MLS Concepts (Series Complete!)

[vtgco]

Next up is DC United:

Basically the same thought process as Minnesota here; the crest is already amazing, so I'm making a change for change's sake by putting it in a map! The outer embattled outline is loosely inspired by the White House's trim on its triangle thingy.

Here's another version that has text; let me know if that's better or worse, since I can't decide:

 

Both jerseys are pretty much DC flag homages, but the home is based on the team's classic '90s uniforms, while the away is a cherry blossom themed kit.

 

Just two more teams to go; I'll see you soon with those!

[GoCubsGo]

On the home Jersey, why are there the lines with three dots?

[Needschat]

These are awesome!

I wish I could draw, so that Charlotte and Nashville could have homages to two NASCAR legends associated with the cities.

 

Richard Petty with Charlotte, Petty blue and fluorescent red in the change or third kit.

Marty Robbins raced at the Nashville Fairgrounds on Saturday nights (and occasionally in NASCAR Cup).  He would leave the fairgrounds and head to the Grand Ol Opry to sing.  During his Cup races, he would paint his car garishly: a dark shade of magenta and chartreuse.  

[vtgco]

21 hours ago, GoCubsGo said:

On the home Jersey, why are there the lines with three dots?

Those are actually three small stars; together with the two lines below, it's supposed to form the DC flag:

 

 

18 hours ago, Needschat said:

These are awesome!

I wish I could draw, so that Charlotte and Nashville could have homages to two NASCAR legends associated with the cities.

Richard Petty with Charlotte, Petty blue and fluorescent red in the change or third kit.

Thank you; I'm glad you like the series! I'm not a NASCAR guy, so IDK if the checkerboard-flag home jersey I already did was a good homage.. But I threw together a quick third jersey based on that car. It's also a bit of a shoutout to the '90s Charlotte Checkers hockey team:

I don't think I can make magenta and chartreuse look good; "garish" is the right adjective! Just like those MLS goalie kits from last year... 

 

 

[sky1324]

I like the Petty kit, it's a nice look and I'm a sucker for the old Checkers blue and orange. I think it would make a nice clash kit (possibly countering a black home kit IRL) but I don't think I'd want it as the home kit.

[vtgco]

On 8/20/2021 at 10:29 AM, QCS said:

I like the Petty kit, it's a nice look and I'm a sucker for the old Checkers blue and orange. I think it would make a nice clash kit (possibly countering a black home kit IRL) but I don't think I'd want it as the home kit.

Yeah, I agree, this makes most sense as a third kit or something... Glad it works.

 

For our penultimate team, we have the perennial bridesmaids of MLS expansion (they totally deserve that spot; I don't get it), the Sacramento Republic:

So I think the Republic's IRL logo really only needs a minor tweaking to make the bear more prominent... but I'm trying something new per the suggestion of @TheGiantsFan!

 

I'm going with a California quail-themed logo, since apparently that has become the official unofficial nickname/mascot for the team. The neck of the quail is meant to resemble the S on the city flag, and the star makes a minor appearance representing the state flag and the team's USL title. I was really aiming for that '70s-hockey geometric style, but hopefully it still feels enough like a soccer design!

(The fonts are Requesta and Bookmania.)

The home jersey is a pretty simple triple-brown number with an image of the Sacramento Ziggurat forming a sorta Club America-esque chevron design (It looks better upside-down than right-side-up; I promise!)

 

The away is based *very* heavily on this ASM Claremont Auvergne rugby kit (which I only know about from @kiwi_canadian's Rugby news post), as well as recommendations from @TheGiantsFan and @RichardWitham. It's in green, blue, and gold, with diagonal lines at the ~20° angle of the downtown street grid and metallic gold sparkle details to represent the city's Gold Rush history.

 

See you shortly for the final entry in the series!

[TheGiantsFan]

Sacramento looks gorgeous, and thanks for incorporating some of my suggestions! I really like how the identity is a combo of the 1870s (with the old-timey serif script and the shades of brown) and the 1970s (with the sleek quail logo). That's a cool interpretation of the Sacramento grid, and it kinda reminds me of the infamous Portland Airport carpet

 

Well done there, and I can't wait to see what you do for Austin!

[vtgco]

On 8/23/2021 at 8:02 PM, TheGiantsFan said:

Sacramento looks gorgeous, and thanks for incorporating some of my suggestions! I really like how the identity is a combo of the 1870s (with the old-timey serif script and the shades of brown) and the 1970s (with the sleek quail logo). That's a cool interpretation of the Sacramento grid, and it kinda reminds me of the infamous Portland Airport carpet

 

Well done there, and I can't wait to see what you do for Austin!

