Wizards returning to R/W/B in 2011-12(?)

[keynote]

Apparently, Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld just announced that the team will be returning to red/white/blue color scheme in 2011-12 during his press conference today. I'll post a link to the conference when they put it up on the Wizards' website.

[keynote]

And, here's some confirmation, courtesy of the AP:

WASHINGTON - The Washington Wizards are turning red, white and blue.

Team President Ernie Grunfeld said Thursday the Wizards will change the colors of their uniforms for the 2011-12 season.

The switch is spurred by new owner Ted Leonsis, whose Washington Capitals also wear the colors of the U.S. flag. Leonsis has said the desire for new colors was among the top suggestions he received from fans after assuming control of the team earlier this year.

The Wizards, who open training camp next week, will spend one last season in their current colors of slate blue, black, gold and white.

[DPV713]

If this is true, it's a shame. I find their current color scheme a perfect fit for the "Wizards" name. Hopefully they won't change their logo to a classic-looking one.

[loogodude90]

As a diehard Wizards fan from the DC area, this is a shame. Their current color scheme fits so well, and it's original. They are the only team in the NBA with their color scheme, and R/W/B is used by 5 or 6 different teams already. And even aside from originality, I just think it looks cool.

And the whole "THEY PLAY IN WASHINGTON DC SO THEY SHUD WEAR PATRIOTIC COLORS DURRR!!!!11" argument doesn't work for me at all, I think it would be a shame for a team to be pigeonholed into only wearing three colors strictly due to the city it plays in. And gold/blue/black sort of worked (it could be argued) based on the Presidential seal anyway.

[DustDevil61]

This, on the surface at least, looks like a good thing, but I'll miss the blue/gold/black.

[keynote]

As a Wizards fan, I'm actually fine with their current color scheme as well. R/W/B is indeed overused, especially in the Eastern Conference (Nets, Pistons, Sixers, Hawks).

The unis could stand to be updated, but more importantly, that horrible logo has got to go. So, here's hoping that the new uniforms in 2011-12 are accompanied by a brand new logo to boot. The worst case scenario is to go with an overused color scheme and recolor a horrible logo just to save a few bucks on logo restocking fees.

[DarkManX]

The Wizards can't return to something they never were. The Bullets were R/W/B, if they were still the Bullets and changed to something other than R/W/B and then said they were going back, then OK. Instead it's the Wizards going to a color scheme they never had while the one they currently use is unique and actually works very well. Stupid faux retro NBA.

[AnythingChicago]

This is terrible. They had a unique color scheme (navy and gold) and they through it away to go with red, white, and blue. 7 NBA teams already use at least 2 of those colors. Now, it's gonna be 8. Just because the USAs countries are R/W/B that doesnt mean like 1/3 of our sports teams have to use it...you don't see all the teams in Canada using red and white or all the teams in Mexico using green, white, and red. And when I think of wizards I think of colors like gold and maybe purple.

Uniform changes: sure. R/W/B overhall: No way.

[larrypep]

Now all they have to do is change their name back to the Bullets and I'll start paying attention to them again.

[north dakota]

Red, white, and blue is a lot better than the Wizards current colors, I think they should change their name too.

[loogodude90]

Well, I've been thinking about this alot since the Wizards are my favorite team in any sport.

I don't think they are going to change their name to Bullets or anything else. I mean a name change without a location change is already pretty rare in modern pro sports, and they just did that in '97. I don't think a franchise is going to do it twice in less than 15 years.

So I've been trying to make the best of this situation and picture what they might switch to. As someone else said, I hope that they switch the Caps colors of navy blue, red, and white (as opposed to regular blue).

I'm imagining something resembling the following:

Generally:

-R/W/B recolor of current primary logo.

Home Jersey:

-White with navy blue, unoutlined, "WIZARDS" across the front, but the way it is typed in their primary logo. No more "swooshy" Wizards wordmark... for now.

-same number font and name-on-back font as current, but both are blue.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the jersey.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the shorts.

Road jersey:

-Navy blue with white, unoutlined, "WIZARDS" across the front, but the way it is typed in their primary logo.

-same number font and name-on-back font as current, but both are unoutlined white.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the jersey.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the shorts.

It seems like the NBA is shifting to very simple/retro looks so this is the type of rebranding i am envisioning.

[Quillz]

And then five years from 2011, when they announce they're going back to what is their current color scheme, we'll all be talking about "red, white and blue looks so good, why are they switching to such an ugly color scheme!"

[crashcarson15]

I'm gonna guess the wizard's gonna get an update - a la the Caps update (but different circumstances).

[keynote]

As someone else said, I hope that they switch the Caps colors of navy blue, red, and white (as opposed to regular blue).

I'm imagining something resembling the following:

Generally:

-R/W/B recolor of current primary logo.

Home Jersey:

-White with navy blue, unoutlined, "WIZARDS" across the front, but the way it is typed in their primary logo. No more "swooshy" Wizards wordmark... for now.

-same number font and name-on-back font as current, but both are blue.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the jersey.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the shorts.

Road jersey:

-Navy blue with white, unoutlined, "WIZARDS" across the front, but the way it is typed in their primary logo.

-same number font and name-on-back font as current, but both are unoutlined white.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the jersey.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the shorts.

