Alliance of American Football - Team Names and Logos

[officeglenn]

Merged another thread into this one and renamed it, just to try and keep things organized and uncluttered.

[WideRight]

1 hour ago, BrandMooreArt said:

 

im a former Orlandonian and that place still means a lot to me, so i was really excited to see what they had. i love it — i'll be getting a shirt for sure. it kind of does the same thing as the Magic name, hinting at local reference (Space Coast/Kennedy/Apollo rockets) without being cheesy about it or beating you over the head with the concept, which the Iron is guilty of. its a very smart concept and combination of ideas (Apollo and the O) and well balanced. it will work on both sides of the helmet with Apollo pointing forward when reflected. you've got the orange swatches in there for obvious reasons too, and i see Fraser's hand in it, or at least his influence. its a very strong mark and hard to see any of the other 4 being better. A+ 

 

There are elements of Birmingham that I like. The use of the hex bolts and the 2 greys + white to create a "glare" is really nice.  If the name were something stronger, and perhaps if it was navy or purple instead of black as the dominant color, I would like them better, but the name is just so "meh".   Birmingham Ironmen or Vulcans could still work with this logo and would be pretty solid.    

 

I would still argue that they should have given that crown logo to Memphis and called them the Memphis Kings.  That would have been a solid logo/name.   The E, Express, logo to me is just not great, and the name inspires no enthusiasm, especially because of the obvious corporate reference.  

 

Right now, as a potential fan outside of these 8 markets, one likely going to pick a team to follow based on the logo/name, I am leaning towards the Apollos, but I am hoping that something in the Western division blows me away.  Holding out hope for either SD, SLC or PHX (I cannot imagine rooting for a Texas-based team.)

[DG_ThenNowForever]

That Legends logo is sweet. The colors seems wrong for Atlanta, but the script is really nice. I'm a fan.

 

The Iron logo is pretty bad. The Express logo could be a third for either the Capitals or the Wizards, but with different colors it could be nice.

[dfwabel]

Well, Reddit found what is likely San Antonio's logo. The remaining one which is maroon/deep red

 

 

[Scrumptious Ham]

WE'RE LEGENDS!!!!! Playing in a minor football league..

 

First four names are dumb. The logos are bad. This league will fail. 

[WideRight]

I have to say, I really like the slight change that adding the "A" to the Legends logo creates.  Still think the name is lame, but the logo itself, especially with the A, is pretty decent.  They don't seem to be using it as the primary (with the A) but they should. 

 

 

 

One quick Orlando note.  It looks like the team will be heavily blue, and likely will have a blue helmet, but I think it would actually work best on an orange helmet.  They could do white also.  Any will work, but something about an Orange helmet makes me think of Florida more (Old Ball coach?)

 

Also, if you go to the AAF shop, they have hats with what look to be secondary logos for each team.  ATL is the least distinct (Crown w. A vs. Crown w. Legends text).  Memphis has an M logo, Orlando an "O" without the Apollo figure, and B'Ham a B+I monogram. 

 

[NYC Cosmos]

Atlanta Legends? Lame. Who with the Falcons is/was a legend? Matt Ryan? Tommy Nobis? 

Memphis Express? The NBA would not allow the Grizzlies to use that name. No doubt a partnership with FedEx.

Birmingham Iron? Anyone remember the Birmingham Vulcans?

Orlando Apollos? Ugh. Didn't work so well for the NASL team, did it?

[Scrumptious Ham]

The Memphis logo has potential. The E looks hideous, though. Teams who use a letter in a logo should use the letter of the city only. Make that jet fly through a non abstract M and you have a winner.

[Pharos04]

 

Why couldn't the Titans adopt more of a Greek motif again?

[kimball]

Hot Take ...

 

Atlanta Legends: I actually like the logo, the name I'm not completely sold on. But, hey, it's still better than the Atlanta Dream. 

Memphis Express: Kinda surprised the colors aren't purple and orange. I don't mind the name. Express has a history with football teams, just not a fan of the red, white and blue colors.

Orlando Apollos: I love the logo. Love it. And, the name is kinda working for me. I guess I don't associate Orlando with Greek mythology?

Birmingham Iron: Lame. I am not a fan of the name. The logo itself isn't bad, but it's a typical 'iron' logo. There are much better names that could be used here.

 

Now I'm just hoping the Utah team doesn't screw it up. Please no Pioneer nickname. I can MAYBE deal with a bee/wasp nickname, but please no Utah Pioneers.

[Gothamite]

1 hour ago, Soblito said:

Pretty weak! They don't pop. They're PC names. 

 

[agentrygraphics]

I envision the Legends having a front-facing crown decal on their helmet (think Michigan Wolverines) so that each player looks like they are wearing a crown. 

 

(deep movie man voice)...Each player is a legend in his own right....

[Wings]

Western teams to be unveiled next week. 

[bowld]

My guess for the West-

 

San Antonio- Green/Orange (teaser looks sort of like a mission or bell)

Salt Lake- Maroon/Silver

San Diego- Double blue with a wave or whale

Arizona- Yellow/Grey

 

[PrimalCookie]

2 minutes ago, bowld said:

My guess for the West-

 

San Antonio- Green/Orange (teaser looks sort of like a mission or bell)

Salt Lake- Maroon/Silver

San Diego- Double blue with a wave or whale

Arizona- Yellow/Grey

 

San Antonio was leaked to be the dark red one (San Antonio Sabers). 

[agentrygraphics]

1 hour ago, dfwabel said:

Well, Reddit found what is likely San Antonio's logo. The remaining one which is maroon/deep red

 

 

 

...at first glance I thought it was the MLS logo.

