AAF x NFL (AAF as the NFL's farm system concepts)

[mattr1198]

This series has officially moved onto the NFC, starting with the infamous and historic NFC East

 

Austin Lone Stars (Dallas Cowboys): As spoiled by my placement of the San Antonio Commanders with Houston, Dallas' affiliate will play in the state capital of Austin. Obviously the name references the state's nickname as the Lone Star State, but also refers to the Cowboys' famous Lone Star logo. I made some adjustments to said logo to make it different and pop. In addition, the logo reflects the seal of the state of Texas with obvious word replacements. They will play in Austin FC's new stadium when it opens in 2021 as DKRMS is far too big for the team.

 

Connecticut Blues (New York Giants): I knew from the beginning it made sense for the Giants' affiliate to play in Connecticut, but it was very difficult to decide on a city and narrowed it down to Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. I ultimately went with New Haven over Bridgeport and Hartford because of the existing (and famous) Yale Bowl available for use and proximity, respectively. The team name is in reference to the Giants' nickname as "Big Blue" and the logo is meant to resemble the Giants' primary logo styling, but a bit sharper. 

 

Trenton Liberty (Philadelphia Eagles): It was difficult to decide on a location for the Eagles' affiliate (namely whether to put them in South Jersey or Pennsylvania, since they have major fan support in both locations. I ultimately chose New Jersey's state capital of Trenton due to its population and proximity to Philly. The location in NJ can also possibly lure undecided fans to the Eagles (instead of their rival Giants, who also have fans in South Jersey). The team name obviously references the famous liberty bell and the logo features it as well. However, the shape of the logo and design are actually meant to reflect that of the old Veterans Stadium's bell and logo. Despite choosing Trenton as their city, they will play in the suburb of Princeton, where Princeton University's Tiger Stadium is readily available.

 

Virginia Powhatans (Washington Redskins): After putting the Ravens' affiliate in Maryland, I elected to put the Skins' affiliate in Richmond, one of the larger cities in America without a sports team whatsoever. The Powhatans name honors the famous tribe synonymous with the area (in also an attempt of goodwill considering the parent clubs' racist existing name) and the logo features a similar logo to the Skins but features a P in the classic style of the team. The stadium must be Robins Stadium at the University of Richmond, although expansion by a few thousand seats could be in place.

NFC North up next! Hope you like these!

[Blindsay]

Now THATS more like it!

[mattr1198]

Next up on the docket is the also historic NFC North:

 

Iowa Reapers (Chicago Bears): The state of Iowa seemed like an ideal option for an affiliate, but instead of placing the team in far-away Des Moines, I put the team in closer Cedar Rapids. I was originally going to make this team the Iowa Cubs, but realized it would get confused with the Chicago Cubs' AAA affiliate, so I went with the Reapers, named after Iowa's extensive agriculture history. The logo is two crossing Scythes featuring the Bears' classic colors and a darker shade of orange for depth. The only stadium in the area is Kingston Stadium, which seats a very solid crowd for a minor league game.

 

Grand Rapids Pride (Detroit Lions): Grand Rapids seemed like an obvious choice for a Lions affiliate since most of the other minor league teams for the Detroit are located in Grand Rapids and it's the second-largest city in Michigan. Pride obviously comes from a double entendre from both passion and the name of a pack of Lions. The logo was partially inspired by FC Copenhagen's logo, but obviously features some major differences in color and design. Houseman Field is the only option right now in Grand Rapids, but a little expansion of the stadium by a few thousand seats should make it suitable for an AAF team.

 

Milwaukee Packers (Green Bay Packers): As the largest city in Wisconsin, Milwaukee was the obvious choice for the affiliate's location. As one of the oldest and most historic organizations still around in the NFL, the Packers name was too historic and associated with Wisconsin to be replaced with something else. Although i was debating cheeseheads, I realized that would probably not sit well with the fanbase. The logo is an adjusted version of the Pack's logo with a new M instead of a G. Without a true football only venue in Milwaukee, I placed the team in Miller Park (which may likely be temporary if this were real), which has hosted football and soccer games in the past and would work.

