WideRight

Check back tomorrow (Saturday) for the link to the Atlanta Fire "Which Lid is Lit" pick the helmet contest.  3 helmet designs, one will be the official Fire helmet when they return to action as an expansion club in March 2005. 

23 hours ago, Dozap17 said:

@WideRight when will we see the fields for the Pacific Division teams?

Did I not post that?  Oops.  here they are.

 

4 hours ago, tBBP said:

 

Does it seem to you that the USFL is more of a "legit" spring league whereas XFL3.0 is more of a "gimmick" league?

 

I would not say "legit" is the measure here.  The only real way to know which league is more legit, as in more likely to last for multiple seasons, is to see the funding invested in it, the business plan, and then to have some assurance that if things go south (bad ratings, bad attendance) the investors won't pull out. These leagues are going to hemorrhage money for at least 3-5 years before they become profitable, if they ever do.  When the bill start piling up, as they did with the USFL, WLAF, XFL 1.0, etc., do the networks and investors have the fortitude to stick it out.   A quick way to tell is to see what happens with teams that go 0-10 or 1-9.  the tendency, and a bad sign, is for leagues to bail on those cities and start relocating franchises in hopes of getting a 1st year boost in interest in a new place.  that is a sure sign of a league that lacks the fortitude to endure the tough years. 

 

So, it is impossible for us to say which league has the capacity to endure those tough years.   But here is what I can say:

 

1. I trust the leadership at FOX/NBC to not make rash decisions on this more than I trust the Rock and his ex-wife. 

2. While I don't like the slow roll out of team locations in the USFL, if this league is TV driven and not attendance reliant, then it makes some financial sense to do it this way, but I will be annoyed if by 2024 we don't have 8 teams in 8 cities, and ideally 12 teams in 12 cities. 

3. In the same vein, I understand why the XFL has 3 teams in Texas.  I am not a fan of Texas personally, and tend to root against their teams, so it is another reason I lean towards the USFL

4. I find the design, the look of the teams, in the XFL  too WWE/Monster Energy Drink.  Now, I am in my mid-50's and fall into the "football was better before 2000" crowd, so I prefer the nostalgia and style of the USFL to the XFL, but maybe millenials or Gen-z want their pro sports teams to look and feel like e-sports or something Red Bull invented. I don't so I prefer the USFL.   

5. I am also a huge, HUGE USFL geek (the real USFL: 1983-1985) so the new USFL hits me where it counts. 

 

Honestly, for me it is similar to two new soda companies coming out, one selling a version of a classic root beer or classic cola, the other selling some form of Mountain Dew with CBD and Sriracha in it.  I know where my preference lies, but others may prefer the 2nd soda, and perhaps one of the soda companies simply has more capital behind it, or better management, or hits an untapped market better than the other.  I just cannot say.  I can only say that I prefer the one over the other purely as a matter of taste. 

 

 

I

 

9 hours ago, TBGKon said:

We've seen most of these, but there are a few more secondary logos too.

 

 

 

Houston is solid (too bad their uniforms are laughably bad).  Arlington is fine as it was Dallas's old one.  I like changing the DC shield into a pentagon, makes sense.  And those are all the nice things I can say.  Orlando = boring.  San Antonio=poorly executed.  St. Louis = too angular, like a rejected idea for a Transformer.   Seattle, I get what they are going for, but not really related to dragons at all, more to sea serpents maybe.   Las Vegas makes no sense at all.  Maybe when they were scrambling to find a stadium in Las Vegas they flirted with the idea of moving them to Louisville or New Orleans.  That is the only thing that would make sense here.  They had a perfectly good viper head to use and they do this?

 

I am still very unimpressed with the XFL.  But my style taste leans towards traditionalist (pretty heavily) so I am always going to be a USFL guy anyway. 

OK, as I wrap up the 2004 season and prepare for the Atlanta and St. Louis polls, a quick Chris Creamer Website Only poll for you.  I am going to list the current color combos of the league and then propose a few new color combos.  Let me know which color combos or colors you would love to see make an appearance. 

