Hartford, CT's UFL Franchise Announces Name

[Brian in Boston]

The United Football League's Hartford, CT-based franchise (formerly the New York Sentinels) has announced its name. The team will be known as the Hartford Colonials.

The name wasn't one of the four predetermined finalists that league officials had revealed as part of the "Your Town, Your Team, Your Name" promotion on February 23rd. At that time, fans were invited to vote for one of four names from amongst Connecticut Yankees, Hartford Guardians, Hartford Knights or Hartford Travelers. Fans were also given the option to submit write-in candidates. Hartford Colonials was drawn from amongst said write-ins.

According to Anne Valihura, director of marketing for Northland AEG, the team's local owner, Colonials received a "great response" from amongst those who opted to write-in a team name suggestion. Ms. Valihura also said that the team will unveil a logo shortly.

[IceCap]

In and of itself, the name works. It may be a little to close to the Patriots' name and identity, however.

[Gothamite]

Well, we'll see what they end up with for the logo and color scheme.

The Philadelphia Union and New England Patriots take inspiration from the exact same subject matter but run in completely different directions. Maybe Hartford can do the same.

[Brian in Boston]

For what it is worth, I think it is a mistake to name the team the Hartford Colonials. In my opinion, a truly successful modern pro sports identity package helps the franchise bearing it to establish a unique presence on the sports landscape. I'm of the mind that barring some truly outside-the-box thinking on the part of the design team creating this franchise's logo package, the Hartford Colonials identity won't even prove capable of establishing a unique presence amongst pro football teams that call New England home. It hews too close to Patriots in theme.

Perhaps if they were to go the Connecticut Colony route and design a brand package that revolved around a Puritan figure, they might be able to make it work. Maybe create a primary mark that focuses on a depiction of a Puritan male staring straight at the viewer. Said figure would be wearing the classic high, flat-crowned hat with a wide uncocked brim and buckled ribbon band we've come to associate with our Puritan forefathers. In order to infuse the logo with a bit of attitude, rather than depict the figure as solemn or grim-faced, the character's visage could be contorted with the passion of a religious zealot - that is to say, as if caught-up in the fervor of delivering a rousing "Hellfire-and-brimstone" sermon. In other words, wild-eyed with brows furrowed and teeth bared in a grimace of righteous indignation. That's an expression that would lend itself to representing the aggression and intensity inherent within the sport of professional football. Think of the figure as "Thomas Hooker-meets-Dick Butkus". As for a color palette, they could really play-up the dark and menacing early-American religious fervor angle with Damnation (Black), Brimstone (a Deep Metallic Silver or Pewter) and Hellfire (a brilliant Red).

Something... anything... to keep it away from the stars-and-stripes, tricorner hat, musket-and-sword visuals that will only serve to remind people of the New England Patriots.

[Firefly]

Like this, but with a football instead of a Bible.

[Brian in Boston]

The Philadelphia Union and New England Patriots take inspiration from the exact same subject matter but run in completely different directions. Maybe Hartford can do the same.

However, the UFL's Hartford Colonials are playing football - not soccer - and doing so just 90-some-odd driving miles from the Patriots' home at Gillette Stadium. By contrast, the Philadelphia Union play a completely different sport in a market that is over 300 miles and a 5-hour drive away. If I'm Hartford's UFL franchise, I recognize that it is going to be an uphill battle from the get-go to emerge out from under the Patriots' considerable shadow in New England... and select a team name that doesn't come close to drawing comparisons.

Bottom line? Selecting the name Colonials makes it that much more difficult for this franchise to establish a unique presence on the New England pro sports scene. Not a bright move for a team playing in a league which is facing questionable odds of survival to begin with.

[STL FANATIC]

The Philadelphia Union and New England Patriots take inspiration from the exact same subject matter but run in completely different directions. Maybe Hartford can do the same.

