and (even if it's not a rebrand) the Texans. Also, it's nothing that will seem dated in a decade or so.

~ It's consistent. The stripes on the jersey (which is elevated to work along the trend of disappearing sleeves), the pants, and the helmet stripes are all tied together quite nicely. And like many have said, it's a good evolution of the Lions identity.

Overall, even though I share my passion for uniforms as much as my peers here...as well as being an avid jersey collector (woo!), I believe the Lions must back up a nice look with a little bit of success on the field. That's what will make fans accept the adopted black (save for a few). Now, it's comes to the hard part (because anybody should just rebrand themselves after having more than a few craptactular seasons in advance)...and that is what I said before. Obtaining a degree of success on the field. Hopefully, the Fords will observe that fact also and give the fans what they truely want: good seasons and a promising future for the franchise that they (the fans) are supporting.

Heh heh, too many brackets... ;;;

[speedo]

THANK YOU!

Geeze, this place seems like it's gotten tougher to impress.

What exactly is wrong with the new Lions unis? Are they not different enough? If that's it, well excuse me, but I think you're not looking at things clearly enough.

The Lions didn't go into this update with the intention of pulling a Bills/Falcons/Vikings. They went into this update with the objective of updating their logo set and streamlining their uniform design. They've accomplished both.

The wordmark and logo are definite upgrades, and the striping patten is now consistent through the entire uniform.

They accomplished everything that they set out to do and the end result looks pretty good on top of all of that. So lighten up.

Hey, everyone has opinions...

There's no right or wrong here.

I think the new logos and uni are just fine, but I HATE the new numbers.

I'm just old school and big fan of block numbers -- but I know everyone's not on board with that -- it's just me.

[JQK]

The numbers on the uniform are really what bother me. I was hoping the Lions would do more with the uniform, but they kept it traditional and simple which i can't really complain about, but the numbers are a killer.

[Jamikel]

Wow. You guys are a tough crowd.

What do you expect from a group that's more pompous than Star Trek geeks?

[TrueYankee26]

Elliott hit the nail in the head, I love the new Lions logo. It's ok if you don't luke it, it's your opinion, but don't go bashing on it unless it's uninspiring like the OKC Thunder logo, now that is a boring identitiy.

[Linus]

I have to say that I love the Lions new logo, wordmark and uniforms. I think the whole package is an upgrade.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Elliott hit the nail in the head, I love the new Lions logo. It's ok if you don't luke it, it's your opinion, but don't go bashing on it unless it's uninspiring like the OKC Thunder logo, now that is a boring identitiy.

No, sir, I'll bash it on whatever merits I choose.

Here are my problems with the Detroit Lions update:

1. The logo looks soft.

2. The wordmark looks soft.

3. The uniform numbers look stupid.

4. It still has black.

5. It's not superior to the uniforms they used ten years ago, by any measure.

6. They're just going to change their look again in another ten years or less (as they've just proved with the adding-black debacle).

7. Their old logo, whatever its faults, was iconic. The new logo is akin to adding motion lines to the Yankees logo. It would be dumb and superfluous.

8. The whole update reeks of an update for update's sake, and again, is not an improvement on what they had last season, let alone what they had in Barry Sanders' heyday.

9. Boo on the Lions.

[JQK]

Elliott hit the nail in the head, I love the new Lions logo. It's ok if you don't luke it, it's your opinion, but don't go bashing on it unless it's uninspiring like the OKC Thunder logo, now that is a boring identitiy.

No, sir, I'll bash it on whatever merits I choose.

Here are my problems with the Detroit Lions update:

1. The logo looks soft.

2. The wordmark looks soft.

3. The uniform numbers look stupid.

4. It still has black.

5. It's not superior to the uniforms they used ten years ago, by any measure.

6. They're just going to change their look again in another ten years or less (as they've just proved with the adding-black debacle).

7. Their old logo, whatever its faults, was iconic. The new logo is akin to adding motion lines to the Yankees logo. It would be dumb and superfluous.

8. The whole update reeks of an update for update's sake, and again, is not an improvement on what they had last season, let alone what they had in Barry Sanders' heyday.

9. Boo on the Lions.

Agreed on almost every point.

