USFL 2023 - Uniforms and Logos

[daniel75]

There’s too many gold helmets.

[jws008]

And way too many teams wearing helmets, facemasks, chin straps, jerseys, pants, socks, and shoes.

Damnit, USFL, where's the team that was going to dress its players in a full suit of armor?

The lack of innovation and sameness here is just astounding!

[oldschoolvikings]

 

 

 

 

 

[DCarp1231]

1. Panthers

2. Generals

3. Stallions

4. Breakers

 

-100 ft of dirt

 

5. the other four teams 

[leopard88]

1 hour ago, Sport said:

 

Just seems like something you'd try to avoid if you're starting a brand new league so your new team brands can stand out from one another. I know sports branding is a different animal now than it was then, but with standard definition television why would you want to invite any chance for confusion? There's only so many colors to choose from, but there's also way more possibilities than the original USFL used. Did the league need 3 different teams in red jerseys with silver pants and helmets? One of the Memphis Showboats, Chicago Blitz, or Tampa Bay Bandits could've and should've done something different. (My vote is the Bandits because they were nearly identical to Ohio State's uniforms except for 3 or 4 little differences.) 

 

 

 

The disadvantage this incarnation of the USFL has is that it is attempting modern updates to existing looks.  That left less room for change without knocking the nostalgia train off the tracks.

 

The issue could have been mitigated by reviving different teams.  However, I assume they didn't want to bring back the San Antonio Gunslingers or Washington Federals just for the sake of having a green team.

 

It seems like the more recent spring leagues (AAF, XFL 2.0) have made a concerted effort to provide color variation.  I have no problem with that as long as it doesn't result in forced combinations that don't look good.  I also have no problem with 1/6th of the 1984 USFL having teams with silver/red/silver looks because they all looked good.

[Sport]

1 minute ago, leopard88 said:

 

The disadvantage this incarnation of the USFL has is that it is attempting modern updates to existing looks.  That left less room for change without knocking the nostalgia train off the tracks.

 

The issue could have been mitigated by reviving different teams.  However, I assume they didn't want to bring back the San Antonio Gunslingers or Washington Federals just for the sake of having a green team.

 

It seems like the more recent spring leagues (AAF, XFL 2.0) have made a concerted effort to provide color variation.  I have no problem with that as long as it doesn't result in forced combinations that don't look good.  I also have no problem with 1/6th of the 1984 USFL having teams with silver/red/silver looks because they all looked good.

 

I'm not talking about this Nu USFL. I wasn't around for USFL 1.0, but as a sports uniform nut who grew up on this website I'd go back and look at the old uniforms and I've always wondered why so many of the teams looked so similar. Just a question I've always had. 

[IceCap]

The USFL 1.0 was a shaky league. Some teams punched above their weight. Other teams were borderline scams. 

If the goal to make a go of this thing long term you want to start with teams that probably engender the most goodwill. 

 

We've had a few posts here detailing what a scummy organization the San Antonio Gunslingers were. You don't want that association if you don't have to go there. 

 

The teams they picked may be red-heavy from an aesthetic perspective, and fair enough. That's why we're here. 

They all make sense from a business perspective, however. 

[DCarp1231]

I can’t believe all eight teams have white jerseys. I’m sick of so many teams sharing colors. You’d think the league would want at least some diversity in team colors.

[Sodboy13]

On 2/17/2022 at 12:19 PM, Sodboy13 said:

With the squared cut and the mesh body, are we looking at some old-school Ripon Athletic jerseys here?

 

Holy cow, I was actually right about something!

[leopard88]

5 minutes ago, Sport said:

 

I'm not talking about this Nu USFL. I wasn't around for USFL 1.0, but as a sports uniform nut who grew up on this website I'd go back and look at the old uniforms and I've always wondered why so many of the teams looked so similar. Just a question I've always had. 

 

. . . and it's a perfectly valid question.

 

I was around for USFL 1.0 (I was born in 1967) and loved it.  I'm also a uniform nut (or else I wouldn't be here), but the three red and silver teams never bothered me in the least.  That may be because the Blitz and Bandits used decent amounts of blue and red, respectively, while the Showboats just used red and silver.

 

I will say that it bothered me that the Stars and Stallions were basically twins.  The Stars' white facemasks (which looked terrible) were the only thing distinguishing between the two at a quick glance.

