Reviving Arena Football (Arizona, Iowa Added)

[LAWeaver]

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Northeast

Albany Firebirds

Cleveland Gladiators

Columbus Destroyers

Detroit Drive

Grand Rapids Rampage

New York Dragons

Philadelphia Soul

TBD - NEW ENGLAND
 

Southeast

Carolina Cobras
Georgia Force

Jacksonville Sharks

Nashville Kats

Orlando Predators

Tampa Bay Storm

TBD - BIRMNGHAM

TBD - LOUISVILLE
 

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central

Austin Wranglers

Chicago Bruisers

Dallas Renegades

Iowa Barnstormers

Milwaukee Mustangs

New Orleans VooDoo

Oklahoma City Talons*
TBD - KANSAS CITY
 

Pacific

Arizona Rattlers

Colorado Crush
Las Vegas Knight Hawks
Los Angeles Avengers

San Jose SaberCats

Spokane Shock

Utah Blazers

Portland Thunder

 

It's been awhile since I've last posted a concept. For the last few months I've kicked the tires on a full "What If" series involving the Arena Football League just because the brands were so much fun and had a lot of potential. 

 

Kicking things off and rebounding off the net is a revamped Detroit Drive identity:

(old identity)

 

The Detroit Drive were around for a short time during the league's early years but made a tremendous impact by winning four out of six Arena Bowl appearances before being sold and shipped to Massachusetts, ending their historic run.

 

This new identity takes the vibrant bright blue and orange from the team's original look and combines it with an old-school stylized helmet (inspired by Gridiron Lab's Cleveland Browns concept from a few years ago that has made the rounds). 

[Josiah2022YT]

Just Kinda Like This Logo

[Blindsay]

Kinda generic. Like maybe you want to incorporate more car theming? And modernize the old font?

[LAWeaver]

COLUMBUS DESTROYERS

(Previous Identity)

 

My "hometown" team. Not much to say about this refresh other than the partial "CD" logo has been cleaned up and elevated to primary status. Gone are the 2000s-esque beveling and in comes a brighter shade of red to better contrast with the navy, white and silver.

 

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NEW ORLEANS VOODOO

(Previous Identity)

 

This is an identity that I absolutely love and honestly almost didn't touch. That being said, I noticed that the colors some of the teams used in Arena Football's peak (early-mid 2000s) were pretty drab, which isn't helped by the lighting in most indoor arenas. To help brighten things up, purple replaces black as the primary color while keeping the vibrant red and introducing lavender for a unique color scheme. Purple and Red as a combination isn't anything new for New Orleans either. 

 

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NEW YORK DRAGONS

(Previous Identity | Unused Identity)

 

The New York Dragons were originally going to revamp their entire look in 2009 going from red, black and yellow to a green, black and silver scheme before the AFL shut-down after 2008. After the shut-down, the team never returned... until today, that is.

 

I really like what the new look was going for, but in my quest to eliminate any dull color schemes (i.e. replace black and/or boring color schemes), I decided to make a couple adjustments. First, black is replaced with the New York Jets' shade of hunter green used from the late 90s through the 2010s. Next, the proposed kelly green is swapped with a seafoam green, the same shade used by the WNBA's New York Liberty, creating a unique double-green color scheme. The other main adjustment to the logo was removing the outline from the "NY" and making the letters solid white. 

[LAWeaver]

Almost forgot: I have a quick update to Detroit as the colors appeared almost too vibrant after I posted them. I went back and found the original hex colors used by the team (shoutout to TruColor.net).

[maxwasson]

Good start so far, I wonder if the Kansas City Command/Brigade will be apart of this Arena Football League revival series. 

[tsizer]

Love the start of this. Can't wait to see where it goes!

[LAWeaver]

Just now, tsizer said:

Love the start of this. Can't wait to see where it goes!

Thanks!

 

22 minutes ago, maxwasson said:

Good start so far, I wonder if the Kansas City Command/Brigade will be apart of this Arena Football League revival series. 

Thanks! Kansas City is on my list. There will be a blend of old and current arena teams in this series with the bulk of them being from the AFL's prime era of the early-mid 2000s. Some are obvious choices like Albany, Arizona, Iowa, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Jose, and Tampa Bay.

 

The next wave consists of teams that had longevity - teams like Cleveland, Dallas, Grand Rapids, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York. These franchises may not have been around long like the ones listed above, but their past success and longevity make them perfect fits where if one or two things went their way, these teams would still be with us today. 

 

The tricky part is who fills out the remaining 50-60 % of the league, assuming this "what if" league eventually reached a nice, round 32 teams. This is where you start cherry-picking teams that came into the league after the bankruptcy, were in markets that just made sense, those with strong attendance numbers, and others who's brands were just plain memorable. Not to mention the several teams who had long tenures in the AF2 that eventually made their way into the AFL (Spokane, OKC).