[CaliforniaGlowin]

I love the Iron!!!  Football needs more metal-themed teams I think.  Apollos is cool too.  Express and Legends are a bit generic to me.  

 

The Iron website has a lot of merchandise.  Doesn't that cost the team/league money?  The old UFL had a ton of items and probably barely sold any.  Seems like a start-up league should just have a few items to start with.

[dfwabel]

14 minutes ago, Magic Dynasty said:

San Antonio was leaked to be the dark red one (San Antonio Sabers). 

All we know is that the logo is San Antonio's.

 

As for the team name, what's still the mystery* as it could still be military related like Regimen, Cavalry...

 

*-Currently, no TESS registration for San Antonio Sabers or Sabres.

[Brian in Boston]

5 hours ago, WideRight said:

Have to say I am underwhelmed.  Memphis and Atlanta names just seem lazy to me.  I guess you could say that about B’ham too.  The designs are ok, though none are great, but there were so many better name suggestions out there.  Express for Memphis is the worst. With both Elvis and Egypt options they go with a blatant Fed Ex reference?  ATL also is so generic.  It would honestly be better to have Memphis use the crown logo and have Atlanta be the Express with a train reference.  Got to say the UFL did better with the Loco’s, Redwoods, Tuskers, Colonials, Nighthawks, etc.  

 

Not to toot my own horn, but I honestly think the names and designs I came up with in the alternate history/concepts thread are more original, locally relevant and engaging, and I forced myself to use only non-count nouns for names.  

I'm in agreement with you with regard to the Memphis name. Given the market, going with Express just seems a bit too "on-the-nose" to me. Still, I like the logo that Mr. Bosack came up with. It emphasizes the speed implied with the word Express, while also giving "a wink and a nod" to the multibillion dollar courier industry giant that calls the City of Memphis home.

I'll go so far as to say that Memphis is the only market in which I'd concede that your work in the "Wideright imagines the AAF" thread could be regarded as "more original, locally relevant and engaging" than what Joe came up with. When I hear the Memphis Beat team name, I immediately think of the title of the 1966 song and album by Jerry Lee Lewis. That leads me to reflect upon the seminal role that music - most especially, Memphis blues, gospel, rock 'n' roll, and Memphis soul - has played in the city's culture and history. Yes, Federal Express has been a significant presence on the Memphis corporate scene since 1973. Yes, the company has a tremendous impact on the city's economy. Still, music is the lifeblood of Memphis. Hence, the Memphis Beat brand's ability to outstrip Memphis Express in terms of local relevance and its ability to engage the hearts and minds of fans in the region on a more visceral level. I also feel that your Memphis Beat logo compares favorably to Mr. Bosack's Memphis Express mark on an aesthetic level.

As for the other three AAF team brands unveiled so far, I don't share your disdain for them. 

It seems likely that the Atlanta Legends brand was conceived of, first and foremost, as an homage to the legacy of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. That said, to have dubbed a professional sports franchise the Atlanta Kings would have undoubtedly struck some as a rather frivolous honor to bestow upon a giant of the civil rights movement. So, I'd guess that the decision was made to position the brand as paying tribute to the many legends - in a variety of callings - that the City of Atlanta and State of Georgia have produced. I like the fact that the crown device within the logo serves as a reminder that Reverend King was likely paramount in the mind of league and team leadership when this squad was branded. To  my mind, that renders the Legends name less generic when attached to this particular franchise.                  

As a professional sports brand, Birmingham Iron is what it is. Iron and steel production fueled Birmingham, Alabama's growth for much of its history. Iron and steel are substances that not only speak to the idea of strength, but of strength forged under extremes of heat and pressure. A brand like Birmingham Iron not only pays tribute to the host city's history, but references the toughness and tenacity it takes to pursue a career in a sport as physically trying as professional football. Look, Birmingham, Alabama has long been dubbed "The Pittsburgh of the South". As such, Birmingham has as much right to draw upon its blue-collar, working-class roots when branding its AAF franchise as Pittsburgh did when naming the NFL Steelers. The simple, no-nonsense, "industrial" logo that Mr. Bosack has created to accompany the Birmingham Iron name perfectly complements the blue-collar brand.

It's about a 45-to-50-mile drive from downtown Orlando's Lake Eola Park to the Kennedy Space Center. Not a vast geographic distance by any means, but far enough that I've always personally shied away from considering space-themed names for Orlando-based pro sports teams. Still, given that Apollo was not only the Greek and Roman god who lent his name to the third U.S. spaceflight program, but also a deity linked to the sun and light we so often associate with Florida, Orlando Apollos actually strikes me as being a rather inspired team brand. Further, of the four AAF logos unveiled to date, I have to say that it's my favorite.          

Finally, as to your thoughts regarding the United Football League's branding, I couldn't agree with you less. I felt that the UFL's team branding was an absolute mess. With the possible exception of the New York Sentinels' mark, the league's logos struck me as being gaudy, gradient-laden, and overdone. And even the Sentinels' logo would have been more suited to a security firm or an anti-virus software product than a pro football franchise.

                            

[Brian in Boston]

2 hours ago, dfwabel said:

Well, Reddit found what is likely San Antonio's logo. The remaining one which is maroon/deep red

So, from the looks of it, a shield containment shape that is diagonally divided by a sword (potentially, meant to be a cavalry saber). Within the portion of the containment shape that is above the sword, a depiction of the Alamo. Within the portion of the containment shape below the sword, a star.