Teams that ignore their 90s identity

[habsfan1]

3 hours ago, SFGiants58 said:

The Skating Penguin was a bit of a victim of an attempted update/very bad digital trace in the 1990s. Compare these renderings (modern recreation of 1970s design vs. 1990s/2000s digitization/slight tweak of original):

 

Note how the newer version, while better with some line weights (such as the beak), a different head shape, and better eye rendering, has a lot of lost sharpness in the glove detail and the stick end. Heck, the more angular stick of the original is probably better for the purposes of the design. 

 

It doesn't need any serious replacing, but it could just use some tidying up.

 

The Skating Penguin on the left looks so much better than the current, with much sharper trace lines, better fine details, the hockey gloves look like a better looking pair of hockey gloves, the stick and skates are better too. Now that I've seen the concept, I now look at the gloves on the real one and those round trace lines don't look right anymore.

 

I don't know why the Penguins didn't follow suit with the Arizona Cardinals, the Detroit Pistons, and even the Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

They need to fix their logo up...

 

Only thing I'd redo on the concept is the beak. Not sure about that large bump in the nose spot. But that's about it.

[SFGiants58]

Of course, there's also the print vs. apparel discrepancy (well-noted with the Yankees and several other baseball teams):

 

 

Note this 1991 Lemieux jersey's crest and how the line weights, skates, and eyes are a mix of the two logos. Compare that to a recent game-worn jersey (Sidney Crosby, 2017):

 

 

It has more in common with its digital counterpart, although the line work is a bit better. Like I said, digitization of graphics can be a problem, one which is often the result of "copy of a copy" sourcing or poor attempts at manual tracing. 

[BBTV]

20 hours ago, mcj882000 said:

Personally I'd really like the diagonal PITTSBURGH script to come back for an alternate.

 

They should put it on the white jersey now that it's the road one.  I always liked that jersey - brings back memories of Jagr's hair and Snoop Dogg.

[Fitzy0220]

3 minutes ago, BringBackTheVet said:

 

They should put it on the white jersey now that it's the road one.  I always liked that jersey - brings back memories of Jagr's hair and Snoop Dogg.

Blech

[Fitzy0220]

5 hours ago, DastardlyRidleylash said:

I mean, ultimately what is any sports franchise but a corporation?  Just because we get attached to a team doesn't make them any less of a corporation. These franchises exist, primarily, to make money, not primarily to please people.

 

And I can turn the argument against you; when I look at the Skating Penguin, I see a goofy cartoon penguin with big angry eyebrows that's skating around and holding a hockey stick with gloves, which is really childish in hindsight. When I look at the Robopen, I see a clean and stylish sports logo. People decry the Mighty Ducks logo for being silly and dumb, but honestly, when was Pittsburgh's skating penguin logo any better? It's grandfathered in, but that doesn't make it great.

 

Besides, 90's nostalgia is in. I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Pens roll out a Robopen third or something sooner rather then later, it makes too much sense from a money perspective. The team is doing excellently, there's no real fear anymore.

 

Maybe, but ultimately I feel that it comes off almost as a relic at this point; the linework is dated pretty badly, I feel, and could desparately use an update. But even then, I don't know if I'd prefer it over the Robopen, because it'd still probably retain that same goofy and childish look that I think drags it down. A sports team should look slick and elegant, and I don't think the Skating Penguin quite cuts the mustard anymore without updates.

 

That's the same reason I never got the hate on the Mighty Ducks logo; that was an incredibly slick logo and identity that the current look just...doesn't have. It was a unique color combo that looked gorgeous, the jerseys were sick. It's really not much different then Pittsburgh's logo, in all honesty; it's a thing with hockey stick(s) on a triangle.

Good Luck with Getting Ownership to buy into that idea

Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Skating penguin logo returns to center ice

Thursday, August 22, 2002

By Dejan Kovacevic, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

The skating Penguin is all the way back.
When the Penguins unveil their new home sweaters today at a Mellon Arena news conference, they also will rechristen their original logo as their official symbol. It will adorn virtually all team merchandise, publications and promotions.

The original logo, created for the franchise with its inception in 1967, made its return to the uniform two years ago, when it was the main crest on the black, alternate sweaters. But the modern logo that was adopted in 1992 had remained the franchise's primary symbol.

