Friday: Minors and Crossovers Galore

Hey y'all, and welcome to another Friday post here at HJC.  The preseason is finally upon us, which means the real NHL season is just around the corner!  As such, I'm hoping that we're getting closer to the rest of the teams participating in the thirds program to release their alternate designs.  Until then, we've covered all that has been released, so there's not much for me to talk about.

In voting news, we have the regular COTW vote for September 14-20, as well as the Utah Grizzlies Redesign Competition vote, with both polls closing Friday at noon EDT.

 COTW Vote Aug 31-Sep 6 (ends Friday @ noon EDT) 

 Utah Grizzlies ReDesign (ends Friday @ noon EDT) 

 New Jersey Nerds Podcast every week on Google Play, iTunes, Stitcher and Spotify! 

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Now on to today's concepts!

Adam G.- Atlanta Hawks

Our first concept of the day is Adam G.'s NBA crossover design for my hometown Atlanta Hawks.  (Fun fact: the Hawks are tied with the Rangers for most jerseys in my collection at three a piece.)  Here, Adam seems to be mixing eras by combining the font and current logo set with the previous color scheme, save for the alternate.  I like the striping pattern, it's fairly simple yet works for the team.  I like the recolored shoulder patch, but I usually prefer when crossovers eliminate all ties to the other sport, which could be accomplished here by changing the basketball to a puck.  Same goes for the main crest, which could be fixed much more easily by using the isolated "Pacman" logo.  The font choice here is great, but I think the white pentagon on the white jersey is a miscue.  The alternate ties in to the current color scheme, using the Volt Green, Georgia Granite Gray, and Torch Red to its full power.  I'm normally not a fan of black (or dark gray) jerseys, but the green and red in this one really pop and balance it out, even with the minimal striping.  With that large negative space between the striping, I wish Adam had included the Hawks' triangular feather pattern, inspired by the chest of a Hawk, as that really has become their trademark.  Gear looks good, and presentation are solid.  Final verdict: a decent set for the Hawks, but it needs to downplay the basketball aspects and I wish it better fit the current brand.  7/10

Adam G.- Golden State Warriors

Next up from Adam is another NBA crossover, this one for the Golden State Warriors.  This design is a pretty straightforward copy of the Warriors' actual jerseys, albeit translated onto the Adizero system.  I must say, as basic as these jerseys are on a basketball template, they have a sort of elegant simplicity that I feel is lost here.  The single stripe on the arm seems a little bland, and the side panel striping just looks odd with the stripe in the middle.  Furthermore, the logo looks a little too bland without the wordmark and numbers, and the font choice doesn't translate well to a hockey jersey.  Once again, the pentagon matching the body while the rest of the collar does not just looks strange, and the striping on the breezers is just plain odd.  It almost matches the jersey, but it really doesn't.  Final verdict: I'm sure plenty of NBA players would love to see the Warriors take the ice in these and stop humiliating the rest of them, but I would not.  6/10

Ben S.- Hershey Bears

Our next concept comes to us from our very own Ben S., who has brought us a design for the Hershey Bears.  I really like the idea of an old school barber pole jersey for the Bears, who are the oldest continually running, non-relocated AHL team, having started play in 1938.  The use of the cursive script is a great call with the chest stripe, it really helps with the old school feel.  The use of the vintage white on the dark jersey looks really good, and I'm glad Ben didn't feel the need to force it on the light jersey.  The alternate jersey also looks great, I love the striping pattern, and the striping in the yoke is a nice touch.  Gear looks great and presentation is up to its usual high standards.  Final verdict: a great vintage look for a very storied team.  8.5/10

Ben S.- Lehigh Valley Phantoms

Next up from Ben is a design for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL.  I have to say, while I admire an attempt at an unorthodox design, I don't quite think I'm on board.  The extended yoke ending in an curve halfway down the arm looks awkward, and the extended yoke striping just doesn't do it for me.  The hem treatment is pretty solid, and font choice is good, but I don;t think that it's enough to salvage this one.  The alternate is a pretty safe bet compared to the main set, and actually ties in really well with the breezers.  Final verdict: an attempt at cutting edge design work that I'm afraid falls flat for me.  7/10

Brooks F.- Maine Mariners

Next up is Brooks F. with a design for the newly reborn Maine Mariners.  Boy oh boy, are these beautiful.  I love the angled yoke here, I think it works real well in tying into the trident in the logo, and for some reason it even works as a phantom yoke.  The arm striping is fantastic, and matching it across the set looks great.  Logo choices are great, I love that Brooks didn't feel the need to force the recolored old logo for the sake of nostalgia.  Gear and presentation look great, and font choice is really solid.  My only real detraction is that the silver blends into the white a bit, but that's a small issue.  Final verdict: what we should have gotten instead of this.  9/10 and my COTW NOMINEE!!!!!

Lucas D.- Detroit Tigers

Our final concept of the day is Lucas D.'s crossover design for the Detroit Tigers of the MLB.  I really like the logo choice, the tiger prowling in the Old English D is definitely the strongest logo that the Tigers have.  I also like Lucas sticking to the Tigers' usual blue and white uniforms, but still managing to work orange into the jersey through the numbers.  That's great attention to detail and team history.  The simple striping looks solid, and I like the way that the chest stripe works with the logo, but I can't help but feel that this jersey is a little too plain for my liking.  I think maybe even a single hem stripe could help liven this one up.  Final verdict: a solid design, but I wish there was just a little more going on.  7.5/10

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