I'm glad it turned out nicely; your suggestions were vital to that! TBH I wasn't thinking of the 1870s at all; I thought the ball-terminal Bookman serif font was pretty 1970s... But either way, I guess it works. Also was definitely worried the away looked too Timbers-y with its colors, but I didn't think of the airport carpet; that's funny!

 

---------------------

 

And now last, but not least, Austin:

They're another team that doesn't need any changes to their logo, but I might as well at this point! My design is based on the city's iconic moontowers, with a little bat from under the Congress Ave. Bridge. (The font is modified Amboss.)

 

The home jersey keeps the stripes but adds a tessellation of the aforementioned bats with a stylized state Capitol Building.

Inspired by "Keep Austin Weird" shirts, the away jersey is a tie-dye pattern I designed to fade into green & white hoops.

 

That's all for this MLS series! I hope you enjoyed it; I know I did... Thank you so much for all your feedback along the way; it really motivated me to make this happen.

I might be back shortly with some edits here or there, so any final advice is appreciated as always.

[vtgco]

Another quick look at the league as a whole:

[FCMacbeth]

On 8/24/2021 at 2:11 AM, vtgco said:

Yeah, I agree, this makes most sense as a third kit or something... Glad it works.

 

For our penultimate team, we have the perennial bridesmaids of MLS expansion (they totally deserve that spot; I don't get it), the Sacramento Republic:

So I think the Republic's IRL logo really only needs a minor tweaking to make the bear more prominent... but I'm trying something new per the suggestion of @TheGiantsFan!

 

I'm going with a California quail-themed logo, since apparently that has become the official unofficial nickname/mascot for the team. The neck of the quail is meant to resemble the S on the city flag, and the star makes a minor appearance representing the state flag and the team's USL title. I was really aiming for that '70s-hockey geometric style, but hopefully it still feels enough like a soccer design!

(The fonts are Requesta and Bookmania.)

The home jersey is a pretty simple triple-brown number with an image of the Sacramento Ziggurat forming a sorta Club America-esque chevron design (It looks better upside-down than right-side-up; I promise!)

 

The away is based *very* heavily on this ASM Claremont Auvergne rugby kit (which I only know about from @kiwi_canadian's Rugby news post), as well as recommendations from @TheGiantsFan and @RichardWitham. It's in green, blue, and gold, with diagonal lines at the ~20° angle of the downtown street grid and metallic gold sparkle details to represent the city's Gold Rush history.

 

See you shortly for the final entry in the series!

Your Sacremento Republic logo looks like a stylised machete than a California quail.

[MDTrey4]

I know they're not MLS but have you considered doing Phoenix Rising? Every time I hear about a different city wavering on if they wanna join I always hope Phoenix steps in.

 

Also that Austin away is the best jersey you've had in the entire series.

[vtgco]

On 8/25/2021 at 5:08 AM, Friedrich Stuart Macbeth said:

Your Sacremento Republic logo looks like a stylised machete than a California quail.

As in, the type of knife, right? Maybe I've spent too long looking at my design, but I'm not sure I see it... Is the head feather the hilt?

 

On 8/25/2021 at 8:52 AM, MDTrey4 said:

I know they're not MLS but have you considered doing Phoenix Rising? Every time I hear about a different city wavering on if they wanna join I always hope Phoenix steps in.

 

Also that Austin away is the best jersey you've had in the entire series.

Thank you, I'm glad you like that Austin away; I'm very proud of it!

 

As for Phoenix, I totally agree! I'd say they're my expansion preference over Las Vegas or San Diego.

(Quick aside: why is Vegas so high on every league's expansion list right now? I get 2 or 3 teams, but is no one worried about going from 0 pro teams to 6 in short succession in that market?)

Anyways, I wasn't hoping to do expansion teams (beside SAC, obviously), and I probably won't do any more, but here's a quick design I threw together since you asked:

Just some minor tweaks to the Phoenix's head to match a bit closer to the city flag, and added the AZ flag behind it. (The font is Aspire.)

Home is just a simple sunrise/rattlesnake design, and the away is a cactus tessellation thing.

[Needschat]

On 8/20/2021 at 4:36 AM, vtgco said:

Those are actually three small stars; together with the two lines below, it's supposed to form the DC flag:

 

 

Thank you; I'm glad you like the series! I'm not a NASCAR guy, so IDK if the checkerboard-flag home jersey I already did was a good homage.. But I threw together a quick third jersey based on that car. It's also a bit of a shoutout to the '90s Charlotte Checkers hockey team:

I don't think I can make magenta and chartreuse look good; "garish" is the right adjective! Just like those MLS goalie kits from last year... 

