Toronto Raptors rebrand

[Conrad.]

^ ya, i was thinking 'T-DOT' or 'T.' (with the '.' as the new partial logo) would be just as effective as 'TO'.

either way, the Raps will be done with these playoffs in a couple games anyway, so "on to the next one".

[nkay]

Well, seeing how the Raptors dropped the first two games of the series at home, I guess the shirts are appropriate

No, it's a stupid idea because anyone outside of Toronto (and probably some from Toronto) would see that in the context of a basketball game and immediately think "turnover". If the Blue Jays did it, it would be fine, but for basketball/football/hockey? it's a bad double meaning. It's a matter of simple design principles. Has nothing to do with be being anti-Canada.

Or you could be smart enough to see TO is their abbreviation for the city. Because YOU dont see that way doesnt mean everyone else has too. In that regard, The Saints should never use N.O on anything because that says NO and anybody outside of America would never understand that

New Orleans is abbreviated NOLA, probably to avoid confusion with the word "no", so your example is a poor one. And if the Raptors wanted to use a kewl nickname on the shirts, why not use "T-DOT" and make the "O" the new logo? See? This is design—coming up with the best, clearest solution.

And please, don't question my intelligence. I understand that "TO" is an abbreviation for Toronto. I'm saying it's the worst of their several options to use for a basketball shirt.

^ ya, i was thinking 'T-DOT' or 'T.' (with the '.' as the new partial logo) would be just as effective as 'TO'.

either way, the Raps will be done with these playoffs in a couple games anyway, so "on to the next one".

Im from Toronto and it's the exact opposite to me. TDOT or T. are probably the last options I want to see and at the end of the day I am the Raps target market and most likely consumer. TO >>>>> TDOT

Also glad you brought up the NOLA cause as a Canadian it confuses me just as much as TO confuses you. Where does LA come from? Was it added just to avoid NO?

Chiming in - ironically, no one I know from the GTA personally or professionally refers to ourselves as T.O. or TDot or Big Smoke or Hogtown. I dunno, maybe that's cuz it's played out or whatever.

I think we just love saying 'Toronto' like droppin' a mic. Esp when outsiders pronounce it Tor On Tow fml.

The "only out of town rubes say it!" routine doesn't quite work when the team based in Toronto is making shirts saying TO themselves to give to their Toronto-based fans

It is true tho, we pronounce it more like "Tor-a-no"

[mbannon92]

DP

[mbannon92]

Also glad you brought up the NOLA cause as a Canadian it confuses me just as much as TO confuses you. Where does LA come from? Was it added just to avoid NO?

LA is the abbreviation for Louisiana, so "NOLA" really stands for "New Orleans, Louisiana".

And again, "TO" DOES NOT confuse me. I'm not an idiot—I understand that it stands for "Toronto, Ontario". My point is that on a basketball shirt, a sport where "TO" stands for "turnover" (which is bad), they could have chosen a different design option without that connotation.

[JustABallCoach]

The TO thing is weird to me - but if that's what they call it up there then it works for that fanbase.

I'm from Houston and its very common for everyone down here on the Gulf Coast to call New Orleans NOLA. No-LUH. I even know a couple that named their kid NOLA.

[TaylorMade]

I just thought it was for "Game To." Like Dumb and Dumber To.

[tigerslionspistonshabs]

Well, seeing how the Raptors dropped the first two games of the series at home, I guess the shirts are appropriate

No, it's a stupid idea because anyone outside of Toronto (and probably some from Toronto) would see that in the context of a basketball game and immediately think "turnover". If the Blue Jays did it, it would be fine, but for basketball/football/hockey? it's a bad double meaning. It's a matter of simple design principles. Has nothing to do with be being anti-Canada.

Or you could be smart enough to see TO is their abbreviation for the city. Because YOU dont see that way doesnt mean everyone else has too. In that regard, The Saints should never use N.O on anything because that says NO and anybody outside of America would never understand that

New Orleans is abbreviated NOLA, probably to avoid confusion with the word "no", so your example is a poor one. And if the Raptors wanted to use a kewl nickname on the shirts, why not use "T-DOT" and make the "O" the new logo? See? This is design—coming up with the best, clearest solution.

And please, don't question my intelligence. I understand that "TO" is an abbreviation for Toronto. I'm saying it's the worst of their several options to use for a basketball shirt.

^ ya, i was thinking 'T-DOT' or 'T.' (with the '.' as the new partial logo) would be just as effective as 'TO'.

either way, the Raps will be done with these playoffs in a couple games anyway, so "on to the next one".

