Thursday: More Stadium, Less Chrome
By the time you've read this post, the NHL would have had 4 outdoor games this season, with two more games later in the year. For those who don't like all of these outdoor games, I have some pretty bad news for you.
It seems inevitable that we will have multiple outdoor games again next season. I doubt we'll see six of them, but probably three or four. We know Washington will be hosting the Winter Classic, there will likely be a Heritage Classic game, and probably one or two Stadium Series games.
If there are more Stadium Series games, then I think the chrome logos have to go. New Jersey didn't even wear their chrome logo on their jersey, and the Rangers relegated theirs to the shoulder. The other teams that wore them? Meh, not a good look for a logo.
The outdoor game in Los Angeles had two modern jerseys, and considering the atmosphere of the game, I think it worked out well. But the snowy games in New York deserve an "old-time hockey" sweater, like what New Jersey wore. Vintage jerseys are what make the NHL special, not too many teams from other sports can look great in an old uniform, so I think the NHL needs to use that, especially in the big hockey markets. But for the game in Los Angeles, and potentially in Phoenix, San Jose, Dallas, or a redo of the Las Vegas game, modern gimmicky jerseys work the best.
Tyler G.
Dallas K.
Brian B.
Tyler F.
William B. (me)
Matt Mc.
Yay: Let's start today with a team we should be all familiar with by now, the Delaware Pioneers. This concept has a lot going for it; traditional striping pattern, good colour balance, good font selection, and clean execution. The best part of this concept however is the yoke stripes. They look really sharp, and its just the thing this jersey needs to go from plain to cool.
Nay: I don't have a lot to complain about with the jersey, because the execution is pretty well spot on, and it looks like a good jersey. I'd probably make the main number a little bigger, or lower on the jersey. And while its hard to tell without zooming in close, the stripe sizes on the dark jersey, specifically the thin blue stripes between the red and white, look uneven in places. That could be a scaling issue or a miss in execution, but at least this problem isn't on the white jersey at all.
Overall: It's a good, traditional looking jersey, and comparing it to the winning concept, this might not have been too far off from winning. 8/10
Anaheim Ducks Concept - Felix H.
Yay: When I see this jersey, I immediately think of the black and purple 3rd jersey Anaheim had from 2003-06, and their eventual cup run while using those jerseys. I'd love for that look to come back again, and this isn't far off from what I'd like to see. The striping pattern looks good, the font choice is pretty accurate, the number below the collar is different but I like it, and it ties in with both eras of (Mighty) Ducks history.
Nay: To be really nitpicky, there are some colouring issues on the shoulder patches. Really hard to spot, but there are some leftover pixels from the original logo before it was recoloured to white. I think the logo could be moved up just a little bit, and I think the white stripes on the arms should be at the end of the purple area, towards the shoulders, so it matches the style of the hem.
Overall: I was a huge Mighty Ducks fan when they made that Cup run in 2003, and this concept feels like a blast from the past for me. Well done! 7.8/10
Milwaukee Admirals Concept - Dylan W.
Yay: Today, Dylan brings us his Milwaukee Admirals jersey. Right away, I like the concept based on the fact it's main colour is light blue, not black or grey as Milwaukee use or used as their dark jersey. The striping pattern is nothing fancy, but being an older team like they are, traditional striping patterns work well for this team.
Nay: I'm not sure if I like the black outline for all of the white stripes. Maybe white and light blue clashes, but having an outline for the stripe like that doesn't really look realistic in my mind. I also think that the white outline on the main black number could be just a little more noticeable, like a pixel or two thicker.
Overall: Execution seems pretty good, and it's a jersey that is believable and better than what they wear currently. 8/10
Team Ireland Concept - Matt M.
Yay: At first, I wasn't a huge fan of the logo, but being a mix between 2 different major flags of Ireland, I became more fond of it. The trouble with the logo is that is has different shades of 3 colours, so how do you pick what to use on the jersey? Well Matt does a great job here, as the jersey looks great and works well with its logo, and most of it's equipment works just as well.