 

Here is a rough idea on what this league would look like, had everything gone according to plan*:

 

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Northeast

• Albany Firebirds
• Cleveland Gladiators
• Columbus Destroyers
• Detroit Drive
• Grand Rapids Rampage
• New York Dragons
• Philadelphia Soul
• TBD - NEW ENGLAND
  The SeaWolves (Hartford) and Steamrollers (Providence) were practically blips on the league's radar, going a combined 16-25 in their three total seasons of play. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Pirates of the IFL have enjoyed moderate success in their five full seasons, making the playoffs each year in both the NAL and IFL. That being said, I'm not completely sold on the brand. I'll just have to wait and see what comes to me.

Southeast

• Carolina Cobras
  Certainly not the sexiest team in the AFL's history, including a dreadful 0-16 season in 2003. However the team started off strong attendance-wise with an average of over 12k people and a playoff appearance in 2002 before moving from Raleigh to Charlotte where they were eventually killed off to make room for the NBA's Bobcats (yikes!). In this universe, the Cobras stayed in Raleigh and develop a loyal fanbase and relationship with the Hurricanes. 
• Georgia Force
• Jacksonville Sharks
• Nashville Kats
• Orlando Predators
• Tampa Bay Storm
• TBD - BIRMNGHAM
  This would likely be a revamped Alabama/Tennessee Valley Vipers. identity as the team actually played in Huntsville. Before the team moved up to the AFL following the league's bankruptcy, 'Valley won the 2008 AF2 title and compiled an impressive 102-56 overall record. 
• TBD - LOUISVILLE
  While the first few seasons of the Louisville Fire's AF2 tenure wasn't anything to shake a stick at, the team did improve over the following five years with no record worse than 8-8. The team even made an appearance in the 2005 AF2 title game. With no other pro team in the city (unless you count the Louisville Bats), the Fire would make a decent addition to the league at the Yum! Center.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Central

• Austin Wranglers
• Chicago Rush*
  Despite the 2006 ArenaBowl victory, I'm not sold on "Rush" as a name. "Bruisers" was a fun, old-school, smashmouth-style name that could be given a refreshed retro identity with the bulldog still intact. 
• Dallas Renegades
• Iowa Barnstormers
• Milwaukee Mustangs
• New Orleans VooDoo
• Oklahoma City Talons*
  In this universe, the Talons outgrow the AF2 and Tulsa by moving down I-44 to OKC for a bigger venue
• TBD - KANSAS CITY
  Not a huge fan of the Command/Brigade brands myself, but if I were to keep the military/stealth theme going, then Black Hawks could be a suitable replacement.

Pacific

• Arizona Rattlers
• Colorado Crush*
  Looking into rebranding Colorado; Having "Crush" and "Rush" in the same league never really did feel right to me. Plus it gives off cringy 2000s vibes.
• Las Vegas Knight Hawks*
  The only "new" team to be included in this "what-if" scenario. Though with the possible rebranding of Kansas City, I'm not opposed to reusing the Outlaws name just with new branding. 
• Los Angeles Avengers
• San Jose SaberCats
• Spokane Shock
• Utah Blazers*
  Same identity as the Blaze, just without the 2000s style name. Nothing revolutionary here. Might take inspiration from the Jazz's red rock identity. 
• Portland Thunder*
  Portland has had three attempts at an Arena team, but in this universe,  they got it right the first time... albeit with a name that came nearly two decades later. 

[Blindsay]

14 minutes ago, LAWeaver said:

The SeaWolves (Hartford) and Steamrollers (Providence)

SteamWolves? SeaRollers?

[BengalErnst]

These are clean

[Mvdbutler]

Sweet This Is Awesome

[Wildcomet]

Some good work so far, I'm really enjoying how you touched up the Destroyers and I always put that VooDoo logo in the 'do not touch' list because I have always loved it but I think what you did with it works well. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

[LAWeaver]

Thanks for the comments, everyone! Time for two new identities, and this time ,we're going out west. 

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SAN JOSE SABERCATS

(previous identity)

 

Throughout Arena Football's highs and lows, one team that stood out from the rest were the San Jose SaberCats. arguably the most successful team in Arena Football history, the SaberCats won four of their five ArenaBowl appearances including their final season of existence in 2015 in which the team went 17-1 in the regular season. In addition, the team accumulated 217 total victories and only missed the playoffs three times in their 19 seasons of play (1996, 1999, 2011).

 

It's no wonder, then, why the team never changed their logo... but that's not what we're here for. the SaberCat had long been in need of a refresh with the previous look suffering from too many elements (detailed sabertooth tiger, diamond shield, rising sun, banner, etc.). Gone are the drab hunter green, black and tan straight from the mid-90s and in its place comes a more vibrant kelly-ish green and athletic gold combo that should pop under better lighting (I'm just now realizing it's Oakland Athletics colors... sorry A's fans). 

 

I'm hoping I did you justice, SaberCat!

