2013 NFL uniform/logo changes

[phutmasterflex]

I really hate nicknames or shortened names on uniforms. Let the terms evolve organically, but represent yourself with your formal name. I like the shield, but maybe they could have fit JAGUARS in there and still made it look ok in embroidered form. Also, it makes me think of a shortened form of the slang term "jagoff", which I never used but was widely used where I went to college in western PA. "Sig Ep? What a bunch of jags!"

I have never associated Jags with jagoff.

Plus, the Jaguars have always been called Jags for short. It's not the best but with a team that's not even 20 years old with not much history, why not? That's the whole point of a rebrand like this, going for something different. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, the shield fades away maybe

That's because you're not from Pittsburgh.

And the rest of America. If a nickname has a second meaning like that only in one small portion of the country, then meh.

I think the thing about the Lightning using Bolts on their third is that it is a third, an alternate. It's not a full-time thing. Whereas the Jags it's a little different with it being on their primary sets. But it would be hard to fit JAGUARS in the shield. Since I've been OK with the term JAGS for the team, I don't mind it that much

[Island_Style]

They are the Jags to a local. And who gives a crap if you make a little insult out the name. So what?

[IceCap]

I really hate nicknames or shortened names on uniforms. Let the terms evolve organically, but represent yourself with your formal name. I like the shield, but maybe they could have fit JAGUARS in there and still made it look ok in embroidered form. Also, it makes me think of a shortened form of the slang term "jagoff", which I never used but was widely used where I went to college in western PA. "Sig Ep? What a bunch of jags!"

Yeah, I don't care for shortened team names either. It looks minor league to me. Also, as it's been discussed, the term "jag" means something not all that desirable in the UK. Which is a problem as the Jaguars apparently want to brand themselves as the UK's "team." So now they can't use their shield logo, which seems to be at the centre of their new branding campaign, in the place where they're trying to expand their brand.

They are the Jags to a local.

I don't think anyone has a problem with that. Fans generally have nicknames for their teams. That doesn't mean the nicknames should appear on the uniforms though. You don't see the Canadiens with a sweater that says "HABS" or a Yankees jersey with "Bombers" on it, do you?

[Island_Style]

I really hate nicknames or shortened names on uniforms. Let the terms evolve organically, but represent yourself with your formal name. I like the shield, but maybe they could have fit JAGUARS in there and still made it look ok in embroidered form. Also, it makes me think of a shortened form of the slang term "jagoff", which I never used but was widely used where I went to college in western PA. "Sig Ep? What a bunch of jags!"

Yeah, I don't care for shortened team names either. It looks minor league to me. Also, as it's been discussed, the term "jag" means something not all that desirable in the UK. Which is a problem as the Jaguars apparently want to brand themselves as the UK's "team." So now they can't use their shield logo, which seems to be at the centre of their new branding campaign, in the place where they're trying to expand their brand.

They are the Jags to a local.

I don't think anyone has a problem with that. Fans generally have nicknames for their teams. That doesn't mean the nicknames should appear on the uniforms though. You don't see the Canadiens with a sweater that says "HABS" or a Yankees jersey with "Bombers" on it, do you?

But I see Bolts. Even if the Bolts didn't exist, who cares what those other teams do. This whole identity seems to be against the grain. Something done on purpose for the Jags due to their youth. They arent a franchise like the Yankees or Canadiens. But they are like the Bolts.

Edit: Lets not forget Golden State. "The City". This is far from unheard of.

[Sport]

I really hate nicknames or shortened names on uniforms. Let the terms evolve organically, but represent yourself with your formal name. I like the shield, but maybe they could have fit JAGUARS in there and still made it look ok in embroidered form. Also, it makes me think of a shortened form of the slang term "jagoff", which I never used but was widely used where I went to college in western PA. "Sig Ep? What a bunch of jags!"

I have never associated Jags with jagoff.

Plus, the Jaguars have always been called Jags for short. It's not the best but with a team that's not even 20 years old with not much history, why not? That's the whole point of a rebrand like this, going for something different. If it works, it works. If it doesn't, the shield fades away maybe

That's because you're not from Pittsburgh.

And the rest of America. If a nickname has a second meaning like that only in one small portion of the country, then meh.

I think the thing about the Lightning using Bolts on their third is that it is a third, an alternate. It's not a full-time thing. Whereas the Jags it's a little different with it being on their primary sets. But it would be hard to fit JAGUARS in the shield. Since I've been OK with the term JAGS for the team, I don't mind it that much

The raiders seem to fit their 7 letter nickname into a shield just fine. Plus, there's nothing that says they have to have a shield or even a logo on the jersey.

The lightning use their Bolts nickname on the alternates so that doesn't count (even though it is an official team uniform). Here's some examples of primary uniforms using team nicknames: Arizona Diamondback using Dbacks, Minnesota Timberwolves using Wolves, Charlotte Bobcats using Cats, old Blue Jays uniforms etc. Your official team uniform should use your official team name.

[IceCap]

I really hate nicknames or shortened names on uniforms. Let the terms evolve organically, but represent yourself with your formal name. I like the shield, but maybe they could have fit JAGUARS in there and still made it look ok in embroidered form. Also, it makes me think of a shortened form of the slang term "jagoff", which I never used but was widely used where I went to college in western PA. "Sig Ep? What a bunch of jags!"

Yeah, I don't care for shortened team names either. It looks minor league to me. Also, as it's been discussed, the term "jag" means something not all that desirable in the UK. Which is a problem as the Jaguars apparently want to brand themselves as the UK's "team." So now they can't use their shield logo, which seems to be at the centre of their new branding campaign, in the place where they're trying to expand their brand.

They are the Jags to a local.

