Alliance of American Football - Team Names and Logos

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

The Atlanta-Arizona game was such a beautiful matchup. I don't like colour-vs.-colour games; but Arizona's yellow jerseys are light enough to simulate white when facing a team in a dark jersey.

 

Both teams use unusual colours in a very artistic way.  And both teams' logos are outstanding. This might be the best-looking matchup since the 1979 NFC Championship Game between the Bucs and the Rams.

 

Which reminds me that the only thing that could improve Atlanta's uniforms (apart from the removal of the "ATL" from the sides) would be having the player names in white, in the manner of the Rams. And Arizona would look better with the logo on both sides of the helmet. But, notwithstanding these minor flaws, this game was a scrumptious visual feast.

 

Finally, the straight stripe on both teams' helmets further emphasises the goofiness of the flared stripe on Birmingham's helmet.

 

[Gothamite]

Speaking of helmet stripes, I love the Fleet’s. 

 

 

In fact, they have one of the best uniforms in the game right now, any league. 

 

 

Don’t like the logo-on-one-side conceit, and I wish they had light gray numbers to match the pants.  Fix that, and it’s a really sharp uniform. 

[gosioux76]

36 minutes ago, Gothamite said:

Speaking of helmet stripes, I love the Fleet’s. 

In fact, they have one of the best uniforms in the game right now, any league. 

 

 

Don’t like the logo-on-one-side conceit, and I wish they had light gray numbers to match the pants.  Fix that, and it’s a really sharp uniform. 

 

I agree, except I can't help but think there's something missing on the sleeves of these jerseys. That goes for the entire AAFL. Their plain-ness sticks out to me in a negative way, which is weird, because I like how these jerseys — the Fleet in particular — aren't over-adorned. Simplicity should be the goal, yet I just can't shake the feeling that something better could be done with those sleeves. 

[Gothamite]

I would agree if the sleeves were also gray, but the yellow color-blocks are enough to my eye.  Adds visual interest without losing the uniform’s bold, broad strokes. I wouldn’t want another logo or extraneous piping to clutter it up. 

 

Some of the AAF clubs have hit on the sweet spot that NFL consistently misses, between complex uniforms and cluttered uniforms.  The NFL almost always goes over that line, and they could learn a lesson from the Fleet. 

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

1 hour ago, gosioux76 said:

That goes for the entire AAFL.

 

There's no "L"!  It's the AAF!!

[WideRight]

I have only a few minor issues with the AAF uniforms and I am sure some will disagree with these.

 

1. Every team should have a well-designed alternate uniform.  Having seen the Memphis and Orlando alternates, it is clear they threw them together quickly with no attempt to match the main uniform's design.  Hope they fix that for season 2. 

 

2.  Get rid of the numbers on the helmets and just put the logos on both sides. 

 

3.  Put secondary logos on the sleeves, or are they saving those spaces for possible ads/sponsor patches?

 

4. I am not a fan of the leggings/solid color socks.  I much prefer the old-school white sock with color block or stripe on the calf.  Full length yellow "socks" just does not work for me on either SD or AZ.  

 

5. Put the team name under the collar.  I know that is a very NFL thing to do, but I do think it helps, particularly on replica jerseys, to add interest to the front of the jersey. 

 

I would still give the AAF a solid A- on uniform design.  While I would make some tweaks to individual teams (Atlanta mostly), overall it is very solid. 

 

[DouglasQuaid]

2 hours ago, WideRight said:

5. Put the team name under the collar.  I know that is a very NFL thing to do, but I do think it helps, particularly on replica jerseys, to add interest to the front of the jersey. 

That would ruin the look imo. Theres no reason for any football jersey to have the team name plastered on it. Im glad the AAF doesn't do this and the NFL should follow suit.

[IceCap]

7 hours ago, Gothamite said:

Don’t like the logo-on-one-side conceit

That’s my major problem with most of the AAF looks- the numbers on the helmets. 