However, the UFL's Hartford Colonials are playing football - not soccer - and doing so just 90-some-odd driving miles from the Patriots' home at Gillette Stadium. By contrast, the Philadelphia Union play a completely different sport in a market that is over 300 miles and a 5-hour drive away. If I'm Hartford's UFL franchise, I recognize that it is going to be an uphill battle from the get-go to emerge out from under the Patriots' considerable shadow in New England... and select a team name that doesn't come close to drawing comparisons.

Bottom line? Selecting the name Colonials makes it that much more difficult for this franchise to establish a unique presence on the New England pro sports scene. Not a bright move for a team playing in a league which is facing questionable odds of survival to begin with.

Agreed, but I think Goth was more making the point that they still might be able to draw up a completely unique visual identity, whether that makes it a smart overall identity or not.

[BBTV]

Are the teams all still wearing the same uniforms this year again, or will they have more freedom to come up with their own brands?

[BallWonk]

Why the assumption that "Colonials" is in any way related to "Patriots"? I mean, historically, the fundamental defining characteristic of the revolutionary patriots was that they fought to stop being colonials. (This is why Colonials is such a terrible nickname for my alma mater, GWU.) The word for an American fighting for independence from the British is not "colonial," it is "continental." As in, whenever the colonists wanted to stress the fact that their country was no longer a colony, they used the word "continental" in place of "colonial." So it was the Continental Congress and the Continental Army and so forth.

If the new team were the Hartford Continentals, then I would assume that the team will look too much like the Patriots. But with the name Colonials, an identity that points back past the Revolution to the colonial era seems quite plausible.

[Jigga]

It'd be a shame if they adopted their own color schemes this year. I don't know about you, but to me the name Colonials just screams lime and teal.

[Brian in Boston]

Why the assumption that "Colonials" is in any way related to "Patriots"? I mean, historically, the fundamental defining characteristic of the revolutionary patriots was that they fought to stop being colonials. (This is why Colonials is such a terrible nickname for my alma mater, GWU.) The word for an American fighting for independence from the British is not "colonial," it is "continental." As in, whenever the colonists wanted to stress the fact that their country was no longer a colony, they used the word "continental" in place of "colonial." So it was the Continental Congress and the Continental Army and so forth.

If the new team were the Hartford Continentals, then I would assume that the team will look too much like the Patriots. But with the name Colonials, an identity that points back past the Revolution to the colonial era seems quite plausible.

I don't assume that "colonial" equals"patriot". However, I - as both a history buff and logo-enthusiast - don't represent the average mindset on said subject.

You, I and the majority of logo-enthusiasts in this community all recognize your point to be the case. That said, we are not the average sports franchise owner. And what do you think the average sports franchise owner - nevermind fan - thinks of when he/she hears the name "Colonials"? I guarantee that they're mind's eye is picturing a patriotic, early-American freedom-fighter. Since said owners are paying the designers creating the logos, they're going to drive the design agenda... regardless of whether the logo package they want to see truly, or accurately, portrays a "colonial".

That is what I am basing my assumptions about the Hartford Colonials' identity package on.

[powersurge]

I have to agree with Brian in Boston.

I personally hate the fact that they went with that route with the name. Its very similar to how almost every team based in Oklahoma or Texas becomes the Outlaws or Wranglers or Cowboys or whatever. Of course I'm exaggerating a bit here here but I think you get the point. I'm all for honoring the local history but I think if you are a new football league trying to establish yourself in a new football market wouldn't you at least try for something new and different with an identity? Maybe this safe route might seem like the best way to go but it seems to me more like that "in the box" type of thinking that will probably lead to the franchise lasting for only 1 year.

In regards to Ballwonk's Colonials vs. Patriots comments....while you may be correct with your definitions of each word and how they relate to the Revolutionary War Era I would argue that the majority of the fans would not make that connection and would not break things down and make that differentiation as you have. Therefore the two nicknames would directly relate to each other.

Thats why I'm not a fan.

