My Fictional Sports World - Houston Orbits

[HyamesField]

Here is a small introduction, you can skip and go right to the uniforms if you'd like, but it all started when I was pretty young. I bet right around 10 years ago I created a fictional university based out of Grand Rapids, MI that I would create paper ice rinks and paper players and play games with it. As the years passed, the idea grew more and more becoming an entirely fictional-based college sports world called the NACA (National Association of Collegiate Athletics). I will not bore you with the specifics of that, but it's basically a 200 team world. 

 

When NCAA Football 2011 came out with TeamBuilder, everything changed. My fictional university which was just based on notebooks, now became something I could design and play games with. Southern Michigan University (known as the Knights) and the Great Lakes Conference became a reality. My 13 year-old self went online to find a logo (which I cannot identify and am no longer able to find it online, good thing I have it saved) and came up with this primary mark. This whole thing has evolved into probably over 100 files of different information from year by year results, to all-time draft picks. 

 

 

 

As I've gotten older I created a few secondary logos which I use throughout most teams.

 

Here is a few quick notes before I show off the uniforms; Nike took over as the official athletic apparel provider for SMU in 2014, Nike began incorporating Battle Scars design into most of the teams uniforms this past season (you'll see it throughout all the major teams). Without further ado, here is what my life rotates around!

 

Basketball

Football 

Due to space concerns, I'll just show you the uniform schedule for this season. 

You can find 2015 here (http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/drewstone7/media/Screen Shot 2016-11-14 at 9.11.12 PM_zpszqkymrp2.png.html?sort=3&o=2)

2014 (http://s1370.photobucket.com/user/drewstone7/media/Screen Shot 2016-11-14 at 9.11.29 PM_zpsy4qjgtdo.png.html?sort=3&o=1) 

It's fun to see how your skills progress from year to year. My personal favorite is the 1985 throwback we wore twice last season. 

Baseball

 

Hockey

[ahowe6464]

Lots of good work here. I'd say the only problem I have is the secondary... huge hilts or small blades?  One of those should change.

[HyamesField]

5 hours ago, ahowe6464 said:

Lots of good work here. I'd say the only problem I have is the secondary... huge hilts or small blades?  One of those should change.

That's a good point. I never really saw that until now. I will look into that. Thanks!

[mrkennedy77]

That primary logo is nice! I'd piggyback with the secondary logo needing tuned up to adjust the proper measurements for the swords, but all around great job. 

[mgdmhl]

So you stole a random logo you found on the internet for your primary logo and then used a Troy Trojans alternate logo for your secondary logo? http://www.sportslogos.net/logos/view/g047ovvovkd3d4j6y9bxpfvdq/Troy_Trojans/2004/Alternate_Logo

[osctheg]

bro those are pretty boss whatever mgdmhl says

[HyamesField]

32 minutes ago, osctheg said:

bro those are pretty boss whatever mgdmhl says

I figured somebody would throw a fit about it. I'm not too worried about it. The project has become more about the storyline and developing my skills making different types of uniforms than it is spending hours on logos. Negativity will always be apart of it. 

 

Working on that secondary logo...

[~Bear]

1 hour ago, astone11 said:

I figured somebody would throw a fit about it. I'm not too worried about it. The project has become more about the storyline and developing my skills making different types of uniforms than it is spending hours on logos. Negativity will always be apart of it. 

 

Working on that secondary logo...

He didn't throw a fit, he's being logical. If you use logos from sports teams on any level, you're going to get criticized and rightfully so. Your stealing a copyrighted work, recoloring it, and passing it on as your own. If your going to use it, use it more like a template; reshape and resize the logo to make it your own, change the handle a little since that's a fairly recognizable part. At least you are working around to change it.

 

Is the primary "borrowed" as well? If it is I recommend changing it around some, even if the changes aren't major. Also, what's the logo on the pinstriped baseball uni? If you designed that, I'd make it the primary and rework the current primary and use that as an alternate so your at least featuring your more unique designs.