Orlando’s isn’t so bad with the numbers on the back, but even then? The way they position the Apollo logo makes the back look very crowded. 

 

I wouldn't even change the Apollo positioning. It works given the archer theme of the logo. I would just drop the back numbers. 

 

And I’d drop the side numbers for all the teams that use them (SD, Arizona, and SA). 

[MJWalker45]

4 hours ago, WideRight said:

I have only a few minor issues with the AAF uniforms and I am sure some will disagree with these.

 

1. Every team should have a well-designed alternate uniform.  Having seen the Memphis and Orlando alternates, it is clear they threw them together quickly with no attempt to match the main uniform's design.  Hope they fix that for season 2. 

 

2.  Get rid of the numbers on the helmets and just put the logos on both sides. 

 

3.  Put secondary logos on the sleeves, or are they saving those spaces for possible ads/sponsor patches?

 

4. I am not a fan of the leggings/solid color socks.  I much prefer the old-school white sock with color block or stripe on the calf.  Full length yellow "socks" just does not work for me on either SD or AZ.  

 

5. Put the team name under the collar.  I know that is a very NFL thing to do, but I do think it helps, particularly on replica jerseys, to add interest to the front of the jersey. 

 

I would still give the AAF a solid A- on uniform design.  While I would make some tweaks to individual teams (Atlanta mostly), overall it is very solid. 

 

1. I don't think they need to be an exact copy but the numbers should match

2. Agreed. The numbers on the opposite side just screams amateur. 

3. Yup. Or the primary logo. I think the Starter logo would have to be raised up a bit but it works. 

4. The leggings are the same as every other league right now.  I miss sock stripes.

5. The wordmark looks good to me but isn't necessarily a requirement.  I usually add them when making uniforms. 

[IceCap]

13 hours ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

he Atlanta-Arizona game was such a beautiful matchup. I don't like colour-vs.-colour games; but Arizona's yellow jerseys are light enough to simulate white when facing a team in a dark jersey.

 

Both teams use unusual colours in a very artistic way.  And both teams' logos are outstanding.

I would agree, save for the Legends' ATL side panels. It almost ruins the look on its own.

[Sykotyk]

3 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

 

And I’d drop the side numbers for all the teams that use them (SD, Arizona, and SA). 

I'd put numbers on both sides of SD and make them look like hull numbers. 

 

Edit: I guess they do, but they need a lighter shell to pull off the look. 

[gosioux76]

11 hours ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

There's no "L"!  It's the AAF!!

It bothers you that much? 

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

7 hours ago, gosioux76 said:

19 hours ago, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

There's no "L"!  It's the AAF!!

It bothers you that much? 

 

Yes; yes, it does. Kindly cut it out.

[CrimsonBull9584]

I hope that all the rumors I'm hearing about Louisville getting an AAF team are true! I'd love to see a pro football team in my hometown. That being said, the question (as far as this particular thread is concerned) is; what will the name be and what will the colors be? I've given some thought to the matter, and I'd like to share some of my observations about a potential Alliance Louisville team. And I'd like to think that I'm speaking with some knowladge on the subject as I was born and raised there.

 

First, the colors. It is absolutely, positively, imperative that the team NOT be either red or blue. Anyone from Kentucky knows for a fact that the state is divided between red and blue. Louisville and Kentucky dominate the state as far as college sports are concerned.  I'm not sure how true this is in other states with two big college powers, but it pretty much is a 50/50 split state wide. So to choose either red or blue as a primary color for the team would not be a good idea from a marketing or branding sense. A color like green, orange, yellow, purple, or whatever, would make more sense. Now other colleges in the state do share those colors, but none are as big and recognizable as UofL and UK. If the team became green, I don't think it would hurt them nor Kentucky State in the long run. But you just can't do the red and blue in that state. Period.