 

Fargo Northsmen (Minnesota Vikings): When thinking of locations and names for the Vikes' affiliate, I took a suggestion from user JH42XCC, naming them the Northsmen (the group that came before the Vikings) and putting them in Fargo, North Dakotah in the very solid Fargodome. I looked at cities like Duluth and others in Minnesota, but none were nearly as suitable or ready for an AAF team as Fargo was. The logo is a Nordic-styled "F" with an ancient Nordic pattern taking up the majority of real estate inside the "F".

NFC South coming up...

[Silence of the Rams]

11 hours ago, mattr1198 said:

Iowa Reapers (Chicago Bears): The state of Iowa seemed like an ideal option for an affiliate, but instead of placing the team in far-away Des Moines, I put the team in closer Cedar Rapids. I was originally going to make this team the Iowa Cubs, but realized it would get confused with the Chicago Cubs' AAA affiliate, so I went with the Reapers, named after Iowa's extensive agriculture history. The logo is two crossing Scythes featuring the Bears' classic colors and a darker shade of orange for depth. The only stadium in the area is Kingston Stadium, which seats a very solid crowd for a minor league game.

Funny how Seth Rollins from WWE is from Iowa and a bears fan so this is brilliant for marketing

[MilSox]

Iowa - Good identity. But I think Principal Park in Des Moines would be a more suitable venue and closer to the bulk of Iowa's population. The Bears used to play at Wrigley Field, so why not share the I-Cubs' home? 

 

Grand Rapids - Another venue I'm not sure about when there's a better one nearby. Kalamazoo may be smaller than Grand Rapids, but Waldo Stadium has a higher capacity and better quality of facility. And it's still close enough to Grand Rapids to draw fans from there. If you wanted to keep the lion theme, call them the Michigan Pride or Michigan Monarchs.

 

Milwaukee - I feel like if the Packers did operate a team at Miller Park and keep the parent club branding, there's no way their 1960s "Heisman" logo wouldn't be at the center of it. It does represent the team's ties to Milwaukee, after all.

 

Fargo - I feel like "Norsemen" rolls off the tongue easier. But otherwise I think this one is pretty close to perfect. Maybe make the ouline on the F a bit thicker. And consider swapping the colors.

[JH42XCC]

My thoughts:

 

• IOWA: Considering Cedar Rapids is closer to Chicago than Des Moines, and Des Moines is virtually located in Vikings and Chiefs territory, this is a great choice for the Bears affiliate location.
• GRAND RAPIDS: I think either Fifth Third Ballpark in nearby Comstock Park or Grand Valley State's Lubbers Stadium in nearby Allendale would be a much better venue than Houseman Field if you're gonna put the Lions affiliated team in the Grand Rapids area. Or better yet, go with @NicDB's suggestion and move them to WMU's Waldo Stadium in Kalamazoo.
• MILWAUKEE: Highly doubtful the MLB's Brewers would let the "Milwaukee Packers" play football at Miller Park; instead, I would have them play at Wisconsin-Whitewater's Perkins Stadium as it's the only suitable football stadium near Milwaukee; also, I think a "Trapezoid-M" logo or a modernized version of one of the old Green Bay Packers logos would be much better than the "Oval-M" logo
• FARGO: The name should actually be "Norsemen", but you actually got the right idea.

 

Predictions for the NFC South affiliates:

• ATL: Birmingham, AL
• CAR: Durham, NC
• NO: Baton Rouge, LA
• TB: Daytona Beach, FL

[TBGKon]

3 hours ago, JH42XCC said:

 

Predictions for the NFC South affiliates:

• TB: Daytona Beach, FL

Personally I would've given Orlando to Tampa Bay and Boca Raton to the Dolphins, but if Orlando is out TB should go with St Petersburg.

[MilSox]

5 hours ago, JH42XCC said:

IOWA: Considering Cedar Rapids is closer to Chicago than Des Moines, and Des Moines is virtually located in Vikings and Chiefs territory, this is a great choice for the Bears affiliate location.

 

My (admittedly limited) experience of Des Moines was a plurality of Packers, Bears, Vikings, and Chiefs fans with no clear majority.  My main concern about Cedar Rapids is the facilities, though maybe Kingston Stadium would work as a temporary venue. 

That said, if you don't mind a team playing at a high school, then the Quad Cities is the ideal place for this team.  The Quad Cities may be a slightly smaller market population wise, but the QC's population isn't so spread out like Cedar Rapids-Waterloo-Dubuque.  The Quad Cities also have a history of hosting teams in the NFL and NBA ; with Douglas Field in Rock Island being home to the Rock Island Independents, an early pro football powerhouse in Illinois.