Nay: When I say most of the equipment, I mean everything but the white socks. I think the white socks would be better off without the dark wavy design at the top. Also, it bothers me a bit that the dark green cuffs on one jersey is thicker than the other. I'd personally make the cuffs on the dark jersey thicker to match the white jersey. Finally, I'd make the collar on the white jersey dark green, to match better with it's dark counterpart.
Overall: The execution of the set looks fantastic, but there are a few design changes I'd make to it. 7.7/10
Victory (1981 Movie) Concept - Stephen T.
Yay: This has to be one of the more interesting concepts I've ever got the chance to review. If you don't know the movie, I do recommend it, especially if you're a sports fan and history buff. Anyways, the concept of making hockey jerseys for these fictional soccer teams works pretty well, and the World War 2 connection can easily be seen on both of these jerseys.
Nay: Design wise, there are a few flaws. On the black jerseys, you forgot to colour the back left shoulder white. Also, the bottom of the jersey looks pretty bare, for a hockey jersey in the same era. On the white jersey, the logo in the center looks too big, and the stripes could be a little thicker on the arms and socks.
Overall: The designs are OK, but the concept is awesome because of what it's trying to do. As an aside, it would be pretty funny to see Sylvester Stallone in goalie pads. 7.5/10
Sudbury Wolves Concept - Phil B.
Yay: Historically, Sudbury has had some of the worse jerseys in the CHL, and they haven't gotten much better or worse over time. Among them are their awful 3rd jerseys, including their current one, which has this logo. Mixing this logo, their current arm style, and Winnipeg Jets' arm stripes creates a jersey that is quite an improvement on most of Sudbury's jersey history. It's a good mix of old and new.
Nay: The all grey/white logo still looks weird on a blue background, similar to the look of the Pittsburgh Penguins through the 70's. The jersey's design is actually pretty good, I don't have a lot to complain about it, but I would change the collar colour to either grey, or the arm colour. And maybe slightly thicker grey stripes on the pants.
Overall: I'm not a fan of the jersey, but it feels like an improvement compared to Sudbury's current looks. 7.5/10
Hartford vs Bridgeport AHL Stadium Series Concept - Justin S.
Yay: Stylistically, there isn't a gigantic difference between this concept and the concept that won the AHL Stadium Series competition. That shows how well this concept keeps with the Stadium Series look everyone seems to love. The striping design looks good on both jerseys and equipment. I know most of the Stadium Series jerseys are coloured, but I think the white works better in Bridgeport's case. Both jerseys have the S.S. styles too it, and would be believable sets for both teams.
Nay: The biggest downer of this concept is that the striping pattern is the same on both jerseys. The striping pattern works for Bridgeport because it closely resembles their parent club's jersey. But Hartford's striping pattern could have had something different, closer to the Rangers jersey maybe. Hartford should have blue pants instead of going with an all-red look, and the box around the name bar doesn't need to be there.
Overall: If it was just Bridgeport's jersey, this would score higher, but the Wolf Pack jersey brings this concept down. 7/10
St. John's IceCaps Concept - Andrew G.
Yay: Ah, the beautiful double-blue of Winnipeg/St. John's. We all should know by know that I'm a sucker for double-blue jerseys. Other than how great the colours look together, the arm style looks fantastic, and it is transitioned very well on both jerseys of the main set. The sublimated iceberg on the bottom of the jersey is just plain awesome. Finally, the 3rd jersey, minus the logo, is the perfect classic looking jersey.
Nay: I'll start with the 3rd. Again, perfect classic jersey, besides the logo. I'm a fan of the logo itself, but it looks too new to be in place with this jersey. A wordmark might even work better here than that logo. And on the main white jerseys, I feel like there needs to be grey somewhere in the striping, to match the striping pattern of the dark jersey better.
Overall: A slight colour change, and swapping the logo on an already good looking jersey, and this set would be perfect. 8.2/10
Washington vs Carolina Rival Colours Series Concept - Me
It seems inevitable that we will have multiple outdoor games again next season. I doubt we'll see six of them, but probably three or four. We know Washington will be hosting the Winter Classic, there will likely be a Heritage Classic game, and probably one or two Stadium Series games.