 

As far as names, the obvious (and boring) choice would be to go with a horse mascot. But that would be a mistake. For one, it is too obvious. True Kentucky itself is known for the Kentucky Derby, horse breeding, and horse racing in general, but it's been done and overused. Second, there are other college teams in the state that have horse logos, the Murray State Racers the Kentucky State Thoroughbreds. Further, for the league to have two horse based mascots (Stallions) just would't work. Even more so since the Colts are only about an hour and a half north. There may be an exception to this that I'll get to in a minute. But yeah, no horse mascots.

 

As far as suggestions I have? Well...

 

1. Thunder
   • The kickoff to the Kentucky Derby is Thunder Over Louisville. The largest fireworks show in the Western Hemisphere. Tying in the AAF team to the Derby celebrations, as the end of the season would coincide with the beginning of the Kentucky Derby Festival, would be a great bit of cross promotion. Thunder is pretty much Louisville's 2nd or 3rd claim to fame, so it would make sense.
2. Pegasus
   • This is where that exception on horses come into place. The Kentucky Derby Festival's central mascot is the Pegasus. Pins, t-shirts, parades, statues, etc., all of these things bare the Pegasus every year as far back as I can remember. This would be a truly unique mascot that really could tie in with the city.
3. Miners/Coal/Coal Miners
   • A nod to Kentucky's coal mining history. Not much to say about it, but it would appeal more to eastern Kentucky rather than the urban centers.
4. Pioneers
   • This would tie back into the legacy of Daniel Boone and the settlers that came though the Cumberland Gap.
5. Mammoths
   • Both Mammoth Cave and Big Bone Lick State Park are big attractions in Kentucky that both utilize this history of the mammoth in some way. Bone Lick in that many dead mammoths are found there and Mammoth Cave (not actually named for any mammoths but rather it's immense size), the image is still used in around Cave City, Kentucky. Mastodons would be an acceptable alliterative. 
6. Viceroys
   • A nod to both Muhammad Ali and the fact that the Viceroy Butterfly is the state insect.
7. Bees/Swarm
   • Another nod to Ali and the state honey bee.
8. Wheels/Pistons/Engines/Turbo
   • The Corvette Museum is located near Bowling Green, Kentucky, so some sort of car/racing mascot would work. Not to mention the Kentucky Speedway and the Toyota plant.
9. Locos
   • A great history of trains in Kentucky, including the Underground Railroad.
10. Tanks
    • Finally, between 1935 and 1940, Louisville had a pro football team, the Louisville Tanks. They played in the Midwest Football League and were the 2nd pro team in Kentucky, behind the Louisville Brecks/Colonels in the 1920s NFL.

 

I'm sure there are some other options and ideas out there, but I think this is at least a good starting point.

 

[_DietDrPepper_]

1 hour ago, CrimsonBull9584 said:

I hope that all the rumors I'm hearing about Louisville getting an AAF team are true! I'd love to see a pro football team in my hometown. That being said, the question (as far as this particular thread is concerned) is; what will the name be and what will the colors be? I've given some thought to the matter, and I'd like to share some of my observations about a potential Alliance Louisville team. And I'd like to think that I'm speaking with some knowladge on the subject as I was born and raised there.

 

First, the colors. It is absolutely, positively, imperative that the team NOT be either red or blue. Anyone from Kentucky knows for a fact that the state is divided between red and blue. Louisville and Kentucky dominate the state as far as college sports are concerned.  I'm not sure how true this is in other states with two big college powers, but it pretty much is a 50/50 split state wide. So to choose either red or blue as a primary color for the team would not be a good idea from a marketing or branding sense. A color like green, orange, yellow, purple, or whatever, would make more sense. Now other colleges in the state do share those colors, but none are as big and recognizable as UofL and UK. If the team became green, I don't think it would hurt them nor Kentucky State in the long run. But you just can't do the red and blue in that state. Period.