[MilSox]

On 4/9/2019 at 7:57 AM, mattr1198 said:

This series has officially moved onto the NFC, starting with the infamous and historic NFC East

 

Austin Lone Stars (Dallas Cowboys): As spoiled by my placement of the San Antonio Commanders with Houston, Dallas' affiliate will play in the state capital of Austin. Obviously the name references the state's nickname as the Lone Star State, but also refers to the Cowboys' famous Lone Star logo. I made some adjustments to said logo to make it different and pop. In addition, the logo reflects the seal of the state of Texas with obvious word replacements. They will play in Austin FC's new stadium when it opens in 2021 as DKMS is far too big for the team.

 

Connecticut Blues (New York Giants): I knew from the beginning it made sense for the Giants' affiliate to play in Connecticut, but it was very difficult to decide on a city and narrowed it down to Bridgeport, Hartford, and New Haven. I ultimately went with New Haven over Bridgeport and Hartford because of the existing (and famous) Yale Bowl available for use and proximity, respectively. The team name is in reference to the Giants' nickname as "Big Blue" and the logo is meant to resemble the Giants' primary logo styling, but a bit sharper. 

 

Trenton Liberty (Philadelphia Eagles): It was difficult to decide on a location for the Eagles' affiliate (namely whether to put them in South Jersey or Pennsylvania, since they have major fan support in both locations. I ultimately chose New Jersey's state capital of Trenton due to its population and proximity to Philly. The location in NJ can also possibly lure undecided fans to the Eagles (instead of their rival Giants, who also have fans in South Jersey). The team name obviously references the famous liberty bell and the logo features it as well. However, the shape of the logo and design are actually meant to reflect that of the old Veterans Stadium's bell and logo. Despite choosing Trenton as their city, they will play in the suburb of Princeton, where Princeton University's Tiger Stadium is readily available.

 

Virginia Powhatans (Washington Redskins): After putting the Ravens' affiliate in Maryland, I elected to put the Skins' affiliate in Richmond, one of the larger cities in America without a sports team whatsoever. The Powhatans name honors the famous tribe synonymous with the area (in also an attempt of goodwill considering the parent clubs' racist existing name) and the logo features a similar logo to the Skins but features a P in the classic style of the team. The stadium must be Robins Stadium at the University of Richmond, although expansion by a few thousand seats could be in place.

NFC North up next! Hope you like these!

Austin - As much as I understand the impulse to put a team here, I don't see too many people caring about a Cowboys farm club as long as the Longhorns are around.  For better or for worse, Texas has an abundance of quality football stadiums throughout the state.  Little Rock could also be a possibility, with the Cowboys taking over a historic stadium (Memorial Stadium) that Jerruh played college ball in.

Connecticut - Hartford is the sensible place in Connecticut for the Blues.  I know the Giants played one year of home games at the Yale Bowl, but it is, by all standards, an outdated and outmodded facility.  There aren't even locker rooms attached.  Not exactly a place for a professional team.  For a logo though, I might try BLUES like the similar wordmark the Giants wore in the 1980s.

Trenton - Probably my favorite of this crop.  Phily is a hard team to place for a project like this and the only other suitable venue I can think of is Delaware.

Virginia - You've eliminated the problems with the parent club's brand, so props on that.  There's some quality facilities in the Hampton Roads area I might consider for this club too, but Richmond is still closer to Washington.

[mattr1198]

On 4/11/2019 at 5:07 AM, NicDB said:

Iowa - Good identity. But I think Principal Park in Des Moines would be a more suitable venue and closer to the bulk of Iowa's population. The Bears used to play at Wrigley Field, so why not share the I-Cubs' home? 

Des Moines is a bit too far for an affiliate club in my opinion and in most circumstances teams HATE sharing ballparks and fields together (just look the the NFL and MLB in the 1960s-90s). It would be even worse for a minor league field with a tiny budget unlike pro clubs. My proposed Cedar Rapids location could possibly mean only a temporary stay at Kingston Stadium before a new stadium is constructed, but Cedar Rapids is much more accessible than Des Moines and fandoms do get mixed in the latter city.