It seems like the NBA is shifting to very simple/retro looks so this is the type of rebranding i am envisioning.

I'd be fine with a navy-dominant color scheme; however, Ted Leonsis is a known fan of the color red. I wouldn't be surprised if the Wizards went with a red away jersey, like they did during the late 80s/early 90s. On the other hand, there are more red away kits than navy - even with the recent increase in navy unis:

Existing red away jerseys:

- Bulls

- Sixers

- Raptors

- Clippers

- Rockets

- Nets

- Heat (alts)

- Blazers (alts)

- Bucks (alts)

Existing navy away jerseys:

- Grizzlies

- Hawks

- Pacers

- Jazz

- Nuggets (alts)

So, here's to hoping that they go with a navy away jersey.

[DallasSports]

I'll accept this change ONLY if they go back to being the Bullets.

Otherwise, this is just stupid. Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, and now Washington Wizards. A line has to be drawn somewhere. DC teams don't need to be Red/White/Blue. Just because the Capitals did it doesn't mean they have to. Stupid, stupid, stupid (unless Bullets name is brought back).

[AceHawk447]

The complete Wizards design package had better do red/white/blue justice (AND vice versa)...and I agree, if the Wizards should go R/W/B, then navy/royal should be the primary road uni color. That'd the best way to visually separate themselves from the 76ers just up I-95. [447]

[uk-owns-iu]

Terrible news. The current Wizards colors are unique and symbolize a "Wizard" much better. Just when you think the NBA is done with two tone blues, they bust out red, white, and blues to finish the league off. Honestly, have some unique colors.

[whalersjets]

I cant wait to see the recolored Wizards logo because they don't want to pay the NBA's ridiculous fee.

EDIT - Wish I had read keynote's post before posting.

[eRay]

As someone else said, I hope that they switch the Caps colors of navy blue, red, and white (as opposed to regular blue).

I'm imagining something resembling the following:

Generally:

-R/W/B recolor of current primary logo.

Home Jersey:

-White with navy blue, unoutlined, "WIZARDS" across the front, but the way it is typed in their primary logo. No more "swooshy" Wizards wordmark... for now.

-same number font and name-on-back font as current, but both are blue.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the jersey.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the shorts.

Road jersey:

-Navy blue with white, unoutlined, "WIZARDS" across the front, but the way it is typed in their primary logo.

-same number font and name-on-back font as current, but both are unoutlined white.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the jersey.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the shorts.

It seems like the NBA is shifting to very simple/retro looks so this is the type of rebranding i am envisioning.

I'd be fine with a navy-dominant color scheme; however, Ted Leonsis is a known fan of the color red. I wouldn't be surprised if the Wizards went with a red away jersey, like they did during the late 80s/early 90s. On the other hand, there are more red away kits than navy - even with the recent increase in navy unis:

Existing red away jerseys:

- Bulls

- Sixers

- Raptors

- Clippers

- Rockets

- Nets

- Heat (alts)

- Blazers (alts)

- Bucks (alts)

Existing navy away jerseys:

- Grizzlies

- Hawks

- Pacers

- Jazz

- Nuggets (alts)

So, here's to hoping that they go with a navy away jersey.

Of the Red jerseys, the Nets' features Navy & White.

Of the Navy jerseys, the Hawks' features Red & White.

So they will either be the Nets or the Hawks. Why not be the Wizards? Their colors look good, have been around for a while, and represent the team well. Why is uniqueness such a bad thing? Hate this change. Oh, and I predict they go with a very simple rendering of a wizard, and a "Wizards" wordmark based off the old "Bullets" wordmark.

[Jer15]

As someone else said, I hope that they switch the Caps colors of navy blue, red, and white (as opposed to regular blue).

I'm imagining something resembling the following:

Generally:

-R/W/B recolor of current primary logo.

Home Jersey:

-White with navy blue, unoutlined, "WIZARDS" across the front, but the way it is typed in their primary logo. No more "swooshy" Wizards wordmark... for now.

-same number font and name-on-back font as current, but both are blue.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the jersey.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the shorts.

Road jersey:

-Navy blue with white, unoutlined, "WIZARDS" across the front, but the way it is typed in their primary logo.

-same number font and name-on-back font as current, but both are unoutlined white.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the jersey.

-3 red stars, unoutlined, down either side of the shorts.

It seems like the NBA is shifting to very simple/retro looks so this is the type of rebranding i am envisioning.

I'd be fine with a navy-dominant color scheme; however, Ted Leonsis is a known fan of the color red. I wouldn't be surprised if the Wizards went with a red away jersey, like they did during the late 80s/early 90s. On the other hand, there are more red away kits than navy - even with the recent increase in navy unis:

Existing red away jerseys:

- Bulls

- Sixers

- Raptors

- Clippers

- Rockets

- Nets

- Heat (alts)

- Blazers (alts)

- Bucks (alts)

Existing navy away jerseys:

- Grizzlies

- Hawks

- Pacers

- Jazz

- Nuggets (alts)

So, here's to hoping that they go with a navy away jersey.

That's why the Raptors need to bring back the Purple. The Bucks, Nuggets, Jazz, Hawks and, Blazers just have a different colour 3rd, so they can drop them.

I hate the amount of red and blue in the NBA....come up with something original.