Jump to content

Is the re-colored Wizard used anymore?


Brick

Recommended Posts

Both ESPN and this site use this logo as the primary Washington Wizards logo:

b3619brnphtx65s2th4p9eggf.gif

I went to a game at Verizon Center this year and didn't see it in any signage at all. It's also not currently used on the web site. They prefer either the hand:

x2ulyduse08rm42lmtu9ugych.gif

Or the monument:

3g5wchibh2ltoh617fcpgmfio.gif

Does anyone definitively know the current practice? I don't follow the Wizards that closely, but it's kind of jarring when I see the red, white and blue wizard on ESPN highlights.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Off topic, but that monument logo always reminded me of something, but I couldn't put my finger on it.

But I realized recently that it was the NBA Store logo. Different execution, but a similar concept. It almost could be the same ball at a different angle.

Anyway, search for Atlanta Hawks and $500,000 on this site if you want more info on the fee to change primary logos. If it didn't originate there it was copied and pasted, but I want to say it was the AJC that finally put in print what we had been told was true for years by insiders.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A half-million dollars is a lot of money to you and me, but to an NBA team, that's not an arm and a leg, that's a haircut. It's an impediment to changing the logo every year, but not every five years. From what I can see, there must be more than $500,000 standing in the way of the Wizards officially changing their primary logo. They've already changed their apparel, signage and probably their stationery as well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A half-million dollars is a lot of money to you and me, but to an NBA team, that's not an arm and a leg, that's a haircut. It's an impediment to changing the logo every year, but not every five years. From what I can see, there must be more than $500,000 standing in the way of the Wizards officially changing their primary logo. They've already changed their apparel, signage and probably their stationery as well.

We hear this all the time, "whats another million bucks to an NBA team".. but the problem you aren't looking at the right dollars. Sure they have a player payroll of 90 million dollars but thats not the same money as their marketing dollars. NBA teams are businesses that budget exact numbers of dollars to certain areas of their business. $X to the team, $Y to marketing, $Z to charity etc. Its not as though they have a piggy bank of 200 million bucks that they can just pull stuff out of. Its all very exact accounting - especially when you are dealing with that much money every penny is accounted for. So, they don't want to take $500,000 toout of a marketing budget of maybe only $5 million just to officially make the logo an official primary, when really its just a meaningless identifier. They can PRIMARILY use a SECONDARY so who cares what its called. Not worth $500,000 no matter how much money a company has.

The other thing is... there's also apprently a rule where OFFICIAL PRIMARY logos need to have the city and team name in it. So those alternate logos wouldn't be eligible anyway. Somehow the Wizards get away with not having "Washington" in the primary. Maybe they are grandfathered in or something. But those alts don't even have the team name.

goforbroke_zpsb07ade0a.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a de-facto admission that the team should have never rebranded as the Wizards. The name was never embraced by Washington basketball fans, who have seen some dismal basketball since the Verizon/MCI Center opened in 1997. They're doing just about everything they can to de-emphasize the Wizards imagery without actually changing the name.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a de-facto admission that the team should have never rebranded as the Wizards. The name was never embraced by Washington basketball fans, who have seen some dismal basketball since the Verizon/MCI Center opened in 1997. They're doing just about everything they can to de-emphasize the Wizards imagery without actually changing the name.

Also a really good point, they are basically un-branding the Wizards back to the Bullets.

This is basically what the Jazz did as well. They still have the Mountains logo as technically their primary, but the Music note secondary is all that's ever seen.

goforbroke_zpsb07ade0a.jpg
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a de-facto admission that the team should have never rebranded as the Wizards. The name was never embraced by Washington basketball fans, who have seen some dismal basketball since the Verizon/MCI Center opened in 1997. They're doing just about everything they can to de-emphasize the Wizards imagery without actually changing the name.

I don't really have a problem with Wizards but it's a wonder they didn't go with Federals or Generals.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's a de-facto admission that the team should have never rebranded as the Wizards. The name was never embraced by Washington basketball fans, who have seen some dismal basketball since the Verizon/MCI Center opened in 1997. They're doing just about everything they can to de-emphasize the Wizards imagery without actually changing the name.

I don't really have a problem with Wizards but it's a wonder they didn't go with Federals or Generals.

An NBA team will never have the name generals because that is the team that the Globetrotters make fools of

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't really have a problem with Wizards but it's a wonder they didn't go with Federals or Generals.

dc-feds.png

Also, in the official "Team Identity Preferences" document, the Wiz list their options as:

#1 element - "dc" secondary

#2 element - monument ball secondary

#3 element - uniform wordmark

so the wizard is not even listed as an option, lol! apparently ESPN didn't read the official document...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, in the official "Team Identity Preferences" document, the Wiz list their options as:

#1 element - "dc" secondary

#2 element - monument ball secondary

#3 element - uniform wordmark

so the wizard is not even listed as an option, lol! apparently ESPN didn't read the official document...

For all I know, owner Ted Leonsis doesn't really care what logo ESPN uses. The $500,000 change fee doesn't sound like a serious barrier. After all, the New Orleans just changed their nickname and Charlotte is about to do the same.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't really have a problem with Wizards but it's a wonder they didn't go with Federals or Generals.

dc-feds.png

A little proof-of-concept here:

12730105744_bd1c7785c4_b.jpg

Other than the random pink inside the 'a' that's not bad, not bad at all.

GrizzlyBlack Designs, UDC Firebird

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Businessmen don't normally get rich by being dumb. What would that $500,000 have bought in the Wizards' case? A different logo on file at the league offices as the primary? Money is still money. If there's no good reason to spend it, teams probably won't.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.