If there are more Stadium Series games, then I think the chrome logos have to go. New Jersey didn't even wear their chrome logo on their jersey, and the Rangers relegated theirs to the shoulder. The other teams that wore them? Meh, not a good look for a logo.
The outdoor game in Los Angeles had two modern jerseys, and considering the atmosphere of the game, I think it worked out well. But the snowy games in New York deserve an "old-time hockey" sweater, like what New Jersey wore. Vintage jerseys are what make the NHL special, not too many teams from other sports can look great in an old uniform, so I think the NHL needs to use that, especially in the big hockey markets. But for the game in Los Angeles, and potentially in Phoenix, San Jose, Dallas, or a redo of the Las Vegas game, modern gimmicky jerseys work the best.
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But enough of that, we have the grand finale vote for COTY going on this week, and we need to get as many votes in as we can. Who wins the title of the best concept of 2013? The only way to find out is if everyone chips in and votes. It only takes a few minutes to help create history. Is that overly dramatic? Nope, because:
2013 COTY Final vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)
COTW Jan 20-26 vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)
CGY ReDesign entries (due Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)
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Pavel F.
Tyler G.
Dallas K.
Brian B.
Tyler F.
William B. (me)
Matt Mc.
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Delaware Pioneers Concept - Alan H.
Yay: Let's start today with a team we should be all familiar with by now, the Delaware Pioneers. This concept has a lot going for it; traditional striping pattern, good colour balance, good font selection, and clean execution. The best part of this concept however is the yoke stripes. They look really sharp, and its just the thing this jersey needs to go from plain to cool.
Nay: I don't have a lot to complain about with the jersey, because the execution is pretty well spot on, and it looks like a good jersey. I'd probably make the main number a little bigger, or lower on the jersey. And while its hard to tell without zooming in close, the stripe sizes on the dark jersey, specifically the thin blue stripes between the red and white, look uneven in places. That could be a scaling issue or a miss in execution, but at least this problem isn't on the white jersey at all.
Overall: It's a good, traditional looking jersey, and comparing it to the winning concept, this might not have been too far off from winning. 8/10
Anaheim Ducks Concept - Felix H.
Yay: When I see this jersey, I immediately think of the black and purple 3rd jersey Anaheim had from 2003-06, and their eventual cup run while using those jerseys. I'd love for that look to come back again, and this isn't far off from what I'd like to see. The striping pattern looks good, the font choice is pretty accurate, the number below the collar is different but I like it, and it ties in with both eras of (Mighty) Ducks history.
Nay: To be really nitpicky, there are some colouring issues on the shoulder patches. Really hard to spot, but there are some leftover pixels from the original logo before it was recoloured to white. I think the logo could be moved up just a little bit, and I think the white stripes on the arms should be at the end of the purple area, towards the shoulders, so it matches the style of the hem.
Overall: I was a huge Mighty Ducks fan when they made that Cup run in 2003, and this concept feels like a blast from the past for me. Well done! 7.8/10
Milwaukee Admirals Concept - Dylan W.
Yay: Today, Dylan brings us his Milwaukee Admirals jersey. Right away, I like the concept based on the fact it's main colour is light blue, not black or grey as Milwaukee use or used as their dark jersey. The striping pattern is nothing fancy, but being an older team like they are, traditional striping patterns work well for this team.
Nay: I'm not sure if I like the black outline for all of the white stripes. Maybe white and light blue clashes, but having an outline for the stripe like that doesn't really look realistic in my mind. I also think that the white outline on the main black number could be just a little more noticeable, like a pixel or two thicker.
Overall: Execution seems pretty good, and it's a jersey that is believable and better than what they wear currently. 8/10
Team Ireland Concept - Matt M.
Yay: At first, I wasn't a huge fan of the logo, but being a mix between 2 different major flags of Ireland, I became more fond of it. The trouble with the logo is that is has different shades of 3 colours, so how do you pick what to use on the jersey? Well Matt does a great job here, as the jersey looks great and works well with its logo, and most of it's equipment works just as well.
Nay: When I say most of the equipment, I mean everything but the white socks. I think the white socks would be better off without the dark wavy design at the top. Also, it bothers me a bit that the dark green cuffs on one jersey is thicker than the other. I'd personally make the cuffs on the dark jersey thicker to match the white jersey. Finally, I'd make the collar on the white jersey dark green, to match better with it's dark counterpart.
