Friday: Rockets and Eagles and Bears, Oh My!

Hey y'all, and welcome to another Friday post here at HJC.  I've got no news for y'all today, but in case you missed it, Jets released his latest entry in his Why Not to Buy Fakes series on Wednesday, which you can find here.  Personally, I've really enjoyed this series, as I always love to see just how awful some of these fakes really can be.  As someone who's been swindled by a good fake, I have some sympathy for victims of counterfeits, but with how bad these jerseys are, I really don't feel that bad for anyone who falls for them. 

In voting news, we have the regular COTW vote for January 19-25, as well as the 2017 Concept of the Year final vote, both of which end Friday at noon EST.  Additionally, we have the entry period for The Season competition, with entries due Friday at noon EST as well.  To compete in this competition, you must have already signed up for a spot and been assigned a team.  For all of those in the competition, good luck, it's really one of the more exciting contests that we do all year. 

 COTY Finals vote (ends Friday @ noon EST) 

 COTW Jan 19-25 vote (ends Friday @ noon EST) 

 The Season entries (due Friday @ noon EST) 

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Now on to today's concepts!

Adam G.- 2018 All Star Game

Our first concept of the day is Adam G.'s design for the 2018 All Star Game.  I really like the striping design on this concept, it matches the logo's color scheme fairly well and reminds me of watching the sun set on a beach.  I like the use of team logos on the helmet and one shoulder, it's a good way to let a player represent their team without taking away from the overall design too much.  For the main part, I like the base colors of the jerseys, but the color choice for the Pacific division just doesn't do it for me.  It's almost verging on the vintage white that we've seen on some Winter Classic jerseys, which looks odd on such a modern design.  While the black gear may be a simple match for the black and white jerseys, it really clashes with the two colored jerseys, especially the bright blue.  While I like the use of blue and red to distinguish the Eastern and Western Conference teams, I hate the split collar look in general, and this is no exception.  Final verdict: an okay design for the ASG, but not anything I'm clamoring to see on the ice.  6.5/10

Alexander W.- Saginaw Spirit

Our next concept is Alexander W.'s design for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL.  I like the matching striping across the set, and the simplicity of it works great with the stars on the forearm.  Although I'm not usually a fan of mismatched primary logos, I think they're close enough here that Saginaw can pull it off, and you did a good job choosing the shoulder patch logo.  I really like the yoke striping, but it should be above the dots on the template, and I don't think the Adidas logo should overlap it.  Finally, I'm not a fan of that font, and I think the collar should be red all the way daround, especially on the blue jersey.  Final verdict: a decent looking design for the Spirit, but some execution errors hold this one back.  7.5/10

Ben S.- Boston Bruins

Next up is Ben S.'s Bruins entry into his NHL Thirds series.  I like the return of brown to the Bruins' color scheme, it's a nice nod to the team's history.  The striping pattern is great, it's reminiscent of previous designs while still being original.  The amount of white used in the cuffs, hem, and yoke does a great job of breaking up all of the brown so that it's not too overbearing.  Only thing I can think of is to possibly add a thin white outline to the main crest and maybe include one of the early Bruins logos as a shoulder patch.  Final verdict: a great look for the Bruins that somehow brings a fresh look while also paying tribute to the club's history.  9/10 and my COTW NOMINEE!!!!!

Noah K.- Toledo Rockets

Our final concept of the day is Noah K.'s design for the Toledo Rockets.  While I always appreciate it when a designer creates their own logo for a team, I'm not sure that this logo is strong enough to replace Toledo's current logo.  While I do like the look of the nameplate in the yoke, I'm not a fan of the Nike template because the numbers always look awkwardly high up on the back.  I'm not a fan of the fadeaway striping pattern, especially on the arms, where it doesn't even go completely around the arms.  I like the idea of the yellow pants with the navy jersey (despite the mismatched striping), it kind of throws off the color balance when paired with the white one.  I think the best way to fix that would be to add some blue to the cuffs and hem, just to make it the dominant color overall.  Final verdict: while I admire you for going out on a limb with some forward thinking design choices, ultimately you ended up sawing off the branch behind you.  4/10

That's all for me this week, see y'all next Friday!