 

What can interest a lot of people is if you really dive into the story aspect. What's the history of the league? Who are the powerhouses in each sport? What are the conferences?

 

If you post another school, I recommend not "borrowing" other people's logos again 

[HyamesField]

21 minutes ago, ~Bear said:

He didn't throw a fit, he's being logical. If you use logos from sports teams on any level, you're going to get criticized and rightfully so. Your stealing a copyrighted work, recoloring it, and passing it on as your own. If your going to use it, use it more like a template; reshape and resize the logo to make it your own, change the handle a little since that's a fairly recognizable part. At least you are working around to change it.

 

Is the primary "borrowed" as well? If it is I recommend changing it around some, even if the changes aren't major. Also, what's the logo on the pinstriped baseball uni? If you designed that, I'd make it the primary and rework the current primary and use that as an alternate so your at least featuring your more unique designs.

 

What can interest a lot of people is if you really dive into the story aspect. What's the history of the league? Who are the powerhouses in each sport? What are the conferences?

 

If you post another school, I recommend not "borrowing" other people's logos again 

This is why I flip-flopped for the better part of a year probably in showing this stuff off. While I do agree with you that it would probably be "better" (for lack of a better term, I'm writing a paper so my brain is gone) if I created and designed my own logo, but eight years ago I'm sure I was just trying to figure out how to use the internet nevertheless design a logo. The logo has become part of the brand and it works for me. 

 

In the end, isn't this website for amateurs and uni-nerds like you and I to find cool projects from people that are just like us? Sometimes people on this site get so caught up in trying to police other's materials it takes the fun away. I felt (and others feel the same way apparently) that I have some good content here. I never said the logo was mine, and never made it seem like it was mine. This is just a fake sports world, not the end of the world  

[osctheg]

your primary is similar to the charlotte knights primary

[ahowe6464]

1 hour ago, osctheg said:

your primary is similar to the charlotte knights primary

Hmm... don't see the semblance. Definitely in the colors though.

[mgdmhl]

23 hours ago, astone11 said:

This is why I flip-flopped for the better part of a year probably in showing this stuff off. While I do agree with you that it would probably be "better" (for lack of a better term, I'm writing a paper so my brain is gone) if I created and designed my own logo, but eight years ago I'm sure I was just trying to figure out how to use the internet nevertheless design a logo. The logo has become part of the brand and it works for me. 

 

In the end, isn't this website for amateurs and uni-nerds like you and I to find cool projects from people that are just like us? Sometimes people on this site get so caught up in trying to police other's materials it takes the fun away. I felt (and others feel the same way apparently) that I have some good content here. I never said the logo was mine, and never made it seem like it was mine. This is just a fake sports world, not the end of the world  

 

So you've had 8 years to practice making your own logo. The site is for "cool projects" for people to find but the person posting the concept has to be the original creator of the concept. You wouldn't want someone else using a logo you created and passing if off as their own. The members of this forum are "uni-nerds" and sports logo nerds so people are going to notice if you're passing off work that isn't your own. It's not like we go looking just for people that steal logos, but if we see it you'll get called out. 

 

Even if you don't say the logo is yours, it's implied when you post a concept. It doesn't matter if it's "just a fake sports world".

[Toofy]

Message board police ruin this community. He made 27 different uniform concepts and you guys are bitching because he didn't create his own logo? Have you ever considered maybe people are better at uniform concepts than creating logos? He's not submitting this anywhere. He's not selling this. He didn't trademark these logos. This is not real, people. Have a little fun instead of being so god damn critical. 

[HyamesField]

1 hour ago, mgdmhl said:

 

So you've had 8 years to practice making your own logo. The site is for "cool projects" for people to find but the person posting the concept has to be the original creator of the concept. You wouldn't want someone else using a logo you created and passing if off as their own. The members of this forum are "uni-nerds" and sports logo nerds so people are going to notice if you're passing off work that isn't your own. It's not like we go looking just for people that steal logos, but if we see it you'll get called out. 