[oldschoolvikings]

32 minutes ago, leopard88 said:

 

The disadvantage this incarnation of the USFL has is that it is attempting modern updates to existing looks. 

 

And here I was thinking what an amazing advantage this was in delivering 8 uniforms that range from at worst, acceptable to at best outstanding.

 

Good luck with the idea that the next 8 NFL teams to redesign have this good of a percentage.

 

 

[trekbkr]

16 minutes ago, leopard88 said:

the Stars and Stallions were basically twins.  

 

Which is why I give a thumbs up to this iteration of the Stars going with yellow rather than gold.  It's garish, but I appreciate the attempt at variety.

[leopard88]

8 minutes ago, oldschoolvikings said:

 

And here I was thinking what an amazing advantage this was in delivering 8 uniforms that range from at worst, acceptable to at best outstanding.

 

Good luck with the idea that the next 8 NFL teams to redesign have this good of a percentage.

 

 

 

I meant "disadvantage" solely in the context of generating color scheme diversity.  Having a solid starting point and only needing to update uniforms that already looked good is most definitely an advantage.

[raz]

15 hours ago, SFGiants58 said:

How would The $1 League compare to Football for a Buck, in terms of bibliographic value to USFL research?

"Football for a Buck" is more lurid. A lot more gossipy. 

 

"The $1 League" is more factual. At least to me. 

[EJ_Barlik]

3 hours ago, daniel75 said:

There’s too many gold helmets.

Actually, there are technically zero, even though they may look that way.  (Although if you mean "gold" as in a family of gold tones, then I acquiesce to your point.)

 

Michigan Panthers are "Champagne" (hex C5B783).

Philadelphia Stars are calling it "Gold", but it's really "Yellow" (hex FFB81C).

Birmingham Stallions are calling it "Gold", but it's really the same "Champagne" (hex C5B783) as Michigan.

 

But I do admit that the Champagne looks the closest to what we call "gold".

 

For comparison, I submit:

New Orleans Saints - Old Gold (hex D3BC8D)

Jax Jaguars - Bold Gold (hex 9A7611) and Light Gold (hex D29F13)

 

Of those 3 from the NFL, I think one of the Jags gold (take your pick) is the closest to a true gold as we're really gonna get.

 

IMO, the Champagne is really closer to what the Saints old gold is (or isn't).  And the Stars definitely have the Pittsburgh Steelers yellow/gold (same hex FFB81C).

[EJ_Barlik]

1 hour ago, leopard88 said:

 

. . . the Blitz and Bandits used decent amounts of blue and red, respectively...

In USFL 1.0, We had:

Chicago Blitz:

* Red (hex E4002B) which was really a "bright red"

* Blue (hex 003DA5), which was essentially NFL blue

* Silver (hex 8D9093)

* White

 

Tampa Bay Bandits

* Red (hex E4002B) which was really a "bright red"

* Black (Pantone "Black C", or what I'll call "true black")

* Silver (hex 8D9093)

* White

* Facemask Grey (hex A2AAAD)

 

In USFL 2.0, we have:

Tampa Bay Bandits

* Red (hex BA0C2F), which is closer to the red we all think of, but it's a few shades darker then you expect (half way to "brick red" kinda)

* Black (Pantone "Black C", or what I'll call "true black") 

* Silver (hex A2AAAD) - yes, the old facemask grey

* White

 

So, in 1.0, the reds were the same!  But in 2.0, the TBB red is different, and some might say, better.  But the CB 1.0 blue was not a true blue, but an NFL blue (look it up).

[tigers]

Too much Red.

 

No matter the shade it's red.

[Sodboy13]

Look, I think we should give the new USFL credit. Because when it comes to an upstart football league, seeing red everywhere is basically truth in advertising.

[TruColor]

OT: All the Hex references here are making my head hurt.

 

The "source of truth" when it comes to colors, are the Pantone values. RGB/Hex and CMYK values are just simulations of the Pantone colors. They can change and/or diverge based on a lot of variables, including color profiles, color spaces, CIE-Lab measurements, etc. Personally, I've been getting a lot of questions about hex values lately which I find a bit odd. As soon as Pantone comes out with a new guide  that uses a different paper stock, all of the RGB/hex and CMYK values are going to change. Still, these are a good way to approximate colors, but they aren't the end all.

[IceCap]

2 hours ago, oldschoolvikings said:

Good luck with the idea that the next 8 NFL teams to redesign have this good of a percentage.