 

On 4/11/2019 at 5:07 AM, NicDB said:

Grand Rapids - Another venue I'm not sure about when there's a better one nearby. Kalamazoo may be smaller than Grand Rapids, but Waldo Stadium has a higher capacity and better quality of facility. And it's still close enough to Grand Rapids to draw fans from there. If you wanted to keep the lion theme, call them the Michigan Pride or Michigan Monarchs.

Looking at it further and seeing a ready home in Kalamazoo, I agreed with you and moved the Lions' affiliate there, but renamed the team to simply the Michigan Pride, because Kalamazoo is a bit too hard to pronounce and unknown for some. I adjusted the logo as needed.

 

On 4/11/2019 at 5:07 AM, NicDB said:

Milwaukee - I feel like if the Packers did operate a team at Miller Park and keep the parent club branding, there's no way their 1960s "Heisman" logo wouldn't be at the center of it. It does represent the team's ties to Milwaukee, after all.

I decided to redo the logo I made and incorporated the classic football player design (with some color adjustments) and make the logo a bit more classic. In addition, I placed a little M over where the city of Milwaukee is approximately located to differentiate from the parent club in the case they use their throwback anytime soon. Referencing my previous comments on the Iowa Reapers, I think Miller Park will only be temporary until a new stadium can be built, like how NYCFC is using Yankee Stadium until they get a new one of their own.

 

On 4/11/2019 at 5:07 AM, NicDB said:

Fargo - I feel like "Norsemen" rolls off the tongue easier. But otherwise I think this one is pretty close to perfect. Maybe make the ouline on the F a bit thicker. And consider swapping the colors.

I realized that I did in fact screw the name up and changed it to the Norsemen. I feel swapping the colors and making yellow the primary color is a bit jarring on the eyes, whereas the Vikes' purple is a lot easier on the eyes and still allows for great contrast.

 

When it comes to concerns over the NFC East, I didn't make any changes:

On 4/11/2019 at 11:09 PM, NicDB said:

Austin - As much as I understand the impulse to put a team here, I don't see too many people caring about a Cowboys farm club as long as the Longhorns are around.  For better or for worse, Texas has an abundance of quality football stadiums throughout the state.  Little Rock could also be a possibility, with the Cowboys taking over a historic stadium (Memorial Stadium) that Jerruh played college ball in.

What you seem to fail to address is the insane amount of expats moving into Austin, so it's not only college students and alum in the area, similar to that of Columbus (where people doubted the Crew and Blue Jackets' success in a "college town"). This city is also expected to grow even further in the future with a booming youth population and more jobs. Considering the Cowboys' reach and the new state-of-the-art venue being built, Austin is too good to pass up. In addition, they already have multiple minor league teams in the Austin area which are all very successful, like the Austin Spurs and Round Rock Express. Arkansas is just unproven and not very synonymous with the team's name either.

 

On 4/11/2019 at 11:09 PM, NicDB said:

Connecticut - Hartford is the sensible place in Connecticut for the Blues.  I know the Giants played one year of home games at the Yale Bowl, but it is, by all standards, an outdated and outmodded facility.  There aren't even locker rooms attached.  Not exactly a place for a professional team.  For a logo though, I might try BLUES like the similar wordmark the Giants wore in the 1980s.

Being born in the NY metro area (and a Giants fan), Hartford is in the dead heart of Patriots country and, as you may very well know, Patriots fans HATE the Giants. Thus, putting a team in Hartford would be a recipe for disaster and the team would have no fan support. Even other things considered with regard to Hartford, it is very far from East Rutherford relative to the other cities I proposed. However, your concerns over the Yale Bowl's viability are reasonable, and I can see this team only playing there temporarily until they can get a venue in Bridgeport, which is larger and much more Giants-centric.

[JH42XCC]

Actually, Hartford (and virtually all of Connecticut) is divided between both Patriots and Giants fans. And though Hartford would've been a better spot for the Giants AAF team to call home (since it has a more modern venue), this probably would've drawn the ire of some Patriots fans. Also, New Haven's Yale Bowl is much closer to the New York area.

 

FUN FACT: The Connecticut Blues are named for the Hartford Blues, who played only one season in the NFL in 1926. In their first NFL game, they played against -- you guessed it -- the New York Football Giants.

[MilSox]

I didn't think a Giants team playing in Hartford would be an issue because of the Rangers and Wolfpack. But if Hartford skews that much towards the Pats, I can see why you'd keep them in New Haven. 

