USFL (Alt History)

[heavybass]

20 hours ago, neo_prankster said:

That honestly looks super ugly. Sorry.

 

I look forward to seeing what the third design will be.

 

I would really love it if Portland could have a team called the Axemen or the Playtpodes. Or maybe the Stags as a nod to that famous neon sign.

You sure your first name is not Perry?

[jackkmart]

On 4/6/2023 at 7:48 AM, WideRight said:

You guys are just too good at guessing my intentions. 

 

Here is design option #2 of 3.   Based on the Memphis Southmen of the 1970's World Football League, but with influences from several other Bear (particularly bear head) logos,  including the Memphis Grizzlies NBA, U. of Montana, and about 4-6 others.    Those of you who remember my WFL redux will likely see the elements from that project in this one. 

 

 

Tomorrow I will reveal the 3rd and final identity option, which comes to us from a relatively recent design.  The actual voting on the USFL Lives website will also start probably over the weekend or Mon/Tue at the latest.   

 

Going against the grain here to say I actually like this one alot, it's a unique look even if it is a little odd. 

 

The pumas is also a great redux of Sacramento's logo IRL. however, as neo-pranksters mentioned, it may be hard to get the green light from Michigan.

[WideRight]

Once Again @Brian in Boston is a bit psychic.  I thought about the Kraken, but that logo is so tied to the letter S, which makes no sense for Portland, and the colors of brown, orange buff would not work for a nautical team.   But, it works really well for an elk or deer.

So, we take the Edmonton Elks' primary and bing, bang, boom, you have the Portland Stags.   I was actually not aware of the White Stag sign in Portland, but now I think I will try to incorporate it into a secondary logo.  

 

Here is the third option for Portland voters, and yes, there is a very good chance that the helmet will be modeled on the outstanding Chicago Staggs design.

 

 

We are about two articles away from the poll going live, which means Monday or Tuesday at the latest.  

[Dozap17]

For me it's either Grizzlies or Stags, but I'm leaning towards the latter, the colors work very well with the Edmonton Elks logo

[neo_prankster]

Stags for me.

[jackkmart]

Stags give portland vibes for sure. 

[jbird669]

That stags logo is fire. 

[WideRight]

1 hour ago, jbird669 said:

That stags logo is fire. 

As with most of the logos, all credit should go to the original designers.  For the Stags that was  the DBB Ad Agency in Edmonton along with a team rep, Trevor Sieben, at least according to this article: https://edmontonjournal.com/sports/local-sports/timeless-edmonton-elks-logo-design-team-embraces-tradition-and-history-while-embracing-new-name#:~:text=Trevor Sieben%2C the director of,new primary and secondary logo.

 

I will take credit for those where I started from scratch, but one of my goals for this USFL project was to try to stick as much as possible with real team logos from other teams that may or may not exist in a world that contains the USFL.  That is why you get things like the UFL's Sacramento Mountain Lions, or the Edmonton Elks', or the Birmingham Fire, Barcelona Dragons, or Tennessee Titan logos repurposed as the Pumas, Stags, Atlanta Fire, Seattle Dragons, or Nashville Knights.  

 

I try to do more than just recoloring when I think more is needed (see the updated Seattle logo), but my starting point is always the amazing work of the original artists, so they deserve the credit.   I will take credit mostly for the uniform designs, which tend to be more my own work.  And the occasional new logo as time goes by from the onset of a team to through evolution.

 

But, thanks for the compliment, as always, but in the case of the Stags, thanks to the Edmonton Elks.

[Bomba Tomba]

If you're gonna go ahead with Stags, antlers on the helmet are a must

[mrcubfan415]

If you had moved the Thunder to OKC instead of Las Vegas, you could have had a USFL team called the Oklahoma City Thunder 

[ManillaToad]

The Stags logo doesn't look like something that would have been designed in the late 2000s

[WideRight]

Hi All,

 

I am about to reveal the winning Portland selection on the Alt History Website, and then have a few big projects coming up, but I was hoping to get your thoughts on one particular redesign.   

 

So, in the next few days we will have:

1.  Portland revealed

2. The three bids for the USFL's 28th team revealed, each with their logo, name, helmet & colors. 

3. We will start to see the 2007 updates as well: New Jersey, Los Angeles, and Orlando.

4. 2008 will have 2 expansion teams and a new look for Pittsburgh. 

