"Meet the Nets"

[Wilt]

Also see the, now 4? Sellout games at Wembley stadium, the relative success of WLAF franchises in Germany and Spain, and TV audiences across the world for games like the Superbowl. I'd say there are at least half a dozen NFL franchises that can make a claim to be a global brand. Brands that people who don't even follow the NFL might be aware of.

If they were really successful they wouldn't disband.

Wembey sellout is not an argument for me. For sure there are enough NFL fans in Europe to fill Wembley but at least in Germany, Italy or Poland (countries where I lived), it doesn't get any media attention.

As I understand it the reasons to end the WLAF had little to do with lack of interest, more to do with the NFL wanting to go in a different direction in terms of international marketing. The NFL has broadcast the Superbowl internationally for quite a while now. If I was on my PC at home I'd like to the international broadcast details for the Superbowl, as I am on my iPhone can't do that right now.

I would say that at least the Cowboys, Dolphins, 49ers, Raiders, Steelers and Packets could be described as international brands in the NFL.

Come on, the average attandance was 20000, which means that there were about 120 000 people following the whole league. That's less than the combined number of fans watching Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich games.

[Saintsfan]

DP

[Saintsfan]

How many people attend MLS games, or for that matter NBA or NHL games? Noone is saying the NFL is huge in any other country, obviously it isn't that big. But it's big enough to mean that teams and players can become known enough, and teams can become global brands.

But anyway it's a very off the beaten track point when talking about the possible identity of the Brooklyn Nets.

[Wilt]

How many people attend MLS games, or for that matter NBA or NHL games?

I was too lazy to dig for TV audience but since you asked I did it. Let's take France

Super Bowl was watched by 300 000 people

http://americanexpatinfrance.com/2011/02/08/superbowl-in-france-attracts-record-tv-audience/

I just took the first association football game I could find for comparison, namely Manchester United vs. Olympique de Marseille. It's not the grand finale, creme de la creme of the competition or whatever you call it like Super Bowl for NFL. It's only Champions League round of 16 (equivalent to NBA Playoffs first round). It was watched by 6.6 million people

http://www.footmercato.net/audience-tv-decevante-pour-man-utd-om_63981

I'm sorry but NFL is not really a global brand.

[StillS]

How many people attend MLS games, or for that matter NBA or NHL games? Noone is saying the NFL is huge in any other country, obviously it isn't that big. But it's big enough to mean that teams and players can become known enough, and teams can become global brands.

Who are these global NFL team brands or players? Not trying to bash the sport but your average joe outside of North America won't be able to tell you anything about the sport or players except that it's American game and it involves Super bowl (Englad might be an exception since they play there once a year).

[Saintsfan]

How many people attend MLS games, or for that matter NBA or NHL games?

I was too lazy to dig for TV audience but since you asked I did it. Let's take France

Super Bowl was watched by 300 000 people

http://americanexpatinfrance.com/2011/02/08/superbowl-in-france-attracts-record-tv-audience/

I just took the first association football game I could find for comparison, namely Manchester United vs. Olympique de Marseille. It's not the grand finale, creme de la creme of the competition or whatever you call it like Super Bowl for NFL. It's only Champions League round of 16 (equivalent to NBA Playoffs first round). It was watched by 6.6 million people

http://www.footmercato.net/audience-tv-decevante-pour-man-utd-om_63981

I'm sorry but NFL is not really a global brand.

Well for a start a champions league knockout game is not a small deal. It's played in prime time. It's not the same as an NBA first round game, NFL divisional round might be a better comparrison. The Superbowl starts past midnight in France, 300,000 strikes me as a decent audience. Your not comparing like with like. And did I ever say the NFL was as popular in Europe as Soccer is? No. But it's big enough to mean that teams can be global brands.

[Wilt]

How many people attend MLS games, or for that matter NBA or NHL games?

I was too lazy to dig for TV audience but since you asked I did it. Let's take France

Super Bowl was watched by 300 000 people

http://americanexpatinfrance.com/2011/02/08/superbowl-in-france-attracts-record-tv-audience/

I just took the first association football game I could find for comparison, namely Manchester United vs. Olympique de Marseille. It's not the grand finale, creme de la creme of the competition or whatever you call it like Super Bowl for NFL. It's only Champions League round of 16 (equivalent to NBA Playoffs first round). It was watched by 6.6 million people

http://www.footmercato.net/audience-tv-decevante-pour-man-utd-om_63981

I'm sorry but NFL is not really a global brand.

Well for a start a champions league knockout game is not a small deal. It's played in prime time. It's not the same as an NBA first round game, NFL divisional round might be a better comparrison. The Superbowl starts past midnight in France, 300,000 strikes me as a decent audience. Your not comparing like with like. And did I ever say the NFL was as popular in Europe as Soccer is? No. But it's big enough to mean that teams can be global brands.

Good that you brought the time difference. Because this is one of the reasons why NFL will never gain much more audience in Europe. Most of the people (including me) are not motivated enough to loose a night to watch a sport that is completely foreign to them. People have jobs, studies etc. And read the post above yours. Even if people vaguely recognize some team names, they cannot name a single player in most of the cases. I spend hours watching sport events and readind the news and I could recognize only 3 players: Sebastian Janikowski (because he's Polish), Brett Favre and Chad Ochochinco (but not because of their performance on the field, apparently). People might be buying some apparell but mostly because the logos look cool on a cap or hoodie.