 

As far as names, the obvious (and boring) choice would be to go with a horse mascot. But that would be a mistake. For one, it is too obvious. True Kentucky itself is known for the Kentucky Derby, horse breeding, and horse racing in general, but it's been done and overused. Second, there are other college teams in the state that have horse logos, the Murray State Racers the Kentucky State Thoroughbreds. Further, for the league to have two horse based mascots (Stallions) just would't work. Even more so since the Colts are only about an hour and a half north. There may be an exception to this that I'll get to in a minute. But yeah, no horse mascots.

 

As far as suggestions I have? Well...

 

1. Thunder
   • The kickoff to the Kentucky Derby is Thunder Over Louisville. The largest fireworks show in the Western Hemisphere. Tying in the AAF team to the Derby celebrations, as the end of the season would coincide with the beginning of the Kentucky Derby Festival, would be a great bit of cross promotion. Thunder is pretty much Louisville's 2nd or 3rd claim to fame, so it would make sense.
2. Pegasus
   • This is where that exception on horses come into place. The Kentucky Derby Festival's central mascot is the Pegasus. Pins, t-shirts, parades, statues, etc., all of these things bare the Pegasus every year as far back as I can remember. This would be a truly unique mascot that really could tie in with the city.
3. Miners/Coal/Coal Miners
   • A nod to Kentucky's coal mining history. Not much to say about it, but it would appeal more to eastern Kentucky rather than the urban centers.
4. Pioneers
   • This would tie back into the legacy of Daniel Boone and the settlers that came though the Cumberland Gap.
5. Mammoths
   • Both Mammoth Cave and Big Bone Lick State Park are big attractions in Kentucky that both utilize this history of the mammoth in some way. Bone Lick in that many dead mammoths are found there and Mammoth Cave (not actually named for any mammoths but rather it's immense size), the image is still used in around Cave City, Kentucky. Mastodons would be an acceptable alliterative. 
6. Viceroys
   • A nod to both Muhammad Ali and the fact that the Viceroy Butterfly is the state insect.
7. Bees/Swarm
   • Another nod to Ali and the state honey bee.
8. Wheels/Pistons/Engines/Turbo
   • The Corvette Museum is located near Bowling Green, Kentucky, so some sort of car/racing mascot would work. Not to mention the Kentucky Speedway and the Toyota plant.
9. Locos
   • A great history of trains in Kentucky, including the Underground Railroad.
10. Tanks
    • Finally, between 1935 and 1940, Louisville had a pro football team, the Louisville Tanks. They played in the Midwest Football League and were the 2nd pro team in Kentucky, behind the Louisville Brecks/Colonels in the 1920s NFL.

 

I'm sure there are some other options and ideas out there, but I think this is at least a good starting point.

 

I like a lot of those names! I also really hope they get a team. Although as a UK fan, i would say there’s much more UK fans than Louisville fans. Atleast from my perspective. But I agree there’s no way you could do a blue or red team. Either both or none. I would pick mining related name as the name bc it better represents the entire state. Most of our economy comes from mining, especially on the east side. Brown and yellow could be good colors

[Needschat]

1 hour ago, CrimsonBull9584 said:

I hope that all the rumors I'm hearing about Louisville getting an AAF team are true! I'd love to see a pro football team in my hometown. That being said, the question (as far as this particular thread is concerned) is; what will the name be and what will the colors be? I've given some thought to the matter, and I'd like to share some of my observations about a potential Alliance Louisville team. And I'd like to think that I'm speaking with some knowladge on the subject as I was born and raised there.

 

First, the colors. It is absolutely, positively, imperative that the team NOT be either red or blue. Anyone from Kentucky knows for a fact that the state is divided between red and blue. Louisville and Kentucky dominate the state as far as college sports are concerned.  I'm not sure how true this is in other states with two big college powers, but it pretty much is a 50/50 split state wide. So to choose either red or blue as a primary color for the team would not be a good idea from a marketing or branding sense. A color like green, orange, yellow, purple, or whatever, would make more sense. Now other colleges in the state do share those colors, but none are as big and recognizable as UofL and UK. If the team became green, I don't think it would hurt them nor Kentucky State in the long run. But you just can't do the red and blue in that state. Period.

