Awesome Sports Logos Blog

The Florida Panthers New Sports Logo is Awesome

There are four sports that make up “The Big 4” in the United States. In no particular order, they are football, baseball, basketball and hockey. The NHL isn’t as widely covered on television and other media outlets, as compared to the other three. Last week, while hanging out at my local sports bar with some buddies, there was a hockey game on TV. Something about this game caught my attention. It was a glimpse of something I haven’t seen before, and it got my sports logo loving brain working! I noticed that the Florida Panthers had changed their logo. And man, it was beautiful! First, let’s talk a little bit about this Florida hockey team.

The Florida Panthers were founded in 1993, as an expansion team. After just three years in the league, they made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Panthers ended up losing in four games, to the Colorado Avalanche. The immediate success was well received by Florida residents. With two hockey teams in the state, the Panthers helped shape Florida into the hockey-loving state that it is now.

In recent years, the Panthers have failed to find much success. They did make it to the playoffs last season, though they lost in the first round to the New York Islanders. The three seasons prior to that, the Panthers finished 5^th, 7^th and 6^th, respectively. Looking to mix things up, the team started working on a new look. Prior to this season, the Florida Panthers unveiled their new logo. And it is AWESOME! Let’s look at the two images, and do what we at Awesome Sports Logos do best: compare!

The Panthers’ original logo is, without a doubt, ferocious. The image shows the big cat in a leaping motion, claws forward and mouth ready to consume the opposition. The coloring is simple, clean and consistent. There isn’t really anything that would immediately draw negativity to this logo, but when you get into the finer details, it’s missing a lot. There is no lettering to state the team’s name or home city/state. While the logo itself looks good, one can also tell that it’s dated. It was a fine image for the 90s, but we’re in the 21^st Century now. They were due for an upgrade. And what better time to upgrade than when your team just had three back-to-back terrible seasons? Let’s see what the Florida Panthers came up with.

 

This new logo is one of my personal favorites in all of the National Hockey League. This new image is a clear upgrade, and one for the better. The Panthers went with an increasingly more popular shield look. It’s a traditional shield, in shape and features. It gives off the overall appearance of one of the well-respected soccer logos from overseas. It looks classy, modern and sleek. More importantly, it encompasses what the old logo was missing: lettering. You see “FLORIDA” clearly and plainly across the top of the shield, arching across the red background. I like the way the Panther itself is presented. This big cat still has the look of intensity in its eyes, but in a more honorable and sophisticated manner. The Panther is featured turned to its profile, looking ahead at what’s to come. The symbolism in that is intense, as the team moves on from its previous logo. They are ready to look ahead, and seek out success. Overall, I think the Florida Panthers did one heck of a job in creating their new look.

On the opposite coast, there’s another hockey team with one heck of a logo.

 

We’d love to hear what some of your favorite sports logos are. Comment below, and tell us what team you think has an awesome look!

Thanks for stopping by!

Keep Calm and Stay Awesome!

Blake Cole

T-Shirt Wearer

Sports Logo Lover

Nike Quits The Golf Equipment Game

One of the largest sports brands in the world is walking away from golf. Nike officially announced this past Wednesday that it will no longer manufacture clubs, balls or bags. Trevor Edwards, President of the Nike brand, came out and said “We’re committed to being the undisputed leader in golf footwear and apparel.” What does this mean for today’s golfers?

Rory McIlroy switched to Nike in 2013, after leaving the golf industry titan, Titleist. McIlroy ended up winning two majors using Nike gear. Tiger Woods is probably the most notable golfer sponsored by Nike. Being carried by the company since 1996, Woods will almost certainly start looking for other brands to use. And hey, maybe if he finds a new brand to play with, he might find some of the skill and talent that he used to have! Anything has to be a benefit for the once greatest of all-time golfer, right? All joking aside, I expect golf brands to be calling Woods soon, offering him some kind of sponsorship. While he may not be as successful now as in the past, the name “Tiger Woods” will carry a lot of weight for a golf brand.

While virtually every piece of golf equipment that Tiger Woods owns now is Nike, the Oregon company isn’t exactly favored by all the top golfers. In an interview with Golf Magazine, Phil Mickelson called Nike equipment “inferior” to other brands. Nick Faldo called McIlroy’s switch to Nike “dangerous” and “messing with a winning formula.”