 

CURRENT

BAL  Red, Royal & Silver   

NJ     Red, Royal & Gold

PHI   Red, Metallic Gold & Orange

WSH  Kelly Green & Black

BOS Navy, Grey, & Yellow

JAX  Maroon, Orange & Dark SIlver

ORL  Light Royal, Black & Silver

TBY  Red, Black & Silver

CHI  Maroon, Grey & Sky

MGN Maroon, Sky & Champagne gold

OHI  Royal & Red

PIT  Purple, Orange & Grey

BIR  Red & Metallic Gold

MEM  Red & Silver Sky

NSH  Purple, Metallic Gold & Silver

NOR  Teal, Navy Teal & Silver

ARZ  Red, Blue, Yellow & Copper

DEN  Black & Yellow

HOU  Black & Red

TEX  Green, Royal & Black

LV  Lime, Navy, Sky & Yellow

LA  Navy, Pale blue & Silver

OAK  Yellow, Sky & Navy

SEA  Forest, Red & Yellow

ATL  Navy, Orange, & Yellow 

 

OK, Here are several possible new combos, what do you think of these and would you suggest any others.

 

Navy, Royal & Silver                 (XFL Battlehawks)

Navy, Sky & Metallic Gold   (UFL Colonials)

Maroon, Red & Grey               (AAF Commanders)

Brown, Orange & Gold          (WLAF Riders)

Purple & Yellow                         (NFL Vikings)

Orange & Green                        (U of Miami)

Royal & Orange                          (Old School Broncos)

Brown & Metallic Gold          (Western Michigan)

Green & Yellow                          (NFL Packers)

Red & Sky                                      (NFL Oilers)

Black & Metallic Gold            (NFL Saints)

Black & Silver                              (NFL Raiders)

Black & Orange                          (NFL Bengals)

 

We have 3 expansion teams coming, and possibly some more new teams beyond that, plus there is always the chance that a USFL team will pull a Detroit Pistons move and abandon not only their current logo scheme but their color scheme as well. 

 

 

 

 

 

Some really creative and intriguing ideas.   I will be prepping for the St. Louis and Atlanta identities soon, so keep an eye out for that, and here are just a few other items to expect in the next few weeks:

1.  Atlanta will have a "pick the helmet" contest with three different designs.
2. St. Louis will have a "pick the logo" contest, same team name, three different logo options, each with their helmet treatment.

 

Then we get into the 2008 expansion world.  I can't say much there, but I can say that...

• One 2008 expansion team will be a name the team contest with 3 different identities, but all will share a color combo from a WLAF club, a color combo completely unique within the USFL of 2008 (or any real version of the USFL). 
• The other will have 3 different groups all bidding to get a team to their city, and you (and those who visit the page) will get to pick which one gets it.  I will, as I did with the Boston contest, abide by the public's choice. 

I can also say that some of you have locked into the names and real world logos I am considering.  Not all of them, sorry Platypodes, that is not likely to happen, but several.  

Hey all,

 

A chance for you to influence some choices I will be making.  We are adding 3 new teams through expansion (as well as the return of the Atlanta Fire) and I would love your thoughts on what to do with these possible cities.  So, give me your thoughts, and remember, I am trying to use real world logos/identities as much as possible, but I am fine with relocating teams (NY/NJ Knights to STL or Orlando Thunder to Portland are two examples).  

So, what names/logos do you think make sense for these potential USFL cities?:

 

St. Louis 

Portland

Dallas

Miami

Charlotte or Raleigh, NC

Virginia Beach/Norfolk

Minneapolis/St. Paul

Kansas City

 

Feel free to borrow from other pro football leagues or even  other sports as sources of identity for a new USFL club. 

14 hours ago, ralphz said:

The "Uniform" writeup is for the wrong team - but the uni is nice! 

Whoops, I will have to fix that.  

14 hours ago, ralphz said:

The "Uniform" writeup is for the wrong team - but the uni is nice! 

Whoops, I will have to fix that.  

And finally the full look for the 2005 Washington Federals. Notes after the image. 

 

 

Just a few items to highlight:

 

1. The numbers on the jersey try to use the same US$ style as the new wordmark.  Nots sure if those work or not. 

2. The new secondary is on the collar. 

3. The sleeve stripes extending to the collar are from Nike's short-lived Browns look.  I tested out putting the team name on the pants, but it was so horrible I could not do that to the Feds. 

4. The green is slightly darker than in the past. 

5. No silver, as the Feds stick closer to their 1983 look than 1984. 

6. This is not the last look for the team in the league that has changed their logo and uni's most frequently.  Still 1 or 2 more on the way between 2006-2024. 