[vmd9]

should be a nice bright blue, green, silver, and black color scheme...just have a feeling

[FiddySicks]

should be a nice bright blue, green, silver, and black color scheme...just have a feeling

Red, white, and blue. You can take that to the bank.

[DarkJourney]

Will this league do us all a favor and just fold already

[Lee.]

Will this league do us all a favor and just fold already

I hope they go another season or two, just to piss people like you off.

Honestly, what's the harm in this league? There is none. They realize they're minor-league, they have no designs on taking on the NFL head-to-head, they know their place. So in all honesty, why should it die? Because you don't like the names? Because they wanted to save some coin in their first year of operation and not go balls-out on uniforms? Get over yourselves.

I have no stake in the UFL, I didn't see a single down, but I have no idea why you have so much animosity towards a league that's taking a slow steady step towards potential solvency. "gOD" FORBID there should be another outdoor football league in the states.

[DarkJourney]

Will this league do us all a favor and just fold already

I hope they go another season or two, just to piss people like you off.

Honestly, what's the harm in this league? There is none. They realize they're minor-league, they have no designs on taking on the NFL head-to-head, they know their place. So in all honesty, why should it die? Because you don't like the names? Because they wanted to save some coin in their first year of operation and not go balls-out on uniforms? Get over yourselves.

I have no stake in the UFL, I didn't see a single down, but I have no idea why you have so much animosity towards a league that's taking a slow steady step towards potential solvency. "gOD" FORBID there should be another outdoor football league in the states.

Oh gee I didn't mean to offend the almighty Lee and his 11,000 posts.

[Lee.]

Will this league do us all a favor and just fold already

I hope they go another season or two, just to piss people like you off.

Honestly, what's the harm in this league? There is none. They realize they're minor-league, they have no designs on taking on the NFL head-to-head, they know their place. So in all honesty, why should it die? Because you don't like the names? Because they wanted to save some coin in their first year of operation and not go balls-out on uniforms? Get over yourselves.

I have no stake in the UFL, I didn't see a single down, but I have no idea why you have so much animosity towards a league that's taking a slow steady step towards potential solvency. "gOD" FORBID there should be another outdoor football league in the states.

Oh gee I didn't mean to offend the almighty Lee and his 11,000 posts.

Well, that certainly shuts down my position, doesn't it?

[BBTV]

Will this league do us all a favor and just fold already

I hope they go another season or two, just to piss people like you off.

Honestly, what's the harm in this league? There is none. They realize they're minor-league, they have no designs on taking on the NFL head-to-head, they know their place. So in all honesty, why should it die? Because you don't like the names? Because they wanted to save some coin in their first year of operation and not go balls-out on uniforms? Get over yourselves.

I have no stake in the UFL, I didn't see a single down, but I have no idea why you have so much animosity towards a league that's taking a slow steady step towards potential solvency. "gOD" FORBID there should be another outdoor football league in the states.

Oh gee I didn't mean to offend the almighty Lee and his 11,000 posts.

Well, that certainly shuts down my position, doesn't it?

I agree with Leemicus, and have posted as much in the other threads (I think mostly directed at Rams). Why does the very existence of this league bother anyone? "Do us a favor and fold"? How exactly is that a favor? How will your quality of life be any better if this league ceased to exist? There may not be a ton of positives to it, but there aren't any negatives. Some people just like to rag on anyone who tries anything. So I guess the secret to a successful life is "don't so anything."

[Brian in Boston]

Back on topic...

Personally, I'd have named the team in honor of the Reverend Thomas Hooker, founder of Hartford and one of the men responsible for drafting the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut. Can't you just imagine the marketing campaign?

"This Friday night at Rentschler Field, $10.00 buys you all the Hartford Hooker action you can handle!"

They'd have been sold-out every game. Granted, it wouldn't have been the family-friendly crowd the UFL has been targeting, but a buck's a buck.