Around the NBA

[Davey]

They actually don't look that bad in the action shots. Certainly, I could get behind the colors at least, though the name "Huskies" sounds a little too "kiddy."

I guess its better than the "Raptors" imo . Huskies has a more old school feel to it. If they did bring it back they would need a new identity of course ( very rare it happens but I don't see it happening ). But having a sport team named after a movie that only lasted at least 5 years of fame seems "kiddy" to me, now that the animal has become instinct, if you get my drift.

[SmoothieX]

^I agree, Raptors screams kiddy!

Anyone else notice how shoe requirements seem to be a little more lax this year?

Guys wearing white while the team is wearing black and vice versa.

Red and blue shoes to match uniform colors, etc.

[IceCap]

They've been the Raptors for over a decade. That's the team's name. Other then the novelty of having them wear Leafs colours and the "retro" aspect, is the name "Huskies" any better?

[Buster]

Huskies unis in action:

I have to say that I think they're fantastic. The faux belt, the smaller collar... I would have liked to see block lettering for the NOB, but that is my only gripe.

I hope they're selling those.

They actually don't look that bad in the action shots. Certainly, I could get behind the colors at least, though the name "Huskies" sounds a little too "kiddy."

Looked horrible with Hedo modeling them...but great in action.

[The_Admiral]

They've been the Raptors for over a decade. That's the team's name. Other then the novelty of having them wear Leafs colours and the "retro" aspect, is the name "Huskies" any better?

Yes. Huskies are good sturdy dogs associated with northern climes, who work hard and as a team. Toronto's not Whitehorse, but it's sufficiently wintry, and their NBA team effectively functions as all of Canada's team anyway. Naming a Canadian team "the Huskies" makes a sliver of sense, while naming any team "the Raptors" makes none. If you can guarantee that their logo wouldn't be a fossilized dog or a cartoon puppy dribbling a basketball, then yes, it's a better name.

The whole Raptors identity is such a mess right now. They're using a color scheme that the Bulls and Blazers have been doing longer and better, they're in branding hell caught between a bad recolor of a bad dated primary and a mildly clever albeit flawed secondary, and they probably have the most unpainted court in the league which hardly helps reinforce whatever your identity is supposed to be. If the Washington team can scrap Bullets for Wizards and then maybe go back to Bullets again anyway, surely the Raptors can dream it all up again too.

[IceCap]

They've been the Raptors for over a decade. That's the team's name. Other then the novelty of having them wear Leafs colours and the "retro" aspect, is the name "Huskies" any better?

Yes. Huskies are good sturdy dogs associated with northern climes, who work hard and as a team. Toronto's not Whitehorse, but it's sufficiently wintry, and their NBA team effectively functions as all of Canada's team anyway. Naming a Canadian team "the Huskies" makes a sliver of sense, while naming any team "the Raptors" makes none. If you can guarantee that their logo wouldn't be a fossilized dog or a cartoon puppy dribbling a basketball, then yes, it's a better name.

The whole Raptors identity is such a mess right now. They're using a color scheme that the Bulls and Blazers have been doing longer and better, they're in branding hell caught between a bad recolor of a bad dated primary and a mildly clever albeit flawed secondary, and they probably have the most unpainted court in the league which hardly helps reinforce whatever your identity is supposed to be. If the Washington team can scrap Bullets for Wizards and then maybe go back to Bullets again anyway, surely the Raptors can dream it all up again too.

Well if you want to stretch it, Canada does have a lot of dinosaur fossils....

but I won't pretend the name wasn't the result of a shameless cash grab in the wake of Jurassic Park (great movie/book), because it was. That being said, they've had it for a while now, so it's no longer just a tacky marketing ploy. It's the team name, the name that most of the fanbase has grown up associating with the team, and I just don't see the need to change it as being that urgent. It's not a great name, but really, it's not bad either. In fact it's nice to see dinosaurs get represented in the pro sports naming ranks. There's some potential there, but it has never really been tapped. Also, the next person who says "raptors are dead now so the name sucks" needs to check out the Nashville Predators page on the main site.

The colours, well when you're trying to market yourself as "Canada's team" red, black, silver, and white is really a safe way to go. Yeah, other teams use it, but the Raptors jersey designs distinguish their set from the others, I think. On the other hand changing the name to the Huskies would bring a return to blue and white, colours that within Canada are associated with Toronto, not the country as a whole. Thus giving the team the Leafs' colours would be counterproductive to the whole "Canada's team" thing.

As for the claw/ball logo, I don't see a problem with it. It's clever. The dribbling dino may still be the official primary, but you rarely see it anymore. The ball/claw mark's pretty much used universally.

The difference with the Wizards thing is that the the Bullets used to be the franchise's name. They would just be going back to their roots if they did make the switch. The Raptors' roots, however, go back to 1994-95. They were never the Huskies.

Not to say that I would stop cheering for them if they went to the Huskies identity, but I just don't see why they need to make the change. If they did become the Huskies, however, there are a few things that would have to be done...

Avoid using the throwbacks as primaries. Those just suck. Preferably take the current Raptors' jersey style and font, and just make them white and blue.

Find a way to come up with a logo that doesn't blatantly rip off any of the Timberwolves' marks.

Lobby the NBA to get the original Huskies and the Raptors/new Huskies records merged. If they're going to steal another team's identity they might as well forge a fake history to justify it (on a related note, get on it Senators).

Through in a blue maple leaf logo for good measure. They're owned by the Leafs, would be using their colours, might as well make acknowledge their new status as the NBA Maple Leafs.