[The Easter Beagle]

I love how Rhode Island is used in it, as it's my home state.

[mattr1198]

19 hours ago, NicDB said:

I didn't think a Giants team playing in Hartford would be an issue because of the Rangers and Wolfpack. But if Hartford skews that much towards the Pats, I can see why you'd keep them in New Haven. 

Yeah one would definitely think, but the only reason that’s the case is because the Bruins affiliate is in Providence. Plus after losing the Whalers, getting any hockey team would be a plus.

[JH42XCC]

I wonder how the 4 remaining idetities from the 2019 AAF (Arizona Hotshots, Atlanta Legends, Birmingham Iron, San Diego Fleet) will fit in to this series.

 

 

[neo_prankster]

29 minutes ago, JH42XCC said:

I wonder how the 4 remaining idetities from the 2019 AAF (Arizona Hotshots, Atlanta Legends, Birmingham Iron, San Diego Fleet) will fit in to this series.

 

 

 

Arizona Hotshots -> Arizona Cardinals

San Diego Fleet -> Los Angeles Rams

Atlanta Legends -> Atlanta Falcons

Birmingham Iron -> New Orleans Saints

[mattr1198]

On 4/15/2019 at 2:26 AM, neo_prankster said:

 

Arizona Hotshots -> Arizona Cardinals

San Diego Fleet -> Los Angeles Rams

Atlanta Legends -> Atlanta Falcons

Birmingham Iron -> New Orleans Saints

Going to be doing some rebrands and relocations, namely for the Legends. The Hotshots and Fleet will be keeping their identities for the most part (Spoiler alert).

[Dan O'Mac]

For the Packers, I really don't see Miller Park taking the team. It's more likely that if it's going to be in Wisconsin, it would likely be in either Madison (Camp Randall), Whitewater (Perkins Stadium), or Oshkosh (Titan Stadium).

[JH42XCC]

1 hour ago, Dan O'Mac said:

For the Packers, I really don't see Miller Park taking the team. It's more likely that if it's going to be in Wisconsin, it would likely be in either Madison (Camp Randall), Whitewater (Perkins Stadium), or Oshkosh (Titan Stadium).

Camp Randall Stadium? Nope. Way too big for a minor league football team. Especially when one is affiliated with the Green Bay Packers.

[mattr1198]

Finally, got to completing the NFC South:

 

Georgia Legends (Atlanta Falcons): While I liked the previous identity a lot, the city was the issue as Atlanta's already existing football team and loyal fanbase to the Falcons made it one of the least popular in the AAF. Now, the team relocates further out to the smaller city of Columbus in West Georgia, where it should have more of an audience, while still keeping its previous audience from the AAF days. AJ McClung Memorial stadium is compact and its history make it a good location for the newly moved and renamed Legends franchise.

 

Greensboro Prowl (Carolina Panthers): When choosing between Raleigh and Greensboro, I ultimately decided on the latter because of its smaller (likely more devoted market) and farther proximity from Charlotte. The logo is a head-on version of the Panthers' existing logo and obviously prowl refers to a pack of hunting Panthers. BB&T Stadium is the perfect size for the team when it comes to a home venue.

 

Birmingham Iron (New Orleans Saints): I initially debated long and hard about moving the Iron to Jackson, MS and giving them a full-rebrand, but soon realized after some research that the Iron had one of the higher attendances in the AAF at around 14,000/game. Thus, I elected to not move or rename them and simply give them a minor color change to reflect the association with the Saints. Everything else remains the same outside of the color change. Let me know if you agree/disagree!

 

St. Petersburg Suns (Tampa Bay Buccaneers): St. Pete seemed like the most logical location for a Bucs affiliate (although the Apollos could have been sufficient too). The Suns name obviously reflects the very warm temperatures in the Tampa Bay Area and the colors primarily feature the Bucs' old creamsicle color to show off a bit more of the name appropriately. While there is no existing main football venue in St. Pete (as the main ones are in Tampa), I decided to put the team in the Trop, where Bowl games have been played in the past and the turf means no field damage will likely occur and upset the Rays currently playing there. A new venue may likely need to be built in the future though, although if the Rays move out a conversion to a football only venue is possible.

 

 

Closing off this series with the NFC West next...