Mismatching Logos / Team Names

[Schilly]

Portland Trailblazers  The logo has nothing to do with either the geographic location nor the team name.

Actually the Blazers' logo has more to do with the game of basketball (Look at the logo, 5 red stripes, 5 white stripes, going into a circle) than the name. hat tip to SSUR for the quote below ( http://www.ssur.org/history/PortlandTrailB...LogoHistory.htm ):

Blazers Logo Information and History

Harry Glickman?s cousin, Frank Glickman, of Boston, Massachusetts, designed the quoteoriginal logo, consisting of a straight up and down pinwheel with black on the top and red on the bottom.

It?s meaning is simple: a modern graphic interpretation of the game of basketball, five players from one side playing against five players from another.

Here's the original logo.

Right...Many are aware of what the logo represents. THe original question of the thread was this...

Are there any other teams in pro sports that do this similar thing of having a clear graphic identity (waves) that has nothing to do with the mascot

The graphical logo of The Portland Trailblazers has nothing to do with the City of Portland, nor the term "Trailblazer".

So in the context of the original question of the thread...someone explain to me how the Blazers logo pertains to the team name "Trailblazers".

PS- I do appreciate people bringing up the true meaning. Many people are unaware of the true symbolism.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

The graphical logo of The Portland Trailblazers has nothing to do with the City of Portland, nor the term "Trailblazer".

So in the context of the original question of the thread...someone explain to me how the Blazers logo pertains to the team name "Trailblazers".

Simple. It has nothing to do with Portland or the Trailblazer nickname. It just looks neat.

Portland got its NBA franchise in the early 70's, right? I'm not in the least surprised to see a Bill Walton-led team in that era with an abstract, conceptual design. That's all that graphic design was back then.

[hawk36]

Isn't the Portland logo simply an abstract p and b for Portland Blazers?

If so, it wouldn't fit into my "worst identity" category as the abstract symbol doesn't represent clearly some other mascot, rather it's just a play on the letterforms. If it were a rose symbol, for the "Rose City", then I'd say it fell into the "worst" realm.

[TruColor]

The graphical logo of The Portland Trailblazers has nothing to do with the City of Portland, nor the term "Trailblazer".

So in the context of the original question of the thread...someone explain to me how the Blazers logo pertains to the team name "Trailblazers".

Simple. It has nothing to do with Portland or the Trailblazer nickname. It just looks neat.

Portland got its NBA franchise in the early 70's, right? I'm not in the least surprised to see a Bill Walton-led team in that era with an abstract, conceptual design. That's all that graphic design was back then.

I became an NBA fan and a fan of the Trail Blazers back in the early '70s because of that logo. I didn't know until a few years ago what it represented - I just thought it looked cool.

When I started following the Blazers, Geoff Petrie, Sidney Wicks and Rick Adelman were are members of the team...they were bad, but then they were involved in a coin flip (with the 76ers) for the first pick of the 1974 draft. Which of course, became Bill Walton.

I can still remember sitting in my bedroom listening to that coin flip on the radio...

[tohasbo]

The Brewers logo has two [pieces? slices? stalks? feathers?] of grain in it, so clearly, it is beer-making personified.

It's barley, and they're stalks.

Lets see, misrepresenting or nonrepresenting logos...

Texas Rangers

Oakland Athletics (what does an elephant have to do with anything?)

Cincinnatti Reds (what is a "red" anyway?)

Washington Nationals

Vancouver Canadians

Omaha Royals

Binghampton Mets

Lansing Lugnuts (a bolt is destintively different than a lugnut)

Boise Hawks

GreenEville Astros (it's worse than the Houston Astros logo)

Lake Elsinore Storm

Memphis Redbirds (jersey lettering is fine, but the primary logo doesn't make any sense)

Augusta Green Jackets (another one of those names with "jackets" that has to use a bee. It doesn't have a green jacket and golf clubs, though)

Detroit Pistons

New York Knicks

New Jersey Nets (odd enough, they have a basketball rim WITHOUT A NET!)

Phoenix Mercury (the planet doesn't have rings, but the logo has three?)

Green Bay Packers

New York Jets

Utah Jazz has nothing to do with Utah; Jazz was their nickname when they were playing in New Orleans.

BTW, Detroit Pistons: A piston is a car part, and Detroit is a "car manufacturing" city.