 

As far as names, the obvious (and boring) choice would be to go with a horse mascot. But that would be a mistake. For one, it is too obvious. True Kentucky itself is known for the Kentucky Derby, horse breeding, and horse racing in general, but it's been done and overused. Second, there are other college teams in the state that have horse logos, the Murray State Racers the Kentucky State Thoroughbreds. Further, for the league to have two horse based mascots (Stallions) just would't work. Even more so since the Colts are only about an hour and a half north. There may be an exception to this that I'll get to in a minute. But yeah, no horse mascots.

 

As far as suggestions I have? Well...

 

1. Thunder
   • The kickoff to the Kentucky Derby is Thunder Over Louisville. The largest fireworks show in the Western Hemisphere. Tying in the AAF team to the Derby celebrations, as the end of the season would coincide with the beginning of the Kentucky Derby Festival, would be a great bit of cross promotion. Thunder is pretty much Louisville's 2nd or 3rd claim to fame, so it would make sense.
2. Pegasus
   • This is where that exception on horses come into place. The Kentucky Derby Festival's central mascot is the Pegasus. Pins, t-shirts, parades, statues, etc., all of these things bare the Pegasus every year as far back as I can remember. This would be a truly unique mascot that really could tie in with the city.
3. Miners/Coal/Coal Miners
   • A nod to Kentucky's coal mining history. Not much to say about it, but it would appeal more to eastern Kentucky rather than the urban centers.
4. Pioneers
   • This would tie back into the legacy of Daniel Boone and the settlers that came though the Cumberland Gap.
5. Mammoths
   • Both Mammoth Cave and Big Bone Lick State Park are big attractions in Kentucky that both utilize this history of the mammoth in some way. Bone Lick in that many dead mammoths are found there and Mammoth Cave (not actually named for any mammoths but rather it's immense size), the image is still used in around Cave City, Kentucky. Mastodons would be an acceptable alliterative. 
6. Viceroys
   • A nod to both Muhammad Ali and the fact that the Viceroy Butterfly is the state insect.
7. Bees/Swarm
   • Another nod to Ali and the state honey bee.
8. Wheels/Pistons/Engines/Turbo
   • The Corvette Museum is located near Bowling Green, Kentucky, so some sort of car/racing mascot would work. Not to mention the Kentucky Speedway and the Toyota plant.
9. Locos
   • A great history of trains in Kentucky, including the Underground Railroad.
10. Tanks
    • Finally, between 1935 and 1940, Louisville had a pro football team, the Louisville Tanks. They played in the Midwest Football League and were the 2nd pro team in Kentucky, behind the Louisville Brecks/Colonels in the 1920s NFL.

 

I'm sure there are some other options and ideas out there, but I think this is at least a good starting point.

 

 

You forgot about the number 1 export from Kentucky: Bourbon.  

 

Bourbons

Spirit(s)

Coopers

[CrimsonBull9584]

1 hour ago, Needschat said:

 

You forgot about the number 1 export from Kentucky: Bourbon.  

 

Bourbons

Spirit(s)

Coopers

 

True, but I don't think that a pro team, outside of the Brewers, can get away with it nowadays. Kentucky and Tennessee use to play for the Beer Barrel in football... until a few students died in a drunk driving accident. Then they retired it. So yeah, I don't see them doing that. 

[DCarp1231]

Louisville Bees perhaps? To pay homage to Muhammad Ali? 

[AgentColon2]

I’d prefer Stingers.

[Sykotyk]

5 hours ago, Needschat said:

 

You forgot about the number 1 export from Kentucky: Bourbon.  

 

Bourbons

Spirit(s)

Coopers

Kentucky's slogan is Unbridled Spirit. 

 

So Spirit or Spirits would be a great name.