Im from Toronto and it's the exact opposite to me. TDOT or T. are probably the last options I want to see and at the end of the day I am the Raps target market and most likely consumer. TO >>>>> TDOT

Also glad you brought up the NOLA cause as a Canadian it confuses me just as much as TO confuses you. Where does LA come from? Was it added just to avoid NO?

Chiming in - ironically, no one I know from the GTA personally or professionally refers to ourselves as T.O. or TDot or Big Smoke or Hogtown. I dunno, maybe that's cuz it's played out or whatever.

I think we just love saying 'Toronto' like droppin' a mic. Esp when outsiders pronounce it Tor On Tow fml.

The "only out of town rubes say it!" routine doesn't quite work when the team based in Toronto is making shirts saying TO themselves to give to their Toronto-based fans

It is true tho, we pronounce it more like "Tor-a-no"

No one says Tor-a-no. It's "Toraw-no"

[FGM13]

Well, seeing how the Raptors dropped the first two games of the series at home, I guess the shirts are appropriate

No, it's a stupid idea because anyone outside of Toronto (and probably some from Toronto) would see that in the context of a basketball game and immediately think "turnover". If the Blue Jays did it, it would be fine, but for basketball/football/hockey? it's a bad double meaning. It's a matter of simple design principles. Has nothing to do with be being anti-Canada.

Or you could be smart enough to see TO is their abbreviation for the city. Because YOU dont see that way doesnt mean everyone else has too. In that regard, The Saints should never use N.O on anything because that says NO and anybody outside of America would never understand that

New Orleans is abbreviated NOLA, probably to avoid confusion with the word "no", so your example is a poor one. And if the Raptors wanted to use a kewl nickname on the shirts, why not use "T-DOT" and make the "O" the new logo? See? This is designcoming up with the best, clearest solution.

And please, don't question my intelligence. I understand that "TO" is an abbreviation for Toronto. I'm saying it's the worst of their several options to use for a basketball shirt.

^ ya, i was thinking 'T-DOT' or 'T.' (with the '.' as the new partial logo) would be just as effective as 'TO'.

either way, the Raps will be done with these playoffs in a couple games anyway, so "on to the next one".

Im from Toronto and it's the exact opposite to me. TDOT or T. are probably the last options I want to see and at the end of the day I am the Raps target market and most likely consumer. TO >>>>> TDOT

Also glad you brought up the NOLA cause as a Canadian it confuses me just as much as TO confuses you. Where does LA come from? Was it added just to avoid NO?

Chiming in - ironically, no one I know from the GTA personally or professionally refers to ourselves as T.O. or TDot or Big Smoke or Hogtown. I dunno, maybe that's cuz it's played out or whatever.

I think we just love saying 'Toronto' like droppin' a mic. Esp when outsiders pronounce it Tor On Tow fml.

The "only out of town rubes say it!" routine doesn't quite work when the team based in Toronto is making shirts saying TO themselves to give to their Toronto-based fans

It is true tho, we pronounce it more like "Tor-a-no"

No one says Tor-a-no. It's "Toraw-no"

It's "Tranna" ?

[MkDon]

[IceCap]

Everything about the new identity is terrible, but the "HEY DRAKE IS FROM HERE" stuff is the worst.

And again, "TO" DOES NOT confuse me.

I never said it confuses you. My point is that Toronto is the largest city in Canada. It's economic and, in many ways cultural, centre. If you're a Canadian then "TO" will signify Toronto more then anything else. If you're not Canadian then that's not the case, and "TO" will probably have other meanings.

And that's fine. The shirts aren't meant for you. They're meant for people who associate "TO" with Toronto first and foremost.

[Shadojoker]

The Drake black and gold aint bad..

[MkDon]

Wanted to see how the new logo will look like next to another existing logo, so i made this with Photoshop. (Never mind the playoffs sign, there's a Warriors logo beneath it. )

[nkay]

No one says Tor-a-no. It's "Toraw-no"

That's what i was trying to type out lol. Emphasis on the 2nd T not being pronounced.

Wanted to see how the new logo will look like next to another existing logo, so i made this with Photoshop. (Never mind the playoffs sign, there's a Warriors logo beneath it. )

This looks dece. The new logo's starting to grow on me. Still wish there was purple in it.

Shameless repost of how I'd add purple to it.

[FinsUp1214]

Wanted to see how the new logo will look like next to another existing logo, so i made this with Photoshop. (Never mind the playoffs sign, there's a Warriors logo beneath it. )

Eh, I was hoping this logo would grow on me, but it just hasn't. It isn't a bad logo, it's just not very captivating at all (plus, I just can't get over the "Grinch fingers" comparison someone pointed out a while back). The dribbling raptor just has so much more charm and identity to it, it's a shame to see it go.