While Nike isn’t exactly hurting for money, Yahoo! Finance reports that golf was Nike’s bottom category last year, even falling behind action sports and women’s training. The report also says the golf division sales have been on the decline over the past three years.

Don’t expect Nike to blink an eye over this loss. Their biggest rival, Adidas, is also dropping out of the golf equipment game. It looks like this market will be exclusively for the golf-only brands. With that being said, should a newer generation of youngsters ever make this sport more popular, don’t be shocked if Nike (or Adidas) jump right back into the mix. If Nike should ever start making clubs again, maybe they’ll consider moving their manufacturing plant from Texas to their home state, Oregon. It could be great for the state’s economy!

One logo that will always support the Beaver State is our very own Portland Tree Huggers! Oregon is one of the greenest states we have. Portland is one of the more eclectic cities in America, with a huge emphasis on the environment. Thus, the meanest hockey team in the northwest is born, the Portland Tree Huggers.

 

I wouldn’t want to skate against this tree. And if I did, I hope that it has more bark than bite. We think this Portland sports logo t-shirt will draw some attention when you wear this super soft, cool t-shirt tee around town. Plus, do you really want to drop gloves and fight this tree since technically the stick in his hands could be a relative?

We appreciate you stopping by and reading!

Stay AWESOME!!

Blake Cole

T-Shirt Wearer

Sports Logo Lover

Sports Logos Helping New Years Resolutions

 

 

Awesome Sports Logos Spotlight on the Oregon Ducks

Before we dive into the Oregon Ducks’ “O,” let’s peek at some history. Founded in 1876, Oregon is a public university that has gained more and more athletic notoriety in mainstream sports over the last decade. One of the many reasons is the contributions of Nike CEO/Founder, Phil Knight, one of the school’s proud alums. Knight’s Nike Swoosh is iconic in its own right, but his financial gain from the swoosh has helped dress Duck athletes in a variety of different colors, combinations, and looks. That’s a huge recruiting tool. The school’s presentation athletically is a staple of the department, maybe even more so than their strong success.

 

Knight isn’t the only icon in a different field connected to the University. For decades, the school’s logo hasn’t been simply a duck, but Disney’s “Donald Duck.” According to the school’s website, in 1947, then-athletic director, Leo Harris, and Walt Disney, reached a handshake agreement to allow for the Ducks to use the character as its mascot.

 

I've come to the realization that I have to weigh college logos on a different scale. Most schools' main logos are letters, not images of beings or things. When you look beyond the lack of creativity or variety beyond the alphabetical uniqueness, some letters are actually pretty well done. 

One example of a logo done well is Oregon's "O," which shouldn't be a surprise when you consider how well they do all of their imaging and branding. An "O" is such a common shape, so it's the difference in Oregon's version that makes it unique.

The vertical build to it creates more of an oval feel, rather than a perfectly round "O," which gives it a unique feel, especially when you compare it to another notable "O," Ohio State's. The Buckeyes logo is more of a geometric, edged "O." Beyond the verticality, though, I really like the varying thickness of it. It's another Oregon-element that helps it stand out. Along the sides, the lining is thicker than at the top when it thins out. What I like most about this element is that it juxtaposes the verticality with truer "O" shape when you look at the image as a whole. 

In general, the colors--green and yellow--play really well off of one another. The brightness of the yellow lining gives it a larger presence than it really has, which is perfect when the alternative is to actually give it a larger presence that could eat up the logo. 

Overall, I think the Oregon "O" is among the best letter-logos in the country because of the elements that make it unique and separate from a run-of-the-mill letter.

Speaking of Oregon, it’s the home of one of our best selling t-shirts, the Portland Tree Huggers.

 

At Awesome Sports Logos, we are puck heads and our love of hockey brought about this t-shirt. We left this angry tree open to interpretation. Personally, I think he’s mad because he is using a stick made from one of his cousins. Either way, I wouldn’t mess with this sports logo but I’ll certainly wear it with pride and you should too because it’s awesome.

Thanks as always for reading,

Gavin Spittle

Founder, Logo Lover and T-shirt fanatic

Awesome Sports Logos