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UTAH BLAZERS

(previous identity)

The Utah Blaze were the definition of "mid" during their initial three-year run, making the playoffs each year with records of 7-9, 8-8, and 6-10 but suffering first-round exits each time. After the league's shutdown in 2009, the team really wasn't the same as their attendance numbers plummeted during their final four years (2012 was their best year with 12 wins but really had nothing to show for it).

 

This is the first official name change of the series, but it was kind of low-hanging fruit as the singular "Blaze" just didn't sit right with me. The old identity also suffered from TMOS - Too Many Outlines Syndrome - so I simplified the flame while keeping the "B" shape.  Also, with the success of the original Albany Firebirds during the 90s, they get to claim the black-and-orange color scheme. The Blaze experimented with silver in their latter years, but that was not an appealing look. Coincidentally, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a perfect red-and-orange combination that fits with the red rock and fire motifs. Rather than using white, the new Blazers will now use a warmer off-white shade to bring everything together. 

[Silence of the Rams]

52 minutes ago, LAWeaver said:

I'm hoping I did you justice, SaberCat!

As a fan of the squad. I can comfortably say you did. One suggestion I'd make. Maybe a niners-esque gold instead of yellow

[LAWeaver]

17 hours ago, Silence of the Rams said:

As a fan of the squad. I can comfortably say you did. One suggestion I'd make. Maybe a niners-esque gold instead of yellow

 

I had tinkered with that idea a little bit before settling  on the more yellow-ish shade of gold. I don't hate it! Though I'll have to see what ideas come about later on in the series to see which version I stick with. I want each team to be as unique as possible. 

 

Quick update on this series: I'll be on the road most of the weekend attending the Indy 500 (or at least attempting to... stupid weather...). I'll also be in Omaha for the better part of next week too. Luckily, I've got at least one more team locked and loaded for later today. If there's another team that can be knocked out with ease, then I might just have a second one ready.

[Section30]

I normally prefer a more athletic gold color with green, but seeing the logos side by side I actually think I prefer the more metallic gold with that particular shade of green.

[LAWeaver]

Since I've already got two more teams locked and loaded, I'll go ahead and share them both before the long weekend.

 

LOS ANGELES AVENGERS

(Previous Identity | Unused Identity)

The Los Angeles Avengers were a slightly-below-average franchise that managed to last nine seasons, making the playoffs five times but falling in the first round in four of those five appearances. They're whole identity was all over the place, too - red, navy, and light blue throughout the whole uniform, gold in the logo but nowhere else, and super bright orangish-red helmets that could likely be seen from all the way in Sonoma County. 2009 was supposed to be the franchises' 10th season, a milestone that would've put them in rare company by Arena Football standards. Sadly, the team's demise came along with the league's bankruptcy, and they never returned after the 2008 season.

 

Another case of simply cleaning up a slightly-clunky brand. I leaned into the new branding by prioritizing red and navy, dropped gold and light blue from the identity altogether, and removed the outer navy outline from the logo. As you can see, the bright red will remain prominent in the branding and future uniforms.

 

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PHILADELPHIA SOUL

Previous identity

The Philadelphia Soul are considered one of the more successful franchises in Arena Football history, tallying three ArenaBowl victories and 155 wins over the course of 14 seasons. That being said, an asterisk might be needed for some of that history, as the bulk of the team's success came after the league's shutdown in 2009. The Soul did win the 2008 ArenaBowl following a 13-3 regular season, but hadn't really lit the world on fire in the four years prior to that title run. That being said, the team drew some of the best crowds in AFL history, averaging 15k-16k in attendance during that initial run. After returning in 2011, the team recorded seven winning seasons and 125 of their 155 victories (including playoffs). In fact, two of their ArenaBowl victories came back-to-back in 2016 and 2017 when the AFL only had eight and five teams, respectively. 

 

*breath* All that said... I made minor changes again, haha. I tweaked the lighter blue to be a little more on the teal/aqua side to help separate them from Detroit or my other double-blue team, Nashville, later on. I also removed the light blue stroke around the logo for a cleaner look. There's also a new wordmark inspired by the old UConn-esque font. 

[LAWeaver]

Quick update to the thread as I have a Dallas Renegades logo to post before flying out to Omaha tomorrow! No long post other than it's a "what if" scenario where Mark Cuban takes over the Renegades franchise and uses the light blue-red-black combo before The Rock^TM gets to it first with the XFL.

 

This is by far my favorite of the series thus far, but tell me what you think!

 

 

(btw, thanks to the XFL/UFL's Renegades, it's harder than hell to find ANYTHING about the Arena League's Dallas Renegades other than ArenaFan.com, which is a fantastic resource if you're curious about all things AFL related). 

[BengalErnst]

I’d be okay with just bringing back the Dallas Desperados 

[LAWeaver]

2 hours ago, BengalErnst said:

I’d be okay with just bringing back the Dallas Desperados 

Haha yeah, I had a brain fart trying to crank this design out before my vacation and forgot that the arena team was, in fact, named the Desperados... My B