XFL 2023 Logos, Names and Uniforms

[MDGP]

18 minutes ago, Maroon said:

 

You nailed it: https://www.sbnation.com/2019/8/21/20826449/xfl-team-names-ranked-battlehawks

 

Besides Bois, the main SBNation page is all paint by numbers BS. I'd be willing to bet I can also nail the "Why Madden 21 is the BEST Madden Yet!" article that EA pays them to write.

 

13 minutes ago, bosrs1 said:

 

With good reason. They run the gamut from forgettable to downright terrible. When your best offering is a lawsuit resistance Oilers knockoff you’ve got problems.

 

I mean, twitter also has notoriously bad taste. They LOOOOOOOOOOOVED the Browns uniforms when they were unveiled. The names aren't phenomenal, but we live in a culture of performative overreaction, so of course twitter was going to either say these were the greatest things ever or the worst.

[GFB]

My knee-jerk takes:

 

As someone who cares about the helmets more than almost anything (which is where I think the original XFL did fairly well), I think St. Louis and DC have the most potential to give us a really cool helmet design. 

[Ark]

Possible uniform previews from the team trailers (some trailers have more than one uniform, and a few uniforms are reused in different trailers)

 

Dallas Renegades

 

 

 

Houston Roughnecks

 

 

LA Wildcats

 

 

NY Guardians

 

 

 

Seattle Dragons

 

 

 

St. Louis Battlehawks

 

 

(From the Seattle Dragons trailer)

 

Tampa Bay Vipers

 

 

DC Defenders

 

 

 

 

 

[IceCap]

Eh, these are alright. A bit disappointed in Tampa's actually. The alt should have been the primary. 

[GFB]

4 minutes ago, Ark said:

Possible uniform previews from the team trailers (some trailers have more than one uniform, and a few uniforms are reused in different trailers)

These are either pictures of uniforms from the original XFL (Hitmen, Enforcers, Xtreme, Demons I believe) or stock photos.

[officeglenn]

2 minutes ago, Ark said:

Possible uniform previews from the team trailers (some trailers have more than one uniform, and a few uniforms are reused in different trailers)

 

I wouldn't read much, if anything, into those. Some are either XFL 1.0 game footage or XFL 1.0 uniforms with the original logos stripped off. I can clearly see designs that were worn by the LA Xtreme and the SF Demons.

[Lights Out]

They're all nice except for the Vipers and Wildcats. They really mailed it in with those.

[GFB]

1 minute ago, Lights Out said:

They're all nice except for the Vipers and Wildcats. They really mailed it in with those.

 

Wildcats is really, really poor, but the "V" with two fangs has potential as a simple/non-mascot mark for the Vipers. 

[IceCap]

1 minute ago, GFB said:

but the "V" with two fangs has potential as a simple/non-mascot mark for the Vipers. 

My issue with it is that I prefer monogram logos to reference locale rather than team names. I would much rather see the alternate snake head logo become the primary than a V monogram mark. 

[MDGP]

Yeah, these are original XFL uniforms.

 

1. New York/New Jersey Hitmen

2. Las Vegas Outlaws (Probably)

3. Stock Photo

4. Chicago Enforcers

5. No clue

6 & 7. San Francisco Demons

8 & 9. LA Extreme

10. Las Vegas (Probably)

11-13. Stock Images

 

[IceCap]

6 minutes ago, Lights Out said:

Wildcats

My theory based on discussions I've had with @Still MIGHTY on BASS is that the XFL figures it can sell more merchandise locally with a LA monogram logo. 

[GDAWG]

I find it interesting that the Renegades are going to play in the shadow of the Cowboys with AT&T Stadium right across the street from their future home venue at Globe Life Field.

[WideRight]

My quick takes:

 

Each one, with the possible exception of Seattle, has something that I think could have been addressed and fixed quickly to improve the identity.  None of them are horrific, no "Krunk-Wolverines" or Maniax in the bunch, but all could have been tweeked just a bit more.  Without railing against any team, here is the 1 thing I would change for each:

 

1. DC:  The shield logo works.  I am interested to see if they add a 2nd color or stick with Red & White like the DC flag.  

              My one change:  The name.  DC Power, Washington Warbirds, something a bit more dynamic than "Defenders".

 

2. NY:  I like the gargoyle reference, though this one looks like a mix between gargoyles and the lions from the NYC Public LIbrary.  

              My one change:  I might say the name for the same reason as DC, but no, I will say that the league already has too much red, so adding red in the logo just makes that worse.  Replace the red in the logo with another color and you have a winner.  My suggestion, the oxidized copper green of the Statue of Liberty, a slate/sky blue, or maybe orange instead of red. 

 

3. STL:  I am ok with the name, though it is awfully close to "Blackhawks" which is not what you want in STL.  The logo is a fine secondary logo, but will it look good  on the helmet?

              My one change:  Create a secondary logo which can be used on the helmet, perhaps a monogram with a plane/flight motif. 

 

4. TBY:  Great colors for TBY, remind me of the Rowdies from the NASL.  The secondary logo is ideal, the primary looks like a secondary.

              My one change, obvious, swap primary and secondary logos. 

 

5. DAL:  This is a very derivative logo.  So many teams, as far back as the USFL's OK Outlaws had something similar.  Then you add that it is Houston Oilers colors and it is a missed opportunity to do something stronger, and it adds to the overload of red in the league.  

My one change:  Keep the logo but change the colors (in order) from Black-Sky-Red to  Dark Brown--Sand Gold--Orange like the old SA Riders of WLAF. 

 

6. HOU:  It's the Oilers, right?  We all get that?  The H is weak, the colors generic, the star on top of the derrick is unnecessary.  A lot I would change about the logo in general. The name is perfect, but that is about all.  