I do like the wordmark, and the logo is fine.

Everything else is spot on.

[DallasSports]

No, sir, I'll bash it on whatever merits I choose.

Here are my problems with the Detroit Lions update:

1. The logo looks soft.

2. The wordmark looks soft.

3. The uniform numbers look stupid.

4. It still has black.

5. It's not superior to the uniforms they used ten years ago, by any measure.

6. They're just going to change their look again in another ten years or less (as they've just proved with the adding-black debacle).

7. Their old logo, whatever its faults, was iconic. The new logo is akin to adding motion lines to the Yankees logo. It would be dumb and superfluous.

8. The whole update reeks of an update for update's sake, and again, is not an improvement on what they had last season, let alone what they had in Barry Sanders' heyday.

9. Boo on the Lions.

Well spoken. My sentiments exactly. No matter how you slice it, the uniforms in the Barry Sanders era were better, which would never, EVER need a change. I will admit the logo actually looks better now, however. But that's it.

[IceCap]

Elliott hit the nail in the head, I love the new Lions logo. It's ok if you don't luke it, it's your opinion, but don't go bashing on it unless it's uninspiring like the OKC Thunder logo, now that is a boring identitiy.

No, sir, I'll bash it on whatever merits I choose.

Here are my problems with the Detroit Lions update:

1. The logo looks soft.

2. The wordmark looks soft.

3. The uniform numbers look stupid.

4. It still has black.

5. It's not superior to the uniforms they used ten years ago, by any measure.

6. They're just going to change their look again in another ten years or less (as they've just proved with the adding-black debacle).

7. Their old logo, whatever its faults, was iconic. The new logo is akin to adding motion lines to the Yankees logo. It would be dumb and superfluous.

8. The whole update reeks of an update for update's sake, and again, is not an improvement on what they had last season, let alone what they had in Barry Sanders' heyday.

9. Boo on the Lions.

I'll agree to disagree here. The logo seems more defined. The only problem I have with it is the mane striping. The updates to the general shape of the logo, and the addition of the eye and other defining lines added have been for the better, I think.

The uniforms are better then the ones they had before. The striping is now consistent. That alone makes it an upgrade. And really, it was the only glaring problem with the last set. So it being the only major change uni-wise doesn't bother me.

I'm liking the wordmark less and less, but it's not horrible by any stretch of the imagination. The black doesn't bother me either. It looked tacked on with the last set, but with the consistent striping it seems more integrated, which helps a lot.

The number font, well I haven't seen enough of it to make a fair judgement.

As for changing again....why is that a given? They've fixed the striping problem, the logo has a face lift, and the colour scheme, black included isn't bad at all. I could see them going with a new, more traditional wordmark in five years or so, but that's about it. This set seems much more "permanent" then the last one.

[Phat Kid]

I'm going to say I like it. I'm not sure about the numbers... I'll have to say I'll see what they actually look like on the actual jerseys. Usually I would leave it at that. HOWEVER, I love how everyone gets excited for a unveiling of a jersey/logo then when its an update of the teams look all we hear is whining about how it does not look as good as 10, 20 or even 30 years ago. PEOPLE it is 2009. Things change whether we like them or not. Uniforms are going to look cooler (or uglier depending on your judgment) as years go by. But guess what... We have no say in it. The teams have done this to change their identity and we can whine all we want but when whatever team takes the field or court next year they are going to be wearing whatever they please.

Okay I'm off my short soapbox. (Not that anyone cared what I just wrote.)

[The_Admiral]

I was led to believe from reading this board that NFL teams aren't allowed to use varsity block numbers anymore. They have to use proprietary typefaces for everything so that they can't be easily replicated. Even the Vikings don't use plain old numbers.

[tBBP]

I was led to believe from reading this board that NFL teams aren't allowed to use varsity block numbers anymore. They have to use proprietary typefaces for everything so that they can't be easily replicated. Even the Vikings don't use plain old numbers.

I've been thinking that for some time now. I also believe that's the reason why most if not all NFL jerseys have that little wordmark under the collar.

Of course...this is coming from the foremost "unique jersey number" advocate on these boards, so take that with a grain of salt.