[hawk36]

BTW, Detroit Pistons: A piston is a car part, and Detroit is a "car manufacturing" city.

Why not have a car logo then? The horse logo (is it still in use) I guess could be considered for "horse power" but isn't that a bit like the Rockets using a hang glider as their logo?

[Tazz013]

The Pistons' Old Logo was fine. The horse, flames, and exhaust pipes are easy to connect with a car and a piston by association.

The Pistons' New Logo has no feasible reference to a car or any of it's parts.

[Dark Angel]

Here is what I think of some of the mismatched MLB logo that I like and dislike.

Atlanta Braves= The only reason they changed it is because few people think it's was offensive.

Minnesota Twins= I love the 2 players shaking hand.

San Diego Padres= The 1 logo that was unfairly change.

Chicago White Sox= 1 word CLASSIC

Chicago Cubs= The walking bear should be the primary logo.

Detroit Tigers= As much that I like the old english D, It's should never be their primary logo.

Seattle Mariners= Before 1993, Thiere logo was just a ball with M's. Makes no sense to me.

Texas Rangers= Before 1994, they had one of the best logo before they changed it and enventully look like a rip-off Expos logo.

[Dark Angel]

Here is what I think of some of the mismatched MLB logo that I like and dislike.

Atlanta Braves= The only reason they changed it is because few people think it's was offensive.

Minnesota Twins= I love the 2 players shaking hand.

San Diego Padres= The 1 logo that was unfairly change.

Chicago White Sox= 1 word CLASSIC

Chicago Cubs= The walking bear should be the primary logo.

Detroit Tigers= As much that I like the old english D, It's should never be their primary logo.

Seattle Mariners= Before 1993, Thiere logo was just a ball with M's. Makes no sense to me.

Texas Rangers= Before 1994, they had one of the best logo before they changed it and enventully look like a rip-off Expos logo.

[cajunaggie08]

GreenEville Astros (it's worse than the Houston Astros logo)

Why the hell do the Greeneville Astros have that E capitalized in the logo?

[Rocknjosie]

for people wondering about the Houston Astros name change stuff, there's this article

Houston Diesels, Wildcaters, Buffs?

As to this exhaustive list...

Lets see, misrepresenting or nonrepresenting logos...

Oakland Athletics (what does an elephant have to do with anything?)

The A's Elephant has to do with the Philadelphia Athletics being labeled by the press a White Elephant-that is something which takes more to upkeep than it's worth. Much like the Alabama Crimson Tide, The Pittsburg Pirates, even the San Francisco Giants, the nickname was one of many the press used when nicknames weren't trademarked the way they are now.

[Viper]

No one's mentioned MLS's Chivas USA yet? Or for that matter their Mexican parent club Chivas de Guadalajara? "Chivas" is Spanish for "kids" - kid goats, that is, not children - but there isn't a goat in either the Mexican or MLS team's logo. (No, there aren't any children in either logo, either.)

Come to think of it, there have to be any number of soccer teams around the world with mismatched logos and nicknames. How does a red devil represent Manchester United, for example?

[cajunaggie08]

I am so glad the Astros didnt change their names......again. Its allready bad enough that the franchise has new jerseys every 7-8 years, let alone having a 3rd team name in 40 years? that would have been rediculous. I guess making the playoffs 3 years straight fixed the whole mediocracy associated with the name astros.

[tBBP]

perhaps maybe one could start an offshoot of this thread and take it into the college ranks. If that ever happens these would be my major peeves:

1.) the Alabama Crinson Tide

I know theres a reason behind the elephant--believe some sportswriter back in the 30's or something said that the team was like a giant pachyderm, and the elephant just stuck. But the elephant is neither crimson, nor does it have ANYTHING to do with tide. I know the nickname came from the USS Alabama (yes, the movie "Crimson Tide" played off that reference), but, stil, sticking to the original premise of the thread, what does an ELEPHANT have to do with ALABAMA (unless some Replubican politicians wanna use that as a ploy) or TIDE.

2.) Purdue Boilermakers

I still think it's one of the dumbest nicknames i've ever heard. the logo? a locomotive, which is that the boilers were installed on. Hmmph...

3.) Miami Hurricanes

Yes I know this is arbitrary, but ospreys are actually quite commin down in south beach. Still not sure how that relates to a HURRICANE, although after '04 I think EVERYONE should know how that nickname came up. (SO how did Tulsa rip that? When have you EVER known a hurricane to hit OK? a GOLDEN one at that? Retarded..) But the double U...guess it means that Miami IS the U, as so famously christened by one KJ Jr.

