The America League

[DolphinManatee]

Southwest Florida is another place that probably wouldn't have a team real world, but I put one on there because its a favorite vacation spot.

I don't see any teams in SWFL. All I see is a team in Tampa, Miami, and Key West.

[Philsphan]

I love that you have a Premiership team in Aruba! Right?

This is going to be an awesome series.

[Guest darkpiranha]

Selfishly, I would like you to reveal them only one per day, or three per day (one from each division). I'd much rather have one or two month's worth of cool stuff to look forward to every day rather than for just twelve days! I can already tell that each one of these will be worth the wait, so dole it out a little slower! Make each one an event. Show us your sketches and rejected designs. Give us a thoughtful article about each team and how you approached both the city selection and the logo/color design. Everyone here has the best intentions to design a league from the ground up and do logos and uniforms for each team, but it's rare that someone actually has this all done before they ever post one thing about it. The rest of us usually peter out about ten or fifteen teams in.

So while five a day will be cool, this is one time where I'd like to see the creator take his time.

Looking very forward to this either way!

[mbannon92]

Awesome idea dude, can't wait for this to roll out.

I'm working on a similar concept right now, but more of a "what if the NFL was association football as opposed to American football" (so same teams and similar logos, but in crest form).

[Brian in Boston]

Some early questions and comments:

* You've said that the America League's overall three-tiered system would be comprised of 68 teams. I count 65 stars on your map - 21 teams in the Chase America Premier League, 23 teams in Dodge America One, and 21 teams in Walgreens America Two. Have you reconsidered the number of teams? Do some stars represent multiple-team markets? Is my eyesight going? I ask because it is customary for most of the world's domestic soccer leagues to be comprised of an even number of teams, so as to avoid byes each week of the season.

* While I like the idea of having the Chase America Premier League's logo stand out from those employed by the Dodge America One and Walgreens America Two competitions, I'm not feeling your eagle. I like sleek, stylized logos as much as anyone, but this guy strikes me as so simplistic as to approach cartoonish. The head evokes DC United's logo; not a good thing in my estimation, as that logo's simplicity has always struck me as being borderline "child-like" in its execution. The spacing between the feathers makes the wings - despite their overall size - seem slight and underdeveloped, rather than powerful. Finally, the poor guy seems positively bandy-legged; I don't whether he's clutching the ball, or in the process of being "nutmegged".

Truly impressed with your overall vision and ambition. I'm really looking forward to the roll-out of teams.

[pcgd]

Klup Aruba // Premier League

Klup Aruba was strongly inspired by the country's flag and colors. "Klup" is dutch for "Club" so in English they would be Club Aruba. But because its so close everyone calls them by their true name "Klup Aruba." The team was "founded" in 1967 and the badge features a stylized A with a soccer ball and the established date. Klup Aruba plays at Oranjestad Stadium and is sponsored by local telecommunications company Setar.

Aruba is an odd choice for a league based in the United States but like many leagues in the US, North America expansion was on everyone's minds perhaps a bit too early. The team has been a middle of the table team for most of their existance. Getting players to live and play in Aruba hasn't been difficult, getting them to concentrate on Soccer has been. But its also to the advantage of the hometown club were opposing teams treat the trip as a vacation and its frequently at the expense of performance.

The uniforms are directly inspired by the country's flag with the stripes coming across the chest and around one leg.

My inspiration stayed pretty consistent throughout the process as you can see from the sketch.

[pcgd]

Arch City SC // America One

Did you know Columbus Ohio is known as the Arch City? Me either but perhaps if this team existed everyone would know. Arch City SC started in 1907 and took their colors from the state's flagship university. They took the nickname "The Brawlers" because the early teams were made of working class immigrants who frequently had to be bailed out of jail before games. Local discount store Big Lots sponsors the team and they play where else but Ohio Stadium.

The uniforms are no frills much like the team at first, but their fighting spirit is revealed upon further inspection. Bold colors and simple striping are all over but then you notice the brawler sublimated tonally on the body and wraps around the entire jersey.

The sketch was not accurate as this is one of the teams that I moved a bit, and in fact if you know my work you may recognize the "Brawler" illustration from a hockey concept I did for Milwaukee about 6 years ago. This originally was going to be the badge for Milwaukee and Columbus was going to be the Buckeyes. But a German theme is coming for Milwaukee so the Brawlers became Columbus' team.

[pcgd]

Albuquerque 1976 // America Two

I think this may be one of my favorite logos in the whole collection. (I reserve to change my mind of course!) If you are familiar with the flags of New Mexico and Albuquerque, you'll know the inspiration. I wanted to keep it simple and bold. Albuquerque's team was founded in 1976 and they play at the (fictitious) Los Ranchos. Nicknamed the "Runners" they have one of my favorite change kits with the flag motif carried throughout the uniform but a number placed in the circle. Plus, check out those socks!

The Primary kit is fairly traditional but has a bold gold chest stripe featuring the their sponsor Visa. The team's crest is embossed throughout the uniform giving it some depth.

The actual logo changed a bit from my sketches as did the change uniform. The primary uniform is pretty much what I envisioned from the beginning.

