American Football Worldwide - Georgia added 6/5

[AnythingChicago]

I'm not usually one to call people out, but I'm sure sc49erfan will agree with me on this.

As it's been stated many times before in the concepts forum, people who post concepts on here are real people, usually adults, usually holding jobs outside the boards. People post concepts as they have time, and at their whim. Just because there hasn't been a concept on here in a week or two doesn't mean that you should post here every couple days demanding a new concept, pleading for the series to not be "dead", and worst of all asking the for an estimated time of the next concept so you know when to check back. Seriously? You'll know when he posts another concept. Leave the sc49erfan alone and get back to your real life.

As for those of you who take every opportunity to advertise your own concept series in someone else's thread, that's classless and unnecessary, as, once again, it has been pointed out in many other threads in the concepts forum over the years.

I realize that this is a great series and have been enjoying it myself, but let's be a little more mature and courteous, shall we?

[jaxon#08]

Sorry anything chicago. Won't do it again.

[slothisking61]

This stuff is awesome!! Would you mind if I used these logos for my Custom Pocket Pro Helmets I make? and do you think you'll complete all 196 countries?

Thanks!

[sc49erfan15]

This stuff is awesome!! Would you mind if I used these logos for my Custom Pocket Pro Helmets I make? and do you think you'll complete all 196 countries?

Thanks!

Thank you! I'd actually be honored if I could see any of these concepts "come to life" on Pocket Pro helmets - I'll send you higher resolution and/or vector files for the helmets if you need them. Just let me know what you need.

And I highly doubt I'll get to all the countries on the map, it's just something to do on the side.

Be on the lookout for the next installment soon!

[sc49erfan15]

I'm still without a mouse, but already had this concept done and wanted to get it out there. This will also likely be my last concept for 1-2 weeks - heading on vacation Wednesday. That said... onto Latvia!

The Republic of Latvia is in northern Europe, along the Baltic Sea, sandwiched between Estonia and Lithuania. Latvia has historically been ruled by different larger empires - Germans in the medieval era, Poland and Lithuania in the 1500s, Sweden in the 1600s, and Russia in the early 1700s to 1917 - but the Latvian cultural identity has survived. For a time, Latvia's capital of Riga was the largest port in the Russian Empire. Following WWI, Latvia declared independence from Russia and existed as an independent state until 1940, when Latvia was peacefully incorporated into the USSR (mostly because Latvians didn't want to fall under Nazi rule) as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. This peacefulness was short-lived, as Nazi forces invaded in 1941, only to be retaken by the Soviets in 1944. After the second Soviet invasion, classic Soviet policies were implemented - thousands sent to gulag, farms forced into collectivization, policies forcing the use of the Russian language over Latvian. Latvia again attained independence after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and today Latvia has become a rather successful (though somewhat minor) part of the European Union. Latvia ranked 44th on the UN's Human Development Index in 2013.

Ice hockey is one of Latvia's most popular sports, and the nation of just over 2 million has produced a handful of NHL players, most notably Arturs Irbe and Sandis Ozolinsh. Latvia's national hockey team is currently ranked 11th of 48 by IIHF. Basketball is another popular sport, with Latvia currently ranked 39th of 82 by FIBA. Jazz center Andris Biedrins is the most well-known Latvian basketball player. Soccer is less popular in Latvia, but still maintains a presence, ranked 119th of 207 by FIFA. At the Olympics, Latvia debuted in the 1924 Paris Games and had a few appearances as an independent nation before the decades of Soviet rule, then reappeared in 1992 at Barcelona. Latvians have won 22 medals, including 3 golds. A few scattered American football teams exist in Latvia, but I can't find any evidence of a league.

This is one of my more modern concepts, but also one of my favorites. The shoulder/pants design is inspired by the "Belt of Lielvarde," a traditional Latvian symbol. The three stars appear prominently on other Latvian sports uniforms (such as hockey and basketball) and I wanted to include them - but I'm not sold on the helmet logo. Any suggestions?

