Did the New Jersey Nets tease their Brooklyn logo?

[gyrocol]

I mentioned that.

By arching the type and using a typeface that wasn't even used then (many of those signs seem hand-drawn), the connection is really no more than "we also use black and white." At that superficial point, you might as well say you're taking inspiration from a term paper.

Again, they aren't trying to be authentic with the logo. Its like their arena, the Barclays Center, trying to evoke Brooklyn brownstones with modern weathered steel panels... They are going for a modernized look that evokes a retro feel.

[hawk36]

I mentioned that.

By arching the type and using a typeface that wasn't even used then (many of those signs seem hand-drawn), the connection is really no more than "we also use black and white." At that superficial point, you might as well say you're taking inspiration from a term paper.

Agreed. Great concept, very poor execution. Very surprised it made it to reality. It just shows it's who you know not what you can do in the design world. Sad.

[andrewharrington]

Ah, I think they capture the essential feel of the signs. They certainly evoke the right look to me.

Well done all around. These logos are by themselves almost enough to make me a basketball fan.

I'm with you on that. Certainly evokes the right look, but it just didn't come out as good or authentic as it could have, given the inspiration and brief.

[Funkatron101]

Yep. Going with a straight type would not only have looked more like the inspiration, it would have avoided the "S" issue.

[Lee Noire]

if they did do a straight type wouldn't the sheild shape have to change?

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

Here is a little ancedotal observation -- admittedly not scientific evidence, but interesting to me.

Thanks to the recent spate of beautiful weather in New York, I have been riding my bike extensively in this great City, all throughout the four significant boroughs. When riding, I tend to stop at any hat stores that I find, just to take a look around. The stores in Brooklyn, Queens, and Manhattan all have plenty of the Nets' new hats, in various styles. And I see people in Brooklyn and Queens wearing the hats. I myself have two of the new hats: black with the shield logo; grey with the shield logo. (I live in Queens, right at the Brooklyn border.)

But, yesterday, I hit about 4 or 5 stores on Southern Blvd. in the Bronx; and none of them had any of the new Net gear. (They all said they would be getting it "soon".) One store did, however, have this beauty from the New York Nets:

...which I of course bought.

I mention this because I said earlier in this thread that the name "Brooklyn" has little-to-no "cool" value up in the Bronx. Of course, I can anticipate the response: they don't care; the team will have more than enough support even if it isn't a big hit up in the Bronx.

I don't doubt that this is true. As a purely economic strategy, the Nets' new identity might work out better than I had envisaged. But, from a civic standpoint, it makes me sad that the team is in effect writing off part of our City.

[Gothamite]

If that was a conscious choice not to carry Brooklyn Nets gear, it would be a decision of the local Bronx stores, not the Nets themselves "writing off part of our City."

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

If that was a conscious choice not to carry Brooklyn Nets gear, it would be a decision of the local Bronx stores, not the Nets themselves "writing off part of our City."

Well, yes, it's a choice on the parts of those stores. I certainly didn't mean to imply that the Nets actively prevent any given store from carrying the gear. The stores will no doubt eventually have it; but the fact that none of 4 or 5 stores on that busy commercial street have the new stuff yet is probably a sign that the customers there aren't demanding it nearly as much as customers in the other boroughs are.

The lack of appeal of a "Brooklyn"-branded team to people in the Bronx is exactly what anyone would expect. "Writing off part of our City" referred only to the team's choice to go with that name and the rewards it brings, despite the predictable lukewarm reception to the name in the Bronx.

[Gothamite]

I still don't see how you can make that leap on the part of the team.

[TheOldRoman]

I don't have first-hand knowledge of New York and have never even visited there, but I agree that naming the team Brooklyn was choosing to write off part of the city. Just as New York is above rooting for teams billed from New Jersey, I could see other boroughs being above rooting for a team which doesn't represent them, just Brooklyn. The Nets had to have considered that, but I'm sure they figured the moniker would help more than it hurt.

[Gothamite]

As a native New Yorker, having lived in four of the five boroughs, I have to tell you that you're flat-out wrong, Roman. I don't think they've written off any part of the city.

Maybe the Bronx will be a harder sell than the others, but they have a good shot at taking over all five, not just the one they're named after.

[UnclearInitial]

As a native New Yorker, having lived in four of the five boroughs, I have to tell you that you're flat-out wrong, Roman. I don't think they've written off any part of the city.

Maybe the Bronx will be a harder sell than the others, but they have a good shot at taking over all five, not just the one they're named after.

They might have a shot in estabilishing a small presence in all of the boroughs ( even though calling them Brooklyn implies that they are not comftarble representing all of NYC and are a little ashamed of the Bronx, as well as the whole Bronx/ Brooklyn rivalry) but they're never going to take over any borough except probably Brooklyn and maybe Queens.

[Gothamite]

calling them Brooklyn implies that they are not comftarble representing all of NYC and are a little ashamed of the Bronx,

You may infer that, but they have certainly not implied it.

Quite the opposite, actually. I can vouch from personal experience that they have a strong advertising presence in Manhattan and Queens. I haven't been to the Bronx since last summer, so I can't speak to that. But I can tell you that there's zero indication that they are uncomfortable with or ashamed of a single block of this city.

[The_Admiral]

but they have a good shot at taking over all five

I'll bet you food that they don't.

[Gothamite]

I'd be tempted to make that bet, Admiral. Especially if I could think of a way in which we could possibly quantify the results.

Don't underestimate how badly the Dplans have run the Knicks. There's a golden opportunity there.

[kw11333]

Anyone know what the NEW Nets will give their players at the draft?

[BadSeed84]

Anyone know what the NEW Nets will give their players at the draft?

Hopefully something as cool as the jets got at the nhl draft! lol

[The_Admiral]

I'd be tempted to make that bet, Admiral. Especially if I could think of a way in which we could possibly quantify the results.

Won-lost record

Playoff berths and series wins (1 point for making it, 1 for each series win)

Attendance / capacity

Average ticket price * attendance

Local television ratings

Trying to get a balance between on-court and off-court. What do you suggest? We could have something here.

Don't underestimate how badly the Dplans have run the Knicks.

The Dismemberment Plan is running the Knicks?

[fuzzy510]

Anyone know what the NEW Nets will give their players at the draft?

Considering they don't pick until #57 overall now that the Blazers are getting their lottery pick, I'd imagine nothing. And even if there's something made up, we probably won't see it.

[TheOldRoman]

As a native New Yorker, having lived in four of the five boroughs, I have to tell you that you're flat-out wrong, Roman. I don't think they've written off any part of the city.

Maybe the Bronx will be a harder sell than the others, but they have a good shot at taking over all five, not just the one they're named after.

You could be right. As I said, I have no first-hand knowledge of New York. But considering how big the boroughs are and "Brooklyn would be the third biggest city in America", I could see those "big city" fans in other boroughs feeling left out and not wanting to root for a team that wasn't theirs.