The modern logo -- derided by many fans for looking too corporate or for too closely resembling a pigeon -- never caught on. Perhaps that's because it was created immediately after the Penguins' consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 1991-92, when then-owner Howard Baldwin sought to capitalize on the team's success by boosting sales of merchandise.

Nearly everyone in the Penguins' upper management since Mario Lemieux bought the team in 1999 had expressed a desire to bring back the original logo, but it wasn't until Lemieux set the wheels in motion in the past few months that the reversal was complete. Lemieux has often stated his affinity for the original logo, mostly because of its prominence in the championship years.

[mjrbaseball]

Just be glad the parent club doesn't adopt the muscle-bound creature they use at minor-league Wilkes-Barre/Scranton:

[BadSeed84]

All this penguins talk, I will also say as an unpopular opinion. In addition to preferring the 90s penguin logo.

I liked the orioles 90s logo better than the cartoony bird.

[BBTV]

I have nothing against the ornithologically-correct bird, but it’s too wide to be a good hat logo. I don’t love the cartoon bird as much as most - especially not the current incarnation with the goofy mouth - but it’s a better cap logo. 

 

A B would be better than both, but the cartoon bird will do  

[Morgan33]

On 7/10/2019 at 10:53 AM, Ice_Cap said:

I think it would make a fine alternate logo and wouldn’t object if it was used as such. 

The question is “does it need to be used as such?” and I would say “no.”

The Penguins used their realistic logo on the shoulders of their first Vegas gold set and it complimented the skating version nicely.  It might not need to come back but I think it would add to their brand and give us a more interesting alternate than what they've got now.
 

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Again, not everything from the 90s needs to be thrown back to.

 
True, but not many things from the 90's currently are.  Arizona is the only team to use a direct throwback at the moment and it's easily the cream of the current alternate crop. 

[IceCap]

9 minutes ago, Morgo said:

True, but not many things from the 90's currently are.  Arizona is the only team to use a direct throwback at the moment and it's easily the cream of the current alternate crop. 

According to you. I always found the look busy and messy. It’s fun, but it was far too eclectic to work as a brand. 

 

Also your statement’s not really accurate. The Canucks are throwing back to their early-mid 90s jersey this season. 

The Mighty Ducks have very recently thrown back to the eggplant and jade. 

The Sharks have very recently thrown back to their inaugural sweaters. 

 

That’s just in the NHL. And this thread isn’t NHL-centric. 

The Raptors have thrown back to their 90s look very recently. 

The Rockets are throwing back to their mid-90s Championship-era set next season. 

The Marlins, Diamondbacks, and Rays have all thrown back to their 90s identities. 

 

The idea that 90s identities don’t get throwback love is hogwash. It’s just that 90s uniform fanatics want EVERYTHING from the decade to get a throwback.

[SFGiants58]

Since we're on the topic of Pittsburgh, I'd love to see the Buccos incorporate this script back into their identity.

 

 

It's "rough" enough to work with the custom number font (or an improved version of it), while also not reading as "condensed" as the current wordmark. It'd work well for an alternate or a dugout jacket.

[Fitzy0220]

31 minutes ago, Morgo said:

The Penguins used their realistic logo on the shoulders of their first Vegas gold set and it complimented the skating version nicely.  It might not need to come back but I think it would add to their brand and give us a more interesting alternate than what they've got now.
 

 
True, but not many things from the 90's currently are.  Arizona is the only team to use a direct throwback at the moment and it's easily the cream of the current alternate crop. 

You gotta understand something about that 90s logo! Call it superstition or ODD Coincidence or Fate or Karma but that logo has never accompanied the team the Cup Final
- '91 Season, Skating Penguin logo Cup Win
- '92 Season, Skating Penguin logo Cup Win
- '92 / '93 Season,  NEW 90s logo / uniform introduced! After Back to Back Cups (Considered thee BEST Team in Franchise History) Team goes out in the 2nd Round
- '92 / '93 - '01 / '02, 90s logo / uniform plus a NEW 3rd Featuring the Skating Penguin as the Main Crest / 90s logo relegated to shoulder logo. Various Playoff Exits and 1 Conference Final
- '02 - '07, 3rd now becomes the Primary uniforms (white version created for the Road uniform), 90s logo still relegated to shoulder logo. Not Making the Playoffs and or Playoff Exits
- '07 / '08 Season, RBK Edge Uniform System Introduced, 90s logo DISAPPEARS from the Uniform altogether. Team Goes back to the Cup Final but Lost to Detroit
- '08 / '09 Season, again NO 90s logo, Team goes back to the Cup Final again and Wins against Detroit