 

Even if you don't say the logo is yours, it's implied when you post a concept. It doesn't matter if it's "just a fake sports world".

So "Bear" tells me to make small changes to each logo I have (which I have done with every logo, have i not?) and it will be okay for me to use, but you say I need everything to be brand new. Which one is it? 

 

Am I not the original creator of the concept? How is this any different from somebody posting uniform redesigns of pro teams using their logos? Why don't you tell them to create their own logos? I never implied anything, that was on your part. In fact, I pointed out something that most people probably would not have pointed out.

 

Do you have any comments on the actual thing I was showing off? Do you like the implementation of the Battle Scars on all the uniforms, or is it too much? THAT is what I want to know about.

[Htown1141]

15 hours ago, Toofy said:

Message board police ruin this community. He made 27 different uniform concepts and you guys are bitching because he didn't create his own logo? Have you ever considered maybe people are better at uniform concepts than creating logos? He's not submitting this anywhere. He's not selling this. He didn't trademark these logos. This is not real, people. Have a little fun instead of being so god damn critical. 

#preach

 

Also,

I like the designs on most of your uniforms, however, on your black football units, maybe put a white outline on the numbers. Also, try and keep the stripes consistent on the hockey uniforms. On the pants you have different striping than on the jerseys, and consistency is key when it comes to that type of stuff.

[mgdmhl]

18 hours ago, Toofy said:

Message board police ruin this community. He made 27 different uniform concepts and you guys are bitching because he didn't create his own logo? Have you ever considered maybe people are better at uniform concepts than creating logos? He's not submitting this anywhere. He's not selling this. He didn't trademark these logos. This is not real, people. Have a little fun instead of being so god damn critical. 

 

How can you say what has ruined this community when you haven't contributed to the forum before this? Yes not all people are good at making logos, but that doesn't give you the right to use other logos as your own. It doesn't matter if it's fake or he's not selling/trademarking them. People here expect expect logos that are posted to be their own, unless stated otherwise. He's actually lucky this thread hasn't been deleted yet; from the concept rules thread "If a user posts a concept using uncredited artwork he/she did not design, the thread will be deleted immediately."

 

18 hours ago, astone11 said:

So "Bear" tells me to make small changes to each logo I have (which I have done with every logo, have i not?) and it will be okay for me to use, but you say I need everything to be brand new. Which one is it? 

 

Am I not the original creator of the concept? How is this any different from somebody posting uniform redesigns of pro teams using their logos? Why don't you tell them to create their own logos? I never implied anything, that was on your part. In fact, I pointed out something that most people probably would not have pointed out.

 

Do you have any comments on the actual thing I was showing off? Do you like the implementation of the Battle Scars on all the uniforms, or is it too much? THAT is what I want to know about.

 

Unless you give credit to the original creator, the logos you post have to be your own. (That also goes for tweaks to logos that aren't your own).

 

There's a different between a redesign and a rebrand (or in your case created a brand from nothing, even if it's fake). Redesigns take the existing logo/brand and makes tweaks to the logo or uniform for that team. Rebrands are changing the name or logo to something very different. You're making a brand for your fake school so everything should be original. The difference from "somebody posting uniform redesigns of pro teams using their logos" and you is they're redesigning something where in your case you're creating a brand.

 

When you start a concept thread it is implied (whether you want to believe it or not) that the work is yours, unless you state otherwise. 

 

You were showing off your logos and I made comments on that. If you just wanted c&c on just the uniforms you should have only posted those.

 

TBH, if you would have said "I'm not very good at making logos so I'm just going to use a random logo I found online and a modified Troy alternate logo as temporary logos until I improve my skill enough to make good logos on my own" in the OP nobody would have minded.

[~Bear]

You've done a good job making each logo your own. I do agree that you should probably credit each logo you do use, be it a URL or a shout-out to the designer. Think of it as like a citation; even if you didn't directly copy someone's work but you didn't cite your sources, it'd still be considered plagiarism.

