tBBP

Ahh... going a lil' ECHL nostalgic, are they?? Those are the OLD old school jawns there. (Dang, I really miss those '90S times in the ECHL...they had some weird yet fun identities back then.) Oh and they absolutely HAVE to skate out to THIS during warmups:

And here's where I point out the relative proximity of Fort Hood, up outside Killeen, to Austin (about 50 miles to the north). LOTS of military folk around that area.

I don't see Lovie Smith getting fired—or maybe I should say if the Texans are smart, they won't fire him. (Besides, who the heck else would want thay job right now?) Don't let the bad record fool you; he had that team playing pretty hard during the back half of the season (ask Kansas City or Dallas about that), plus it's only been two years. BUT, that's what losing teams do...keep turning right on over. And that's how you end up even less relevant than the Jets. Speaking of which, and total aside, but at some point top brass really needs to—but they won't—point themselves out in the mirror as the cause of constant turnover (looking at you, Houston & NYJ namely). All that turnover is exactly why they don't and can't win anything...it speaks to a culture problem rooted deep in the organization, and that mess starts at the top. But good luck getting any of those rich guys to take accountability for their part to play in those franchises' futilities.

Yyeeaahhh we passed that threshold about ten years ago...but your point still stands.

Should've been fired ten or eleven weeks ago. Now after this all-time monumental collapse, Vrabel will have zero excuse... Yeah, about that. I have a funny feeling Tennessee is gonna look really hard at axing Tannehill, even if only as a business move (I think they'd save like 17M or so in cap space if they cut him before June), and hold onto Dobbs. Dude isn't exactly a world-beater, but for him to play as good as he has (comparatively speaking) despite only having been with the team barely three weeks will give them something to think about...well that and now Tannehill has become pretty injury-prone. Shoot, if they could somehow get Lamar Jacks--you know what, I ain't even going there right now. But enuff about the Snatit—HOW 'BOUT THEM JAGUARS THO??? I don't care that it was ugly, a W is a W. Show of hands for anybody, even the Betazoids, who saw Jacksonville in the playoffs this season *crickets* And not only that, now they get a home playoff game at that?? Kinda wish I was back down in Florida right about now (well that and because there's about four feet of piled-up snow on the ground outside right now and its negative degrees out there), but I can celebrate from here.

Okay, I thought it was just me. It seems like every time I've seen the Chiefs on TV up here this season, they've played at home...doesn't even seem like they've played any road games at all. I don't think I've even seen their white jerseys once. Hey, it already almost happened once—for three quarters, anyway—it can happen again! (If not Jacksonville, then somebody...if for no better reason than to knock all these frontrunner fakin' Chiefs fans up here down a good peg or sixteen.)

Yeah, pink has definitely been the trend in MLS the past three or four years...wouldn't shock me a single bit if more of it ends up in CLTFC's new clash.

So this may become interesting... TL; DR: Coach Prime's contract—or rather, the contact CU has with The Swoosh—stipulates Prime must wear swoosh-branded apparel on the sidelines. Whole lotta nothing until you remember Deion's endorsement deal with Under Armour...

Here you go!!!

Week 18 schedule: Kansas City vs. Las Vegas Tennessee vs. Jacksonville Cleveland vs. Pittsburgh Minnesota vs. Chicago NY Jets vs. Miami Tampa Bay vs. Atlanta Carolina vs. New Orleans Houston vs. Indianapolis Arizona vs. San Francisco Dallas vs. Washington LA Rams vs. Seattle NY Giants vs. Philadelphia LA Chargers vs. Denver Detroit vs. Green Bay Baltimore vs. Cincinnati New England vs. Buffalo