 

 

 

Magenta is a color that should be used!  The WFL Southern California Sun did in 1974-75, but that's about it.  

[FCMacbeth]

9 hours ago, vtgco said:

As in, the type of knife, right? Maybe I've spent too long looking at my design, but I'm not sure I see it... Is the head feather the hilt?

Yes. In fact, the hilt is so small that you can't properly hold it. It doesn't help by the fact that the rest of the body is also a disproportionately large blade. Look at the quail's tail and you'll see it resembled the tip end of a single-edge blade.

[vtgco]

14 hours ago, Needschat said:

Magenta is a color that should be used!  The WFL Southern California Sun did in 1974-75, but that's about it.  

I mean, I agree that magenta should be used (I've used it before); just not together with another neon color like chartreuse! Also, I'd say St Louis City's color scheme might be described as magenta & navy—a much better pairing, IMO!

 

6 hours ago, Friedrich Stuart Macbeth said:

Yes. In fact, the hilt is so small that you can't properly hold it. It doesn't help by the fact that the rest of the body is also a disproportionately large blade. Look at the quail's tail and you'll see it resembled the tip end of a single-edge blade.

Hmmm, I see... Does putting the tail behind the quail help at all, or would I need to seriously modify the shape?

 

 

Also, an update to Nashville's Ryman Auditorium away jersey, since I grew unhappy with what I had before:

 

 

[FCMacbeth]

4 hours ago, vtgco said:

Hmmm, I see... Does putting the tail behind the quail help at all, or would I need to seriously modify the shape?

Yeah, it helps a bit. But I want to see an alternate depiction of the quail logo. I mean, no offense to what you have currently. You created a unique roundel that simultaneously includes part of the club's identity. But I can't help but think it resembles some kind of weapon.

[mcrosby]

5 hours ago, vtgco said:

Hmmm, I see... Does putting the tail behind the quail help at all, or would I need to seriously modify the shape?

 

I like the look of the quail, but I'm mostly seeing a Q here. Which works for the Quails, but maybe not so much in today's Qanon climate. 

[vtgco]

6 hours ago, Friedrich Stuart Macbeth said:

Yeah, it helps a bit. But I want to see an alternate depiction of the quail logo. I mean, no offense to what you have currently. You created a unique roundel that simultaneously includes part of the club's identity. But I can't help but think it resembles some kind of weapon.

Huh, well, I might have to think a bit on this one, then. I imagine I'll try to find some other way to modify what I have, since I'm personally pretty happy with the geometric/profile style of it... Maybe I could have its wing outstretched, or arch its back or something? IDK, I'll work on it...

 

5 hours ago, mcrosby said:

I like the look of the quail, but I'm mostly seeing a Q here. Which works for the Quails, but maybe not so much in today's Qanon climate. 

I hadn't considered the Q shape, and I'm certainly with you on wanting to steer clear of the Q-anon folks, but wouldn't my San Jose concept be more of the problem here?

[DukeofChutney]

Loving that Quails logo. And the wordmark is perfect with it. Its got the right kind of 70s vibe without being outdated.

[tigers]

On 8/25/2021 at 7:10 PM, vtgco said:

I'm glad it turned out nicely; your suggestions were vital to that! TBH I wasn't thinking of the 1870s at all; I thought the ball-terminal Bookman serif font was pretty 1970s... But either way, I guess it works. Also was definitely worried the away looked too Timbers-y with its colors, but I didn't think of the airport carpet; that's funny!

 

---------------------

 

And now last, but not least, Austin:

They're another team that doesn't need any changes to their logo, but I might as well at this point! My design is based on the city's iconic moontowers, with a little bat from under the Congress Ave. Bridge. (The font is modified Amboss.)

 

The home jersey keeps the stripes but adds a tessellation of the aforementioned bats with a stylized state Capitol Building.

Inspired by "Keep Austin Weird" shirts, the away jersey is a tie-dye pattern I designed to fade into green & white hoops.

 

That's all for this MLS series! I hope you enjoyed it; I know I did... Thank you so much for all your feedback along the way; it really motivated me to make this happen.

I might be back shortly with some edits here or there, so any final advice is appreciated as always.

 

 

You're having a laugh?

 

Austin tree logo is almost as bad as the Super Hero logos that various sports clubs are using lately.

 

Your design is ten thousand times better.