[Saintsfan]

Well the point is it's the team that is the brand. I doubt many Brits have ever seen a complete game of baseball, but just about every cloyhing store would have something with the interlocking 'NY' of the Yankees. NFL is certainly bigger in the UK than baseball.

And that's what a global brand is, it has little to do with the popularity of the sport, and everything to do with the recognisability of the branding. Getting back to the Nets, that's why the ABA throwback would be a good direction to go, because it's recognisable and as close to unique as you'd get in sports design.

[Wilt]

I still don't buy it. Yankees logo is 100 years old and it's one most iconic logos in the sport history. However, there is no Yankees written there and even Knicks used to use it as an alternate logo. It stands for New York and people around the world connect it with Big Apple first. I wonder if even half of the people buying that stuff know it's a baseball team logo. Therefore, it's more New York than the Yankees brand. Of course, in terms of merchandizing revenues it doesn't matter much but you won't be able to follow this route with a fresh design.

[The_Admiral]

No, it's time to accept that the Dodgers haven't played in Brooklyn since Eisenhower was president, and if they came back, it wouldn't be to play basketball.

A fair sentiment - but is there really any other way get maximal mileage out of the "Brooklyn" brand and identity?

If there's not, then don't do it. Just be the New York Nets.

A Dodgers crossover wouldn't look that gimmicky to me- take a traditional template, use the current nets palette with white homes, gray roads, like a few years back...script Brooklyn on the roads and Nets/Knights on the homes...maybe throw in some red numbers and you have it. It's not like they'd have B caps and stirrups.

Wearing baseball-style road grey in basketball is intrinsically gimmicky.

[Gothamite]

Not at all - gray is a gorgeous, rich color on its own merits. Create an identity which uses it well, and there's nothing gimmicky about it.

[Saintsfan]

Not at all - gray is a gorgeous, rich color on its own merits. Create an identity which uses it well, and there's nothing gimmicky about it.

Gray is a fine color, but it's not good for a basketball road uniform IMO. Certainly not in a light enough shade to go with the baseball theme.

[The_Admiral]

Not at all - gray is a gorgeous, rich color on its own merits. Create an identity which uses it well, and there's nothing gimmicky about it.

But there's no precedent for grey as a base color in NBA road jerseys, other than--as luck would have it!--a discontinued Nets alternate. This wouldn't be an identity that used it well (I kinda liked the Nets' thirds), it would be Dodger Dress-Up, which should be discouraged.

[Gothamite]

The Nets' grays would be a good place to start when creating a Brooklyn identity. The Dodgers wouldn't even factor into it.

[infrared41]

Question of the day:

Why even come to this site when all it seems to be is regurgitated UniWatch columns?

Answers:

1. Your question as worded cannot be supported by facts.

2. If you disagree with Answer 1 then your sense of perception is grossly impaired.

3. I fully realize that you intended your question to be rhetorical, however you will learn that life often takes you in unexpected directions.

4. Your mother is a whore.

5. I have nothing to support the statement made in Answer 4; I gave the answer in an effort to be arbitrarily mean; I regret the statement and I apologize emphatically for this grossly uncivilized and wholly uncalled-for remark.

I was going to answer with "Go yourself." Yours is much better. Answer #4 got an actual "LOL." (I hate to use LOL but it seemed appropriate here.)

On topic: The old ABA New York Nets look is my favorite basketball uniform ever. I'd be thrilled if the Nets went back to it. That said, they should probably go with something that's unique to Brooklyn.

[yh]

In all seriousness (what? me? nooooo) I think a fantastic base uniform color for a Nets road uniform would be the metallic blue (metallio) that the Cowboys used as their base pants color from 1964-1980. That bluish-silver color could certainly be a franchise-defining color and provides enough distinction from a "plain" silver or flat gray not to look like the team simply co-opted an alternate uniform and made it a full time roady set.

[powersurge]

Believe it or not, I actually like those Nets uniforms. But I'd rather not see another team go down the lazy road of just bringing back an old uniform verbatim.

If you like it, and it's a good design, then choosing it is never a "lazy road."

A "lazy road" would be to ignore the team's heritage in favor of a cookie-cutter design that could be sold to any franchise.

Well, if I had to choose between a 'classic and easily recognizable original jersey' or an 'over-designed & over done modern looking jersey' I would always opt for the classic look.

Only time will tell what the resulting jersey will be.

[chakfu]

In all seriousness (what? me? nooooo) I think a fantastic base uniform color for a Nets road uniform would be the metallic blue (metallio) that the Cowboys used as their base pants color from 1964-1980. That bluish-silver color could certainly be a franchise-defining color and provides enough distinction from a "plain" silver or flat gray not to look like the team simply co-opted an alternate uniform and made it a full time roady set.

That could definitely work; especially for "Knights" - it could represent armor.

Of course, I like the simmery satin-y NBA looks.

[Swampee]

Edited

[Swampee]

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