Y'all managed to full-on snatjack this thread without me...I'm so proud of y'all! It wasn't perfect—few uniforms/identities are—but that's where I'm at with that, as well...especially considering the longevity of the Ravens' and Eagles' looks, both of which came out (in current guise) about the same time (and one of which I feel will unfortunately not be around in the next two or three seasons). Not for nothing, but I actually *shameless plug* concepted that out once: (The rest of that project is here if anyone is curious.) I agree with this, too—but it also depends on the circumstance. Tennessee's logo is probably one of the most unique in sports from a shape standpoint.. it's also maddeningly frustrating to work with apart from a helmet, because no matter how you choose to align it, it's next to impossible to "center" properly due to its main mass being so off-center. That said, I've long felt that should the flaming thumbtack remain it could definitely use a modest refresh...something like so: (Oh yeah...shameless plug here, too. )

Better pic of the Panthers: Great alternate look...glad they finally matched up blue socks with it. (And how exactly did they go this long before figuring that out??) That said, it should NOT replace the black jersey/sock as primary dark (inasmuch as the Panthers even have a primary dark look anymore). Yep, I said it.

Jacksonville I'll give you, because unless one knows or cares about Florida, one really wouldn't have a reason to know or care anything about Jacksonville, plus it ain't like there's anything especially exciting about it—and i say that as a native of the Panhandle—but Nashville being "nowhere"? Come on, bruh. I know bashing on things southern has long been one of your things du jour around here, but that's just straight up ridiculous...cut it out, bro.

For whatever this may add, it should be noted that all five of those brand identities were developed by the same guy: Mark Verlander, who [I'm pretty sure] was the last independent designer the NFL gave full creative control to (well inasmuch as the shield gives full anything to anyone; the league still holds control over the helmet designs IIRC). I kinda miss those days... ...Anyway, on the subject of the Texans' brand identity, I'll say this: they have a solid identity...but nothing excites me about their brand. Let me explain—and I know trying to scientifically split the concept of brand identity can be semantic at times, but: from a visual standpoint, as someone mentioned earlier, the logo, team font, and (for the most part) colors and uniform design are very solid. The colors in particular defintiely resonate with the idea of "Texas/Texan", being that they're pulled straight from the state flag. BUTTT...that is also where it stops for me, because that same colorway gets buried in with the host of other navy-and-red teams in pro sports, and up until two seasons ago, it would have been easy to mistake the Texans at a glance for the Falcons since their navy can look black from a distance and their [away] uniforms looked somewhat similar--dark helmets, red numbers trimmed in dark color. (It probably also doesn't help the lighting inside NRG Stadium or whatever it's called these days is so dreary looking on TV.) All of which is a long form way of saying that nothing about the Texans brand moves me emotionally one way or the other. I won't consider that a brand failure, necessarily, because I'm just one man (and these are my two rusted Lincolns), but... ...You know what, I'll just say it this way: if all the league's brand identities were middle school kids being picked for basketball teams at PE, the Texans would be the last kid picked—not because he's not good, but simply because I forgot he was there.

Can't be any worse than it is currently for whoever lays out the letters for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: (Side note: if one is gonna have a ridiculously long name on a basketball jersey, a single-digt number is definitely the way to go. I'm also pretty sure that jersey sets the record for most amount of letters on a jersey probably anywhere...)

If it helps you feel any better, much the same could be said for RBs that came out of Penn State. Granted, Saquon Barkley is sticking it out in the here and now, but a cursory scroll of some of their star RBs that got drafted to the NFL with high hopes reads like a list of "what-could-have-beens" or "what da eff happened??" (and with some, probably both): - Blair Thomas - Curtis Enis - Ki-Jana Carter - Larry Johnson (had like two good seasons in KC, but then...) I'm not saying this will happen,.but for all we know, Carr could either get traded to a contender in the offseason or straight up get cut and sign with one and end up having his own Matthew Stafford story next season (seeing as how Stafford was basically to Detroit What Carr was to the Raiders for about the same length of time)...it could happen

I can't fault them for that. Some ownership groups really embrace the whole challenge of forging something new, as this group has done. And quibbles about the shape of the arch aside, everything they've done thus far is top-notch from a branding and fan experience perspective at least in my opinion. This even extends to their team app, which I have...whoever designed the UX/UI for that app deserves a gold medal. Shoot they had me feeling like I was really a part of the team while setting my account up...even got a customized (virtual) jersey and everything! Plus I can do all my correspondence through there. As for the club name, yes we've definitely been overrun with the Euro-conventional naming cosplay at this point, BUTTT...at least CITY makes some modicum of sense for St. Louis, seeing as how the municipality itself literally is that, separate from St. Louis County (though we all know most of the money is gonna funnel to CITY from the county/ies). So I will give them that, at least.