 

 

And here is the second new element of Washington's look, a secondary logo inspired by the logo for Homeland Security, the office created after 9/11.  The Federals, along with the Generals, are both continuing to reference 9/11 on a pretty regular basis (patches, special fund raisers, salutes to the NYPD/FDNY, etc)  and this logo is another way to do this.  The logo appears on the uniform and in some print media. 

 

And here is the new helmet.  Washington removed the wrap around element of the logo and has brought back a more traditional stripe pattern.  We will see if the rest of the uniform is more traditional or does some new things. 

 

On 1/28/2023 at 4:42 PM, SSmith48 said:

 

 

Got to say I am not a fan compared with 2020.  What happened to the use of dark navy along with the brighter blue?  Now they just have the bright blue with a dark grey and a bright grey.  Not liking that combo and the wings feel like a downgrade too.  Guess this old curmudgeon is just gonna have to wait for the USFL in April to find a uni he likes. 

 

A little preview of the redesign for the Federals.  They retain their main logo, but incorporate some new elements like a new "monetary-influenced" wordmark, a secondary logo, and new uniforms.   Here is the new primary with their new wordmark.  

 

Our 2nd new USFL look for 2004 is a modification of the design for the Memphis Showboats.  Fresh off their dabbling with a possible move to St. Louis, the Showboats reconnect with their history and bring in some new elements as they try to bond with their fanbase.  After spending the better part of the 2004 season playing "home" games in Oxford, MS and Little Rock, AR, as the Liberty Bowl is refurbished, the Showboats try to evoke nostalgia for better times with their new look.  Highlights include:

 

• A dropping of black as a secondary color, reverting back to the "old school" look of scarlet & silver sky.
• Bringing back the scarlet helmet stripe, though as a tapered stripe rather than a traditional stripe.
• Adding a new secondary logo which includes an M with two steamboat smokestacks and a silver sky wake.  This is abou thte only black which remains in their look.  (It is, as you certainly recognize, a feature of the 2023 IRL Showboats, recolored and dropped into 2004 instead). 
• A simplified shoulder and sleeve treatment with a tapered stripe and solid color sleeves with no sleeve logo. 
• New drop shadow numbers in 2 colors only. 
• A new pant stripe that is a simple tapered stripe (as with the helmet and shoulders, and includes the new secondary logo on each hip. 

 

21 hours ago, neo_prankster said:

@WideRight

 

How many USFL teams play on real grass?

How many play on artificial turf?

How many play in retractable roof or domed stadiums?

Let's see ...

 

Baltimore           Turf

New Jersey        Turf

Philadelphia      Grass

Washington       Grass

 

Boston                  Turf

Jacksonville      Grass

Orlando              Turf

Tampa                   Grass

 

Chicago               Grass

Michigan            Turf/Dome

Ohio                      Turf

Pittsburgh         Grass

 

Birmingham      Grass

Memphis             Grass

Nashville             Grass

New Orleans    Turf/Dome

 

Arizona             Grass

Denver              Grass

Houston           Turf/retractable Dome

Texas                  Turf/Dome

 

Las Vegas         Turf

LA                         Grass

Oakland            Grass

Seattle               Turf

 

and, while I am here, our next 4 fields, the Southwest division.

 

 

And we move to the Southern DIvision.  Notes:

• Birmingham goes the Chicago route and puts the state flag at the 20.
• Nashville uses both their gold and silver secondary colors with each endzone getting one.
• New Orleans uses their new NOLA monogram.

 

 

11 minutes ago, oldschoolvikings said:

It's been a while...

 

Avocado & Plum?  Hockey or a 1970's kitchen appliance?   (Sorry, not to harsh, but not sure those are the exact shades of green and purple you want.)

 

Several thoughts:

 

1. As a classic USFL diehard I am against changing team colors at all.  It's fine to modernize the logos and for the most part the new USFL has done a good job of it, but I am watching out of love for the real USFL and the more they deviate from that the less interesting I find it.   That and the new Memphis logo is not as cool as the original.

 

2.  I cannot believe they are going with a black helmet, single yellow stripe, and grey facemask for the Maulers.  How will the Steelers not sue or cease & desist them for such a blatant ripoff.  If you are going to go black and gold, at least mix it up and use a metallic gold, or even a yellow helmet to not look like a cheap imitation of the Steelers. 