I don't think anyone has a problem with that. Fans generally have nicknames for their teams. That doesn't mean the nicknames should appear on the uniforms though. You don't see the Canadiens with a sweater that says "HABS" or a Yankees jersey with "Bombers" on it, do you?

But I see Bolts

Yeah, and they (rightfully) get ridiculed for it around these parts. Same when the Senators had a sweater that said "SENS." Which they dropped in short order.

You could easily fit "JAGUARS" into the shield and have it look good. Plus it would allow the team to use the logo in the market they're supposedly trying to expand into.

[Island_Style]

"Plus it would allow the team to use the logo in the market they're supposedly trying to expand into."

Or that is more proof that "Jags" is for the locals.

[IceCap]

"Plus it would allow the team to use the logo in the market they're supposedly trying to expand into."

Or that is more proof that "Jags" is for the locals.

You could look at it that way.

Or you could consider that the team has just launched a major re-branding campaign, while at the same time trying to expand their presence into a new market. Putting a logo at the centre of that re-branding campaign that cannot be used in that new market isn't the best thing to do from a branding standpoint.

[Island_Style]

"Plus it would allow the team to use the logo in the market they're supposedly trying to expand into."

Or that is more proof that "Jags" is for the locals.

You could look at it that way.

Or you could consider that the team has just launched a major re-branding campaign, while at the same time trying to expand their presence into a new market. Putting a logo at the centre of that re-branding campaign that cannot be used in that new market isn't the best thing to do from a branding standpoint.

Personally I think you are making too much of it. I don't see how any of this will affect the Jags master plan in anything. People in Jax love it.

[hugevolsfan]

They could not spell out Jaguars on the shield because it has already collapsed the shield some with just the Jags on it if you put the rest of the name in the shield all you would see is the primary.

On a serious note I see nothing but minor league with the Jags new identity.

However the uniforms could not be much worse than they have now.

[phutmasterflex]

It's not like the shield just says Jags. It has the logo in it too, so it's not like they're confusing it with any other meaning.

And as for the UK thing, the British know that this team is from America. They know that in America it has a different meaning. The Jags are still American and it's just a coincidence that their nickname has a different meaning.

Like I said before, with a team with little history, it's fine. That's part of their new identity now. I would like every team to stick with one formula but every now and then, something different is nice. Is this the best way to go about it? I don't know. We'll see down the line.

I don't think it's a big deal and maybe if it is, then changes will be made. But right now, it's a patch on the jersey (if that leak is accurate) so it's not like they're plastering it across the helmet or anything.

[TSHARE18]

I am a Jaguars fan from South Florida, anytime I talk to anybody about them around here or anywhere people call them the Jags. I rarely ever hear or use the word Jaguars when talking about them. Jags is perfectly fine. Most fans love the shield logo. Im ok with it.

[BBTV]

"appealing to locals" is what minor league baseball teams do. The NFL is a national if not global sport, and if you're having problems marketing to your local market, then you're having problems. The great strides that the team has made in selling season tickets and further developing their local fan base have been well documented and are commendable, but I think marketing to the locals (strictly in terms of nationally saleable merchandise - not actual marketing or promotions or anything like that) is a step back.

Now granted, a "JAGS" patch isn't the end of the world and I realize that what I just typed is an exaggeration when it comes to that specific patch, but it's more of a general feeling when it comes to that kind of strategy (which again, I'm not sure that the JAGS patch is necessarily indicitive of.) I feel the same way about the Padres camo uniforms.

As for the "jags" slang term, I don't even know that it's a Pittsburgh thing, it may have just been the specific people I hung out with back then and it just seemed like a Pittsburgh thing because that's where they were from. Jag0ff is a pretty common term though, and it seems to me that while calling yourself the "jags" might be OK to the locals who use it with affection, it creates an easy joke for the opposing fans, who outnumber the local fans 31-1.

Ice Cap's point is good too - the NFL is supposedly extremely interested in the UK market, yet allowed a team to develop a logo that can't be used there, and create jerseys that can't be sold there (if the leak is accurate.) I can't imagine that too many Brits are looking for Jaguars gear anyway (I'd expect them to follow the more storied teams like the Steelers or Packers but I don't know) though.

[Island_Style]

Not saying it isn't true but who said the Jags can't use the patch overseas?

[TheSoundofThrowingPennies]

Just throwing this out there, but doesn't "JAG" have something to do with the military? Couldn't the shortening f the name serve two purposes? (The appeal to the locals AND furthering the military inspired identity)

[MDGP]

It stands for Judge Advocate General's Corps... It's basically the legal branch of each branch of the military. It is tasked with upholding military laws and such, and are often involved in courts-martial.

I'm pretty sure that's not what the Jaguars mean when they say military inspired.

[St Louis Cardinals]

didn't know where to put this, but i found this weird uniform matchup on a mcfarlane figurewhile on ebay. looks like throwback helmet with present day jersey

[mbannon92]

Not saying it isn't true but who said the Jags can't use the patch overseas?

Clearly you haven't been following very closely.

The NFL is trying to promote the Jaguars in London, and there's even been talk of moving them there (probably won't happen).

"Jag" is a slang term in the UK, defined as "a bout of drinking or drug use." It's considered fairly obscene over there.

So, probably not a good idea to make your secondary logo offensive to the market you're trying to expand into.

[AgentColon]

I know plenty of people not from Pittsburgh that call them the Jagoffs.

[pcgd]

Jag is a term I use all the time to describe someone who is kinda an pretentious jerk. "Ignore hom, he's a jag..." So it's not just Pittsburgh.

I've never associated it with a shortened "jaguars" though. And I didn't when I saw this for the first time.