 

I like the unis, no complaints there. I like the basketball unis probably the most, especially the sublimated patch.

 

I'm not one to get mad with someone modifying logos unless they take full credit, which you did not. I'm just trying to help you out because there are a lot of people who will get mad, especially if you don't take credit, even if this is an informal project your sharing.

 

As I said before, I'd like to see history behind the association (champions, teams, etc.). And I would like to see you post another school as well. I think the unis especially are really well done.

[Atomic]

Ok - let's get this settled:

 

#1. The OP already indicated that the logo in question was found via Google when the poster was 13. The fictional university grew from paper to EA Teambuilder, which was when the logo in question was utilized.

 

#2. My understanding (via the initial post) is that the "concept" in question is regarding the UNIFORM designs and the "expansion" of the university. Nothing else. 

 

I can understand where the "logo theft" talk can come into play. Semantics aside, let's stick to the discussion of the UNIFORM concept going further, ok?

 

Additionally, there is no "alter the logo (insert number here) percent and it's an original piece/free to use" rule. Copyrighted logos are just that: copyrighted regardless of how much is altered from the original.

[GFB]

Again, there's no problem here.  The OP freely admitted in the post that he did not create the logo and that he would credit the author but he doesn't know who/where to direct people. There was no intent to deceive or take credit for something that wasn't his.  He probably should have admitted that some of the alternate logos were edits/manipulations of existing designs (like the Troy swords), but that doesn't take away from the focus of the post, which was for all the uniforms. 

 

To the OP, great job on the thoroughness and passion of the project. I totally get what you were going for and I've been there too in regards to made-up schools. You gave the whole school a unified identity that was consistent from team-to-team and sport-to-sport.

 

[HyamesField]

8 hours ago, Htown1141 said:

#preach

 

Also,

I like the designs on most of your uniforms, however, on your black football units, maybe put a white outline on the numbers. Also, try and keep the stripes consistent on the hockey uniforms. On the pants you have different striping than on the jerseys, and consistency is key when it comes to that type of stuff.

Thank you very much. Hockey jerseys are something I don't work on a whole lot so I'm glad to get some advice. Thank you!

 

5 hours ago, ~Bear said:

You've done a good job making each logo your own. I do agree that you should probably credit each logo you do use, be it a URL or a shout-out to the designer. Think of it as like a citation; even if you didn't directly copy someone's work but you didn't cite your sources, it'd still be considered plagiarism.

 

I like the unis, no complaints there. I like the basketball unis probably the most, especially the sublimated patch.

 

I'm not one to get mad with someone modifying logos unless they take full credit, which you did not. I'm just trying to help you out because there are a lot of people who will get mad, especially if you don't take credit, even if this is an informal project your sharing.

 

As I said before, I'd like to see history behind the association (champions, teams, etc.). And I would like to see you post another school as well. I think the unis especially are really well done.

Thanks! The basketball uniforms are among my favorite! I loved how they came out... Also, I'll post some more of the schools I have logo designs made for. Thanksgiving break coming up so I'll have more time. For a small teaser, SMU plays in the Great Lakes Conference with Annapolis, Chicago, Chicago State, Cleveland, Detroit, Duluth, Erie, Indianapolis, Minnesota St., SMU, Toronto, Wisconsin St. 

2 hours ago, GFB said:

Again, there's no problem here.  The OP freely admitted in the post that he did not create the logo and that he would credit the author but he doesn't know who/where to direct people. There was no intent to deceive or take credit for something that wasn't his.  He probably should have admitted that some of the alternate logos were edits/manipulations of existing designs (like the Troy swords), but that doesn't take away from the focus of the post, which was for all the uniforms. 

 

To the OP, great job on the thoroughness and passion of the project. I totally get what you were going for and I've been there too in regards to made-up schools. You gave the whole school a unified identity that was consistent from team-to-team and sport-to-sport.

 

Thank you! That is what I was going for. I really wanted to have something that was able to be university-wide but wouldn't be too over the top. Appreciate it