[pianoknight]

Hey everyone! It's.... another roundel.

[Buster]

<p>

Game 2 shirts

Those are terrible.

What are they supposed to say, "TO"?

In the book Naming Canada: Stories about Canadian Place Names, Alan Rayburn states that "no place in Canada has as many sobriquets as Toronto." Among them are the nicknames:

• "TO" or "T.O.", from Toronto, Ontario, or from Toronto; pronounced "Tee-Oh". Sometimes used as T-dot.

It also stands for "turnover", which in basketball is not a good thing. Stupid idea, no matter what the intended meaning was.

You mean it is a stupid idea for a team to take pride in where they are from, and the local fanbase?

Of course, it is a stupid idea for any team to embrace their province and city..i mean come on couldn't they have come up with something else that embraces Toronto, Ontario? Maybe if we were from Canada we would understand......oh wait...we aren't no wonder..lets just bash those darn canadians

Took me, as a non-Canuck to figure out what it means. It just looks like trash. Stupid shirt design and a horrible logo.

[mbannon92]

Everything about the new identity is terrible, but the "HEY DRAKE IS FROM HERE" stuff is the worst.

And again, "TO" DOES NOT confuse me.

I never said it confuses you. My point is that Toronto is the largest city in Canada. It's economic and, in many ways cultural, centre. If you're a Canadian then "TO" will signify Toronto more then anything else. If you're not Canadian then that's not the case, and "TO" will probably have other meanings.

And that's fine. The shirts aren't meant for you. They're meant for people who associate "TO" with Toronto first and foremost.

Wasn't talking to you, but okay.

Anyway, when the game is being broadcast on national TV, and millions of Americans will be seeing a sea of "TO" shirts, it does matter what it means to non-Torontoans.

[IceCap]

Everything about the new identity is terrible, but the "HEY DRAKE IS FROM HERE" stuff is the worst.

And again, "TO" DOES NOT confuse me.

I never said it confuses you. My point is that Toronto is the largest city in Canada. It's economic and, in many ways cultural, centre. If you're a Canadian then "TO" will signify Toronto more then anything else. If you're not Canadian then that's not the case, and "TO" will probably have other meanings.

And that's fine. The shirts aren't meant for you. They're meant for people who associate "TO" with Toronto first and foremost.

Wasn't talking to you, but okay.

Anyway, when the game is being broadcast on national TV, and millions of Americans will be seeing a sea of "TO" shirts, it does matter what it means to non-Torontoans.

When you post on a public message board it doesn't matter who exactly you're replying to. It's fair game for anyone

And no, it really doesn't matter what it means to non-Canadians. It's our team, and the shirts were given away to fans in Toronto, who know what "TO" means in that context. You think "TO" isn't a good slogan for a basketball team to put on a shirt that's never going to be made available to you anyway? Ok. That's fine, but so what? You weren't the target demo in mind when it was conceived.

[The_Admiral]

Quality concern trolling ITT.

[mbannon92]

Everything about the new identity is terrible, but the "HEY DRAKE IS FROM HERE" stuff is the worst.

And again, "TO" DOES NOT confuse me.

I never said it confuses you. My point is that Toronto is the largest city in Canada. It's economic and, in many ways cultural, centre. If you're a Canadian then "TO" will signify Toronto more then anything else. If you're not Canadian then that's not the case, and "TO" will probably have other meanings.

And that's fine. The shirts aren't meant for you. They're meant for people who associate "TO" with Toronto first and foremost.

Wasn't talking to you, but okay.

Anyway, when the game is being broadcast on national TV, and millions of Americans will be seeing a sea of "TO" shirts, it does matter what it means to non-Torontoans.

When you post on a public message board it doesn't matter who exactly you're replying to. It's fair game for anyone

And no, it really doesn't matter what it means to non-Canadians. It's our team, and the shirts were given away to fans in Toronto, who know what "TO" means in that context. You think "TO" isn't a good slogan for a basketball team to put on a shirt that's never going to be made available to you anyway? Ok. That's fine, but so what? You weren't the target demo in mind when it was conceived.

You said to me, "I never said it confuses you." I wasn't accusing you of that--I said that to the poster I quoted (which you chose not to include in your post). So please don't condescend me and give me a winky face.

As for the actual shirt, neither of us are budging on our opinion, so I'm just going to stop discussing it.