And finally the blog post for all of these:

http://pcgdstudios.c...s-alburquerque/

[Guest darkpiranha]

Awesome start! Can't wait for the rest.

However, one question comes to mind. Do you have any further "histories" worked out for any of these teams? (Unless you played all these in a simulator of some kind, I'd guess "no", lol.) For example, Arch City is in America One, but they've been around since 1907. Surely they've spent some time in the Premier League. Maybe you can at least give us the general historical success of a team. I'm sure there's a team or two who have spent every season in the top flight league, and some teams that have never made it out of America Two. Who's the team its fans are rabid about, but everyone else in the country despises with a passion? Who are the lovable losers or cursed team? Who outspends everyone else? Who started in America Two and has made it all the way to championship status?

I'm new to soccer, but it's amazing how much of a team's (and their logo/uniform)'s aura is affected by just knowing their overall success rate. Arsenal's logo is cooler because it is associated with a team that historically has been successful. ManU's logo just seethes hate, and seems so much more smug and annoying when you know that they have been the Yankees and Cowboys combined for the entire history of the EPL.

So if it's not too much more trouble, good sir, give us a line or two of how they've fared historically, how they are perceived by the public at large, and maybe who their great rival is.

[nas1787]

This is going to be one hell of a thread. Great job so far. Really impressed by the depth of the work.

[illwauk]

LOVE Albuquerque... I had pretty much that exact same idea for a soccer team from New Mexico (the gold kit), so I'm a little peeved that you beat me to posting it here, but it looks great.

This is already one of my favorite series!

[El Dandy]

Love the Albuquerque stuff, especially the yellow kit.

[cohenj21]

These are really solid concepts, especially Albuquerque. Really excited to see what's in store for us today!

[ElTeduardo]

They are all brilliant, especially Aruba.

[pcgd]

Awesome start! Can't wait for the rest.

However, one question comes to mind. Do you have any further "histories" worked out for any of these teams? (Unless you played all these in a simulator of some kind, I'd guess "no", lol.) For example, Arch City is in America One, but they've been around since 1907. Surely they've spent some time in the Premier League. Maybe you can at least give us the general historical success of a team. I'm sure there's a team or two who have spent every season in the top flight league, and some teams that have never made it out of America Two. Who's the team its fans are rabid about, but everyone else in the country despises with a passion? Who are the lovable losers or cursed team? Who outspends everyone else? Who started in America Two and has made it all the way to championship status?

I'm new to soccer, but it's amazing how much of a team's (and their logo/uniform)'s aura is affected by just knowing their overall success rate. Arsenal's logo is cooler because it is associated with a team that historically has been successful. ManU's logo just seethes hate, and seems so much more smug and annoying when you know that they have been the Yankees and Cowboys combined for the entire history of the EPL.

So if it's not too much more trouble, good sir, give us a line or two of how they've fared historically, how they are perceived by the public at large, and maybe who their great rival is.

You know I did develop some of those ideas. Like the Providence teams badge says "what cheer?" Ehich i'm pretty sure is a motto of rhode island or providence, i cant remember. I imagined them as an old team that had been bottom dwellers thoughout their history but their fans still stuck it out.

Also you'll notice some stars on some teams. Those stand for 5 premier championships.

Good call out and ill include some of that vision in future posts. Ill go back when I get a chance and add that to these three.

[mbannon92]

Great start. The crests for all three teams are top notch, especially the rendering of the "brawler" and the overall design for Albuquerque.

The kits all look nice too. Love the colors and simplicity for Aruba. The sublimated brawler for Arch City is a fun touch. And that Albuquerque change kit is just awesome.

[Brian in Boston]

Like the Providence teams badge says "what cheer?" Ehich i'm pretty sure is a motto of rhode island or providence, i cant remember.

"What Cheer" is the motto of the City of Providence, Rhode Island. It is derived from the phrase ("What cheer, netop?") that members of the Narragansett tribe were said to have greeted Roger Williams with upon the latter's arrival in what is now the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

The state's motto is "Hope".

[-kj]

What Cheer is also a city in Iowa. </unrelated>

[Nyk33]

These logos are really nice but I find the travel logistics of a team situated in a part of the Carribean so close to South America. Imagine travel from Seattle to Aruba and vice versa.

[pcgd]

Beacon Hill // Premier League

Beacon HIll is a neighboorhood of Boston and the namesake of one of the oldest teams in the America League: Beacon HIll SC. The team plays its games in the West End Grounds near Beacon Hill, Boston and is known as the Gas Lamps. The logo itself is a Glass Lamp featuring a BH lockup, a old timey soccer ball, and a depiction of the Boston skyline, from the late 1800's. The two stars represent 10 of their 11 championships (teams add a star for every 5.)

Having 11 championships of course makes Beacon HIll one of the most successful teams in the entire country. The team originally was owned by a rich shipmaker who placed the team in Becon Hill to attract talented immigrants who settled on the north slope of Beacon HIll. The team has only be relegated twice.

The team uniforms are a mix of retro and modern elements. Traditional vertical stripes end with a halftone gradient. The collared shirts also have gold piping. Navy is the primary kit and the team goes to all white for clashes.

As you can see, the final outcome bares a striking resemblance to the original sketch.

Edit: Added sketch.