[kevsim1]

That is absolutely beautiful. Great work. Love the shoulders.

[jaxon#08]

Wow love the shoulder striping

[JCRGraphix]

Man, that design on the Latvian shoulders is sick! Well done.

[jaxon#08]

Just noticed the font for Latvia looks like the Toronto Blue Jays wordmark.

[jaxon#08]

Just going to give this topic a bump.

[Joke Insurance]

This stuff is awesome!! Would you mind if I used these logos for my Custom Pocket Pro Helmets I make? and do you think you'll complete all 196 countries?

Thanks!

Thank you! I'd actually be honored if I could see any of these concepts "come to life" on Pocket Pro helmets - I'll send you higher resolution and/or vector files for the helmets if you need them. Just let me know what you need.

And I highly doubt I'll get to all the countries on the map, it's just something to do on the side.

Be on the lookout for the next installment soon!

Just out of curiosity. When this is all said and done, do you have plans on doing concepts for perhaps an NFL league on each continent or just Europe?

[sc49erfan15]

Surprise! Sorry for keeping this on hold for so long - school is back in, and I'm supposed to be writing a thesis or something.

Staying with "L" countries in Europe for this one, but moving over to the west... Luxembourg!

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is slightly smaller than Rhode Island, and is located between Belgium, Germany, and France. Much like how Belgian culture has been shaped by its larger surrounding cultural forces, Luxembourg is very similar in that it is officially trilingual (French, German, Luxembourgish) and despite being overshadowed by the more dominant French and German cultures, Luxembourg has been able to preserve a culture all its own. The history and general state of Luxembourg, and how/why this tiny nation remains today instead of being swallowed up by one of its neighbors is described here much better than any way I could ever put it. Since World War II (in which, despite declaring neutrality, it was invaded by Nazi Germany), Luxembourg has reinvented itself as a financial and political intermediary in Europe, and is (along with Belgium) one of the homes of the European Commission. Luxembourg ranks high on the UN's Human Development Index (26th of 187, tied with the United Kingdom) and is currently the richest country in the world in terms of nominal Gross Domestic Product per capita (basically, a country's total economic output, converted into US dollars, divided by the country's population) at $107,216 in 2012.

The most popular sports are cycling, soccer, and tennis. Luxembourgish cyclists have won four Tour de France titles, ranking seventh overall. The national soccer team, predictably for a country with a population of just over 500,000, has been historically weak - currently ranked 126th in the world, and has never qualified for the World Cup or FIFA European Championship. Luxembourg's national basketball team is unranked by FIBA, but has excelled at events such as the FIBA European Championships for Small Countries (2 silver, 1 bronze) and the Games of the Small States of Europe (3 silver, 2 bronze). Luxembourg has participated in many Olympic Games, mostly summer, and has come away with 4 total medals - 1 gold and 3 silver. Interestingly, a Luxembourger won the marathon in the 1900 Paris Games, but as he was competing for France, the IOC has maintained that the medal belongs in the French medal count.

American football in Luxembourg does exist - a team called the Luxembourg Steelers competes in a Belgian American football league, and the AFFL (American Football Federation of Luxembourg, presumably) has a website (under construction) here. So, we're not necessarily talking in hypotheticals...

Onto the concept!

I like Luxembourg's color palette - slightly muted red and a Carolina blue work well together and it's a combination, oddly enough, not seen much in sports. Most of the design comes from the alternate version of Luxembourg's flag, a design that is very popular among Luxembourgers due to the red/white/blue horizontal tricolor (the "official" national flag) being rather bland and easily mistaken for the flag of the Netherlands. Most Luxembourg sports teams utilize the lion from the flag and crest, and I thought it was much more exciting (as well as accurate) to include it. The text below the number reads "Mir wëlle bleiwe wat mir sin," ("We wish to remain what we are"), which is the national motto of Luxembourg.

I can't guarantee when my next entry into the series will be done. But, in the meantime, I'd love to hear feedback on this one!