 

3. There was no need to change from Red & Silver for Memphis because Memphis was replacing the Red & Silver Bandits.  You end up with the same number of red teams as last year.  So now you have 1 less red team but after converting Pittsburgh you have added another black helmet team, so again less color variation. 

 

4. None of it really matters until all 8 teams (hopefully 12 next year) are playing in their home cities.  Call them Pittsburgh if you want, but they are playing in Canton, OH. 

Two things.

 

1. No, the USFL Alt History Pittsburgh Maulers are not going to go Black & Gold.  After 20 seasons in the league with purple, orange and grey, they are not going to switch (the 2023 USFL Maulers just announced a switch to Black & Gold)

 

2. Here is the third set of fields, the Central DIvision.   Some notes:

• The Machine do not have a 2nd logo, so they put the city flag of Chicago at the 20.  
• The Panthers just added a 2nd logo for 2005, so maybe next season they will change up their fields.
• The Maulers also do not have a 2nd logo.  That may need to change.  They did put hexagonal "bolts" in the endzones.  That will become more and more part of their look moving forward.
• The Glory went one step further, putting their 2ndary state logo at centerfield and putting the eagle primary at the 20.  Something about the state logo more effectively covering up the Ohio State O. 

 

 

Here is the second division of USFL 2004 fields.  The Southeast (3 Florida teams and Boston, which had been Atlanta until 2003).  

 

Some notes: 

 

1. Jacksonville becomes the first team to have no team name as they go with their 4-stripe pattern in the endzone.  They also are the first team not to have logos on the 20, as they do not yet have an alternate or secondary logo to use.   

 

2. Orlando also does not have a 2nd logo, but they struck a deal with Florida tourism, so they have a tourism logo on the 20.   (use the Imgur zoomed in version to see this actual Florida tourism logo.

 

3. Boston uses their BC monogram on the 20s.  

 

 

Hey all, we start off our look at 2004 USFL Fields with the Northeast Division.   A couple of notes about this. 

 

1. Most teams either have their own stadiums, or due to the Spring season they have full control of the look for the season.  

2. The USFL mandates that the league's USFL monogram be at the 30 and that the "U" logo be on the left side of each endzone. 

3. Fifty-yard line logos are allowed to stretch as far as the 43 yard line on either side, and teams can opt to put a smaller logo at 

    the 20.  

I think that about covers it.  I expect the USFL will get even a bit more experimental as we head into the late 2010's, but we will see.  As always, you can click on the image to go to IMGUR, where it can be expanded quite large. 

 

Working on the fields (I had only previously designed endzones because the Draft Day 2021 game I am using to simulate just puts the main logo at midfield, so I only needed endzones.  I will have full fields starting soon.    

 

But for now, here is the first of the 2005 new designs... the Michigan Panthers.

No change to the main logo.

A new secondary logo based on the current USFL Panthers with a touch of Florida Panthers included. 

New uniforms with a very "back to basics" feel to them.  Another team falls into the stripeless pant craze. 

 

20 hours ago, neo_prankster said:

@WideRight

 

Any idea of what the teams' fields look like? I mean, which teams still leave the 50 yard line blank? Or which teams are unable to decorate their field because of lease restrictions?

A good question. I actually have fields set up for all 24 clubs.  I will try to publish them soon.  There are only a few teams that still share stadiums with MLB (maybe none outside Oakland, I have to think about it) so most are able to do a full design for midfield and endzones. 

 

Coming soon, along with new designs for the Federals, Showboats, and Panthers. 

As we get ready for the 2003 Playoffs leading up to Summer Bowl '03 in Seattle, it's time to reveal the logo for Summer Bowl '04, returning to the city where the first official Summer Bowl was played (after several years of "USFL Championship Games", Orlando.  Bright and sunny is the theme, even though the game will be played at night due to late July Florida heat. 

 

5 hours ago, neo_prankster said:

I see that the Thunder have moved to Vegas.

 

I'm still hoping San Diego gets a USFL team one way or another.

 

I would say that once the stadium situation in San Diego gets a bit dicier (2010's) there is a chance, especially if the Chargers move out, but they won't move to LA, because the Raiders own that town (Well, and the Express to a degree.)