That was/is the case over at the shop adjacent to the stadium, as well. They REALLY seem to favor that mark. On its own, it's a really good one, too--but at a glance, it just doesn't read "St. Louis" due to the straightened sides of the arch. But that's what can happen when one gets a little too cute with the linework. That said, had they gone with "Athletic", as someone mentioned uptrend, the shape of that arch might have made more sense. (That said, they've really taken this ALLCAPS thing and ran with it...kinda clever on their part.)

This same point of discussion is true for another long-time dynastic factory, as well: Ohio State. I'm not saying the kid is a world-beater at this stage, but simply by staying out there an competing at something above a mediocre level, Justin Fields is contributing to changing that narrative somewhat. Besides him I really can't think of a single other Ohio State QB who actually made it as a good or even half-decent starter in the NFL (unless you count Kent Graham, for the time he lumbered around). That said, of the top of my head I think the only other Buckeye QB that had any kind of lasting NFL career was Tom Tupa (!). But lest one think I'm crapping on tOSU (which I'm not), this same tangent of convo is also true for Oklahoma--say what you will about Baker Mayfield, but at least he's still at least relevant in the league and for a while there he was a pretty decent starter. Apart from Sam Bradford, for what time he somehow managed to stick around--who else has OU produced at the position that went on to do anything in the NFL? Shoot I'd have to check this at some point to be sure, but right off the top of my head I think Washington might well have been Quarterback U--just off the top of my head, Warren Moon, Drew Bledsoe, Mark Brunell, and Chris Chandler (now I'm showing my age, lol) all passed through there. This might actually be a fun one for the trivia thread if it's still around--what college program has produced the most starting NFL QBs? (I'll throw an early guess at Florida State being one of them, somehow, but I don't know if they've produced the most.)

Well at least I hit on my New Orleans vs Cleveland pick last week...anyway: Week 17 schedule: Dallas vs. Tennessee Arizona vs. Atlanta Miami vs. New England New Orleans vs. Philadelphia Indianapolis vs. NY Giants Carolina vs. Tampa Bay Denver vs. Kansas City Chicago vs. Detroit Cleveland vs. Washington Jacksonville vs. Houston (they better be careful though) San Francisco vs. Las Vegas NY Jets vs. Seattle Minnesota vs. Green Bay LA Rams vs. LA Chargers Pittsburgh vs. Baltimore Buffalo vs. Cincinnati

I'm glad I ain't the only one who sees that! I mean, they got Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, if things hold to present form one might can put Jalen Hurts up there one day...beyond that, who they got?? It actually befuddles me that such a football dynasty hasn't produced more dynastic quarterbacks over all that time...

That's a new one. I've always just dismissed them as the "toothpaste kits"...

Wait, hold up... I guess I never paid enough attention to the Rockies over the years to know, notice, or care...but i was today years old when i learned the Rockies'pinstripes were/are purple. I always thought they were either black or gray. Which I guess underscores the need for purple scripts/numbers/NOBs, now doesn't it?

Did not notice that part...yeah, I can see how that creates a bit of a mismatch. Couldn't Dallas have done this against a team with a different colorway??

It still baffles me how, after all these years, the Rockies STILL haven't added purple numbers/scripts/NOBs/something to their Chicago White Sox-lookalike home sets. Shoot, even a purple home cap would make a world of difference. On the other hand...at this point I may as well give them props for sticking to the same look they've had, for the most part, since their inception. Considering how many times their expansion-mate Marlins done changed since then, that's quite the achievement.