[DS729]

I really dig the flag theme for this one.

[Fleder]

Love this, but purple for Brazil? That's very interesting.

As someone said, it's blue. And it's the "away" shirt for most of Brazilian NT's, of any sports.

I hope this series gets to Argentina sometimes

[jaxon#08]

Glad your back. The only thing I don't like about Luxembourg is the socks. Other than that, fantastic job

[kevsim1]

No real complaints on this one. I may have used the checker-y pattern on the helmet stripe, but I have no problem as it is right now. Good work!

[ThePeam]

Nice. Glad to see this thread back-up again.

[grant1woods]

The Latvia Concept.... AMAZING

[sc49erfan15]

Guess who's back?! Inspired by the Olympics and with the geography class I'm teaching, I used concepts to take a break from thesis work.

The Republic of Uganda is about the size of South Dakota and is located in East Africa, landlocked on the east/west by Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and north/south by South Sudan and Kenya. Inhabited possibly as long as 100,000 years ago, Uganda is named after the Buganda kingdom and the Ganda people that inhabited it until the area was claimed by the British in the Scramble for Africa in the late 1800s, governed as the British Protectorate of Uganda. Extensive trade in ivory and slaves kept the British in the region until Ugandan independence was achieved in 1962. Perhaps the most (in)famous Ugandan, Idi Amin Dada, gained power in a military coup in 1971. Amin, who would eventually bestow the title unto himself "His Excellency, President for Life, Field Marshal Al Hadji Doctor Idi Amin Dada, VC, DSO, MC, Lord of all the Beasts of the Earth and Fishes of the Seas and Conqueror of the British Empire in Africa in General and Uganda in Particular" ...which is pretty awesome except for the fact that he was responsible for the deaths of 100,000 to 300,000 people and was rumored to be a cannibal. Amin was ousted from power in 1979, followed by democracy and then military rule, both of which aimed to end blatant human rights abuses committed by earlier governments... with a few exceptions. If Amin isn't the most (in)famous Ugandan, Joseph Kony (of "Kony 2012" fame) is. Kony, the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army in northeastern Uganda, has caused many crises, including the displacement of over 1 million people and the notorious use of child soldiers. Uganda also passed one of the world's most strict anti-homosexuality bills in 2009. Despite this, Uganda ranks "Partly Free" (4-5 of 7, 7 being "least free") in the "Freedom in the World" index but very low (161 of 187) on the UN's Human Development Index, measuring overall human well-being.

Soccer is the most popular sport in Uganda. The Cranes, Uganda's national soccer team, has never qualified for the World Cup but finished second at the Africa Cup of Nations in 1978, and is currently ranked 87th (of 207) worldwide by FIFA. Cricket is also a popular sport. Uganda made its Olympic debut at Melbourne in 1956 and has missed only the 1976 Montreal Games since, winning a total of 7 medals including 2 gold, all in boxing or athletics.

American football does exist in Uganda, believe it or not - the Uganda Federation of American Football (UFAF) apparently exists but it's difficult to tell if it's anything more than just on paper. Former NFL players Kato and Wasswa Serwanga were born in Uganda but grew up and learned football in the United States. Current Giants LB/DE Mathias Kiwanuka was born in the states, but is the grandson of Benedicto Kiwanuka - Uganda's first Prime Minister, killed by Idi Amin's forces in his coup.

Whew - let's get away from the rambling and depressing stuff, and onto the concept!

Uganda pretty much sticks to the flag colors for sports uniforms, but yellow seems to be the most prevalent. The "crane with sports equipment" is pretty standard across Ugandan national sports teams (see: soccer and cricket) and I thought football worked as well. Again, I absolutely love this shade of red with black and yellow, so I wanted to have striping that mimicked the flag but wasn't just a cut-and-paste job.

Thoughts?

[JamieRose]

I love the incorporation of the flag on everything. It is done very well but not overdone, which can be a challenge for a flag with as many stripes as Uganda's.