[rebelx]

I was going to include the Buffalo Bills and how their namesake is Wild Bill Hickok, but then I realized he killed a lot of buffalo. If you think about it, that's just awful.

The Buffalo Bills are named for Buffalo Bill Cody, not Wild Bill. Get your history straight there, man.

[FirearmofMutiny]

No one's mentioned MLS's Chivas USA yet? Or for that matter their Mexican parent club Chivas de Guadalajara? "Chivas" is Spanish for "kids" - kid goats, that is, not children - but there isn't a goat in either the Mexican or MLS team's logo. (No, there aren't any children in either logo, either.)

Come to think of it, there have to be any number of soccer teams around the world with mismatched logos and nicknames. How does a red devil represent Manchester United, for example?

In most cases with international soccer teams the team itself doesn't come up with the nickname, the fans do. At least that's how I understand it. For us Americans all the nickname/logo combinations do sound weird (Chivas? Red Devils? Magpies?)

[BrianVlietDesign]

how about the logo for the rejuvenated Richmond Renegades. The definition of a "renegade" has nothing to do with a pirate. have a look for urself. This logo makes no sense. www.rrenegades.com/

[jrh31584]

3.) Miami Hurricanes

Yes I know this is arbitrary, but ospreys are actually quite commin down in south beach. Still not sure how that relates to a HURRICANE, although after '04 I think EVERYONE should know how that nickname came up. (SO how did Tulsa rip that? When have you EVER known a hurricane to hit OK? a GOLDEN one at that? Retarded..) But the double U...guess it means that Miami IS the U, as so famously christened by one KJ Jr.

The Hurricanes use an ibis as their mascot because they are allegedly among the last animals to flee an oncoming hurricane and the first to return. The school opened shortly after the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane, hence the nickname. For a while, the school had hurricane warning flags on its helmets.

[doafhat]

SO how did Tulsa rip that? When have you EVER known a hurricane to hit OK? a GOLDEN one at that? Retarded..

The explanation:

The origination of The University of Tulsa nickname - Golden Hurricane - came in 1922. A new football coach, Howard Acher, came to town and inherited a slew of nicknames dating back to 1895.

Past Tulsa teams were referred to as Kendallites, Presbyterians, Tigers, Orange and Black, and Tulsans. In the fall of 1922, the team nickname was "Yellow Jackets," which was apparently due to the fact that the team was wearing new black and yellow uniforms instead of the traditional orange and black.

The team opened the season and it was apparent that Tulsa was going to have a great year, and trying to seize some publicity for his team, Acher wanted to find a new nickname quickly.

After a remark was made in practice one day about "roaring through opponents," and because of their new jersey colors, he thought of Golden Tornadoes. However, he quickly found out that the name had been taken by Georgia Tech a few years earlier. From the tornado, he evolved meteorologically to the hurricane. A few days before the team left for a game against Texas A&M, Archer asked the squad to vote on the name, and thus "Golden Hurricane" was born.

[tBBP]

The explanation:

The origination of The University of Tulsa nickname - Golden Hurricane - came in 1922. A new football coach, Howard Acher, came to town and inherited a slew of nicknames dating back to 1895.

Past Tulsa teams were referred to as Kendallites, Presbyterians, Tigers, Orange and Black, and Tulsans. In the fall of 1922, the team nickname was "Yellow Jackets," which was apparently due to the fact that the team was wearing new black and yellow uniforms instead of the traditional orange and black.

The team opened the season and it was apparent that Tulsa was going to have a great year, and trying to seize some publicity for his team, Acher wanted to find a new nickname quickly.

After a remark was made in practice one day about "roaring through opponents," and because of their new jersey colors, he thought of Golden Tornadoes. However, he quickly found out that the name had been taken by Georgia Tech a few years earlier. From the tornado, he evolved meteorologically to the hurricane. A few days before the team left for a game against Texas A&M, Archer asked the squad to vote on the name, and thus "Golden Hurricane" was born.

I see now. The way some colleges get their nicknames is CRAZY. But I get it not about Tulsa. Quick point of curiosity: off top of your heads, do any1 know whether nor not there's a thread in this forum about how college nicknames came about? I know the story of a few. Would be an interesting read for me and I'm sure a few others.