 

Right now, I am hoping for some feedback on two options for a new-look Ohio Glory.  I want to maintain most of what Ohio is, a patriotic red, white, and blue club, with a lot of flag elements in their design, and clear references to the Ohio state flag.   But, that said, I think the actual WLAF logo for Ohio feels dated, and the eagle itself is not great looking. 

 

So, I searched the internet for a lot of eagle ideas, found quite a few, designed a bird based significantly on the design of Alberto Martinez Sanchez, a very talented designer from Spain I found on Behance.  I have written him to see if he is cool with me modifying and using the design as a base for what I want to do with Ohio.  Waiting to hear back. 

 

The issue is how close to the original "eagle with streaming banner" design do I want.  I want to retain elements of the Ohio flag, and I want it to read very patriotic, but I am not sure about whether or not the banner is vital.  

 

Here are two variations I have developed so far, one playing off the Ohio flag's use of stars on its blue field, and the other retaining the red and white pennant, but not in the eagle's mouth.   

 

Thoughts, preferences, ideas?  (I have looked at a modified Hartford Colonials look, but it really does not work without the

  

 

 

 

[raz]

1 hour ago, WideRight said:

 

 

 

 

I feel like this one evokes the Ohio Flag better, with the Buckeye behind it.

 

Just wondering if the eagle looks too much like St. Louis? 

[Dozap17]

I was thinking the same thing, the eagle head is similar to the St. Louis Skyhawks logo

[Wildcomet]

2 hours ago, WideRight said:

 

 

 

I think I like Version 1 best as a main primary logo, it's colors and shape are well balanced and would look great on a lot of mediums, and conveys the idea behind the team effectively. Version 2 though could look great as the main design for the helmet. The banners wrapping around and connecting at the back of the helmet would look really sharp. I think.

[Blindsay]

I say take v2, shorten the flag length, keep one of the stars to represent 2004, and Put ‘Ohio Glory’ where the other stars are

[ManillaToad]

Gonna give my honest opinion: the proposed eagle isn't very good. It's a generic triangle-shape, and like others said it has similarities to the Skyhawks logo. The current one has a lot of character, and I think it'd be crazy for a team that went 17-0 to totally change their logo just a couple years later. It reminds me of the Dolphins changing their logo to be more sleek and "modern", and losing all of its soul in the process.

Ohio's current logo is one of the best in your league. It has that 1980s rival major league feel to it, which is the aesthetic I associate with the USFL. Would hate to see it go.

 

[raz]

2 hours ago, Blindsay said:

I say take v2, shorten the flag length, keep one of the stars to represent 2004, and Put ‘Ohio Glory’ where the other stars are

Nah, logos with words are no good. 97% of the time. 

[WideRight]

12 hours ago, ManillaToad said:

Gonna give my honest opinion: the proposed eagle isn't very good. It's a generic triangle-shape, and like others said it has similarities to the Skyhawks logo. The current one has a lot of character, and I think it'd be crazy for a team that went 17-0 to totally change their logo just a couple years later. It reminds me of the Dolphins changing their logo to be more sleek and "modern", and losing all of its soul in the process.

Ohio's current logo is one of the best in your league. It has that 1980s rival major league feel to it, which is the aesthetic I associate with the USFL. Would hate to see it go.

 

You  make a good point. I may have to consider delaying any Ohio logo change for a bit, until there is a clear change of regime.  It does seem that while many teams do modernize/change their logos over time, most of the more radical changes tend to be teams that do not have much history of success:  Tampa Bay (Bruce to the flag), Jets (Namath era to JETS script, then back again, then back to JETS again), Patriots (Pat to Elvis).  We do occasionally see teams with pretty strong traditions make a big switch: Broncos in 96, 49ers attempt in the 90's with the infamous 1-day logo, Giants switching from the name to the monogram, Dolphins almost constant logo evolution, etc. 

 

But, it does make sense that a good amount of time should pass from the early 2000's 16-0 team to a new leadership team (GM/Coach) in place, maybe the 10th anniversary or later. 

 

That said, while I like the idea of the WLAF glory logo, the design of the eagle itself feels very dated.  I don't see a team in the 2000's or 2010's or 2020's having the eagle depicted in quite the same way.  So, perhaps more of a subtle evolution, like the Atlanta Falcon or Jax Jaguar than a more radical shift.   

[Blindsay]

Sounds like we have another Storyline 1 Day Logo Switch on our hands