I'm not Superstitious but Hockey Players are. Example: Blue Uniforms = 2 Serious Crosby Injuries (David Steckle in 2011 and Puck to the face in 2013) so very good chance Pens will never wear Blue Uniforms again. You cannot Deny the ODD Coincidence that the bad juju surrounding the 90s logo had. Sure it's just a Logo but I'm not willing to Chance it and I guarantee neither is Lemieux or Crosby

[fbjim]

Robopenguin kicks ass but I generally agree that changing your logo right after winning a title is bad karma. 

 

One major point in favor of robopenguin though: it was in Sudden Death and worn by JCVD

[Kevin W.]

The Pittsburgh gold Robopenguin works well as a shoulder patch.

[Morgan33]

2 hours ago, Ice_Cap said:

According to you. I always found the look busy and messy. It’s fun, but it was far too eclectic to work as a brand.

That's arguable but it I think it works great as an alternate.  Third jerseys are supposed to be fun and creative.
 

Quote

Also your statement’s not really accurate. The Canucks are throwing back to their early-mid 90s jersey this season. 

The Mighty Ducks have very recently thrown back to the eggplant and jade. 

The Sharks have very recently thrown back to their inaugural sweaters.

All three of those are one-offs though.  I'm talking about teams putting their 90's jerseys into regular rotation.  The Ducks one isn't really a throwback either, more of a frankensteinian amalgamation of eras.
 

Quote

It’s just that 90s uniform fanatics want EVERYTHING from the decade to get a throwback.

 

Maybe some people do, not me.  I wouldn't want to see anything from the alternate class of 96 .  But the Panthers and Ducks are obvious candidates to follow in Arizona's footsteps. 

[Ridleylash]

Speaking of Metro division teams ignoring their 90's identity; I wish the Caps would acknowledge their late 90's rebrand more. I get that you want to keep a brand associated with a Stanley Cup victory and all, but wordmarks should never be your primary logo.

 

Anaheim won their Stanley Cup in a wordmark logo, but they still ditched the wordmark logo eventually. I hope the Caps follow that trend and ditch the wordmark on the jersey for, well, an actual logo. Bring the Screaming Eagle back and tie it into the classic colors to merge both eras of Capitals history into one jersey, that's all I'm gonna say.

[Fitzy0220]

41 minutes ago, DastardlyRidleylash said:

Speaking of Metro division teams ignoring their 90's identity; I wish the Caps would acknowledge their late 90's rebrand more. I get that you want to keep a brand associated with a Stanley Cup victory and all, but wordmarks should never be your primary logo.

 

Anaheim won their Stanley Cup in a wordmark logo, but they still ditched the wordmark logo eventually. I hope the Caps follow that trend and ditch the wordmark on the jersey for, well, an actual logo. Bring the Screaming Eagle back and tie it into the classic colors to merge both eras of Capitals history into one jersey, that's all I'm gonna say.

I disagree with the Caps going 90s Blue Bronze Black. DC, Americas Capital, should always be Red White Blue!  I'm not big on Wordmarks as logos either with the exception of the Rangers (Caps I'm ok with but). 

After my stint in the Worlds Finest Navy '91-'95 (CH46 Helicopter Mechanic), I started working in a Warehouse / Mailroom type setting and I don't want to say I made a Career out of it BUT I made a Career out of it  LOL!  So working hand and hand with the United States Postal Service, when I see the Caps 90s Diving Eagle Logo, I see an Updated USPS Logo  LOL! I DO Like the Weagle logo and I think if put on the Retro 80s Uniforms, you'd have a bad ass looking Uniform Set

[Blindsay]

Who else wants to see nike’s take on these bad boys?

[simtek34]

@Blindsay

You mean see the exact same thing on a Nike Template that ruins Sleeve Trim on uniforms? It would be the exact same (minus Ad Patches) as it used to be.

[Blindsay]

I mean using this style in to the modern day jerseys, like the home away and alternate