Like I said, I wouldn't object to badly if they wanted to do it, but it's not really needed, and if they did do it, they better at least do it right.

[IceCap]

Actually, I have to admit, this logo does look pretty interesting. Does anyone have a larger version of it?

[Wasatch]

Actually, I have to admit, this logo does look pretty interesting. Does anyone have a larger version of it?

What logo exactly?

[Davey]

All of this trouble would be solved if the Raptors just designed a new logo. Bring out a new identity, start fresh, come up with a logo that is more fierce. I think the Raps should step away from being "Canada" team, whats next a T-Rex holding a Canadian flag ? Instead of should they re-name the team, and should come out with a new identity. Sure they would have an outdated name, but if the logo was updated, more aggressive looking, I doubt people would take them more serious ( or at least half more ).

[CC97]

Actually, I have to admit, this logo does look pretty interesting. Does anyone have a larger version of it?

They put it on the bobblehead giveaway box last night, I could scan it but my Photoshop no longer exists - yes, a drag

[IceCap]

Actually, I have to admit, this logo does look pretty interesting. Does anyone have a larger version of it?

What logo exactly?

I'm pretty sure it's a fauxback logo, as the only actual Huskies logos I've seen were the ones on the main site. It looks like the Huskies wordmark across a ball, Pistons style, with an old style maple leaf on the bottom. Just remove the Toronto Raptors Hardwood Classics text, and you have a logo I could get behind for the a rebranded Huskies, with a new wordmark of course (seeing as anything that used an actual husky would get compared to the T-Wolves logos).

All of this trouble would be solved if the Raptors just designed a new logo. Bring out a new identity, start fresh, come up with a logo that is more fierce. I think the Raps should step away from being "Canada" team, whats next a T-Rex holding a Canadian flag ? Instead of should they re-name the team, and should come out with a new identity. Sure they would have an outdated name, but if the logo was updated, more aggressive looking, I doubt people would take them more serious ( or at least half more ).

While I'm not in favour of changing the name to Huskies (it's unnecessary), it is the only other viable name other then Raptors. A third, new, name? No thank you.

As for them being "Canada's Team," a little less regionalism in this country would be welcome. I can't speak for anyone else, but I would be a Grizzlies fan if it were them that stayed in Canada and the Raptors were the team to move south.

Actually, I have to admit, this logo does look pretty interesting. Does anyone have a larger version of it?

They put it on the bobblehead giveaway box last night, I could scan it but my Photoshop no longer exists - yes, a drag

Aww, and it looked so neat, in that fauxback sort of way. Oh well, a larger version will surface eventually.

[CC97]

Actually, I have to admit, this logo does look pretty interesting. Does anyone have a larger version of it?

What logo exactly?

I'm pretty sure it's a fauxback logo, as the only actual Huskies logos I've seen were the ones on the main site. It looks like the Huskies wordmark across a ball, Pistons style, with an old style maple leaf on the bottom.

The years "1946" "1947" are also along the bottom part of the basketball.

[Wasatch]

Sorry, when I asked "What logo exactly" it wasn't pulling up for me.

[IceCap]

Aw, ok. Well those would probably have to removed as well if it was ever given primary status.

The current Raptors jersey design and font would look pretty nice in blue and white.

[Arts11]

They actually don't look that bad in the action shots. Certainly, I could get behind the colors at least, though the name "Huskies" sounds a little too "kiddy."

I guess its better than the "Raptors" imo . Huskies has a more old school feel to it. If they did bring it back they would need a new identity of course ( very rare it happens but I don't see it happening ). But having a sport team named after a movie that only lasted at least 5 years of fame seems "kiddy" to me, now that the animal has become instinct, if you get my drift.

What I meant by sounding "kiddy" was that basically, to me, most things ending with that long "e" sound, sounds like something a little kid would say, like "doggy, kitty, ducky, teddy, etc." [so it doesn't exactly strike fear or intimidation into opponents] I wasn't actually commenting on the breed of dog.

[The_Admiral]

Also, the next person who says "raptors are dead now so the name sucks" needs to check out the Nashville Predators page on the main site.

But the Predators' logo sucks even more!

[CC97]

If you're hating the Raptors name for their Jurassic Park connection then why not we just have the team switch to a bird-of-prey theme and keep the name rather than switch to the name of a team which failed after one season?

http://images.google.ca/images?q=raptor%20bird&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi

[The_Admiral]

I'm iffy about changing the meanings of nicknames, like when the Rays became "rays of hope" or whatever. They could keep the name and downplay all the dinosaur imagery in favor of general Toronto/Canada imagery, I guess.

[BBTV]

The name "Raptors" really does suck. If you are a minor-league team in a bush-league market, then... maybe. But for a top-level club in one of North America's premiere cities? There is certainly a lot about Toronto (and Canada) that they could have used for locally-driven inspiration. Huskies is kind of old-school and maybe a little "kiddie", but it's better than a fictitious dinosaur from a movie.

The argument that "it's OK, because Nashville has a crappy name / logo too!" argument is stupid, because, as previously pointed out, the Predators name / logo sucks too. It's fine for minor-league markets (not saying that's what Nashville is, just sayin'...) but not for major cities.

Smaller markets can name their teams after their mascots, and come up with themes, and all that gimmicky crap. Major market teams shouldn't stoop to that. They should have a mascot for the kids, but everything else should just be more... professional. They shouldn't have to pattern all of their uniforms and gear after their nickname - emphasis on the city is good enough.

[Carter23]

personally, i like those huskies throwbacks better than the sixers new unis