               My one change:  Not sure I can limit this to one change.  I guess if I only changed one thing, again it would be the color scheme.  Get rid of silver and make

               this navy, luv'ya blue and red.  Maybe they get sued by the Titans and the NFL, maybe not. 

 

7. LA:  I love the monogram, but it does not say "Wildcats" to me.  Keep the colors and the monogram.  The secondary logo adds almost no value. So...

              My one change:  Change the name to "Hotshots" and switch to a firefighter theme.  You can keep the monogram as is, the AAF has no money to sue anyone about the name use, and Hotshots in southern California works.  If you fear a lawsuit, go with Scorchers, SunDevils, Flames, Blazers, etc. but find a way to use a fire or sun theme rather than the very generic HS team name Wildcats (especially if there is no cat logo).

 

8. SEA:  My favorite of the bunch, though I am not sure what color helmet will work with this logo.  The name is not very "Seattle", but it might appeal to the large Asian population.  My one change:  Somehow incorporate a plaid or flannel pattern into the uniforms to tie the identity closer to Seattle culture. 

 

 

 

 

[GFB]

11 minutes ago, Ice_Cap said:

My issue with it is that I prefer monogram logos to reference locale rather than team names. I would much rather see the alternate snake head logo become the primary than a V monogram mark. 

It's a real concern, especially for a start-up league that needs the locations to anchor the franchises. I think it will come down to application... If they go out and support it with a strong secondary mark and they have a motif or identity they can carry out with the uniforms, the "V" will be a really good, flexible logo. If they don't really have any direction past this logo and it ends up on a white helmet or something, then I think it will fall into the generic, "create-a-team" pit of doom. 

[CaliforniaGlowin]

LA the only team to just have letters as their logo because how many different ways can you draw a wildcat that doesn't already exist???  And I agree the colors are random.  No thought put into this one at all.

[IceCap]

35 minutes ago, CaliforniaGlowin said:

LA the only team to just have letters as their logo because how many different ways can you draw a wildcat that doesn't already exist???  And I agree the colors are random.  No thought put into this one at all.

As I said the entire thing is illegitimate! The Wildcats aren't the Xtreme! Get this nonsense outta here!

 

No respect for the reigning XFL Champions

[gosioux76]

38 minutes ago, GFB said:

My knee-jerk takes:

 

As someone who cares about the helmets more than almost anything (which is where I think the original XFL did fairly well), I think St. Louis and DC have the most potential to give us a really cool helmet design. 

I don't know. I think that St. Louis one could be problematic. Certainly, you can apply the wings to either side of the helmet, but that's hardly unique anymore. And they'd probably sully it by trying to cram that sword down the middle, just like the logo.  Or worse, they'd just stick the logo as its on the side of the helmets and call it a day. 

 

I think that Gladiators could be wrapped to the back of the helmet, sort of like the old Michigan Panthers of the USFL. I'd like to see a Renegades helmet that employed those red eyes at the front of the helmet. The bottom third of the helmet would be blue to mimic the scarf and the top could employ some markings to illustrate the hat. 
 

I'm just spitballin' here.

[See Red]

BattleHawks is a pretty dumb name and I agree with the criticism of LA having a disjointed identity but overall, I think they did really well.

 

The Dragons logo is probably my favorite but the Guardians have a good look for a New York team.

[CS85]

These names are a bit on the bland side, to say the least.  Let's get more topical.

 

Houston Roughnecks ICE Raiders

• PRIMARY LOGO:  boot kicking in a door  
• SECONDARY LOGO:  infant holding a law degree
• COLORS:  teardop blue, kevlar gray, power white

Los Angeles Wildcats Cutthroats

• PRIMARY LOGO:  a bloody corpse outlined in chalk
• SECONDARY LOGO:  a small black glove on a huge hand
• COLORS:  Nicole brown, conveniently black, handed red

Dallas Renegades Snipers

• PRIMARY LOGO:  a reticle
• SECONDARY LOGO:  a magical bullet with starry, sparkly trail
• COLORS:  Onassis pink, motorcade blue, conspiracy cerulean

New York Guardians Brooklyn Bends

• PRIMARY LOGO:  an old-timey, mud-spattered worker violently convulsing
• SECONDARY LOGO:  a bridge with thumbs-up silhouettes on either side
• COLORS:  Irishman green, dead Irishman pale green, granite boulder gray

St. Louis BattleHawks Riot Breakers

• PRIMARY LOGO:  an ominous armored vehicle with guns sticking out of portholes
• SECONDARY LOGO:  white cops holding riot shields
• COLORS:  anything but black

Seattle Dragons Chair-Hoppers

• PRIMARY LOGO:  caricature of Bill Gates
• SECONDARY LOGO:  Blue Screen of Death
• COLORS:  word blue, excel green, powerpoint red

Tampa Bay Vipers Bath Salt Zombies

• PRIMARY LOGO:  a hunched, Disney-fied zombie feasting on a chunk of brain
• SECONDARY LOGO:  a dumpster fire
• COLORS:  cocaine white, cerebellum pink, dimpled chad blue

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

For me the New York logo is the worst one. 

First of all, I dislike that Los Angeles got a letter logo, while New York did not.  Secondly the New York logo is the only one that is unrecognisable when rendered small.

 

2 hours ago, poser said:

 

The "Guardians" nickname is OK.  I would have preferred "Gargoyles".

 

Other quibbles: it should be Washington Defenders.  And I agree with the tweet shown above that the Dallas logo, the second worst after New York's, is a ripoff of the Dallas Desperados of the Arena Foodball League.

 

The Los Angeles logo is beautiful, the best of the lot; though the nickname is unfortunately generic.  The Houston logo is strong, playing on local football history in the same way that the name of the USFL's Oakland Invaders did.