Overall: The execution of the set looks fantastic, but there are a few design changes I'd make to it. 7.7/10
Victory (1981 Movie) Concept - Stephen T.
Yay: This has to be one of the more interesting concepts I've ever got the chance to review. If you don't know the movie, I do recommend it, especially if you're a sports fan and history buff. Anyways, the concept of making hockey jerseys for these fictional soccer teams works pretty well, and the World War 2 connection can easily be seen on both of these jerseys.
Nay: Design wise, there are a few flaws. On the black jerseys, you forgot to colour the back left shoulder white. Also, the bottom of the jersey looks pretty bare, for a hockey jersey in the same era. On the white jersey, the logo in the center looks too big, and the stripes could be a little thicker on the arms and socks.
Overall: The designs are OK, but the concept is awesome because of what it's trying to do. As an aside, it would be pretty funny to see Sylvester Stallone in goalie pads. 7.5/10
Sudbury Wolves Concept - Phil B.
Yay: Historically, Sudbury has had some of the worse jerseys in the CHL, and they haven't gotten much better or worse over time. Among them are their awful 3rd jerseys, including their current one, which has this logo. Mixing this logo, their current arm style, and Winnipeg Jets' arm stripes creates a jersey that is quite an improvement on most of Sudbury's jersey history. It's a good mix of old and new.
Nay: The all grey/white logo still looks weird on a blue background, similar to the look of the Pittsburgh Penguins through the 70's. The jersey's design is actually pretty good, I don't have a lot to complain about it, but I would change the collar colour to either grey, or the arm colour. And maybe slightly thicker grey stripes on the pants.
Overall: I'm not a fan of the jersey, but it feels like an improvement compared to Sudbury's current looks. 7.5/10
Hartford vs Bridgeport AHL Stadium Series Concept - Justin S.
Yay: Stylistically, there isn't a gigantic difference between this concept and the concept that won the AHL Stadium Series competition. That shows how well this concept keeps with the Stadium Series look everyone seems to love. The striping design looks good on both jerseys and equipment. I know most of the Stadium Series jerseys are coloured, but I think the white works better in Bridgeport's case. Both jerseys have the S.S. styles too it, and would be believable sets for both teams.
Nay: The biggest downer of this concept is that the striping pattern is the same on both jerseys. The striping pattern works for Bridgeport because it closely resembles their parent club's jersey. But Hartford's striping pattern could have had something different, closer to the Rangers jersey maybe. Hartford should have blue pants instead of going with an all-red look, and the box around the name bar doesn't need to be there.
Overall: If it was just Bridgeport's jersey, this would score higher, but the Wolf Pack jersey brings this concept down. 7/10
St. John's IceCaps Concept - Andrew G.
Yay: Ah, the beautiful double-blue of Winnipeg/St. John's. We all should know by know that I'm a sucker for double-blue jerseys. Other than how great the colours look together, the arm style looks fantastic, and it is transitioned very well on both jerseys of the main set. The sublimated iceberg on the bottom of the jersey is just plain awesome. Finally, the 3rd jersey, minus the logo, is the perfect classic looking jersey.
Nay: I'll start with the 3rd. Again, perfect classic jersey, besides the logo. I'm a fan of the logo itself, but it looks too new to be in place with this jersey. A wordmark might even work better here than that logo. And on the main white jerseys, I feel like there needs to be grey somewhere in the striping, to match the striping pattern of the dark jersey better.
Overall: A slight colour change, and swapping the logo on an already good looking jersey, and this set would be perfect. 8.2/10
Washington vs Carolina Rival Colours Series Concept - Me
Well its a little difficult to do a full review on my own jersey, so I'll just chat about it a little bit. I'm almost done with this series, but I've been busy the last few weeks so the final few concepts remaining are a little behind schedule, but should be here in a couple of weeks, month at the latest. This concept in particular was really difficult. I could have gone the easy route, replicate their current jerseys, and surely have a better design at the end, but that's no fun. For Washington, I went back to their 90's style of jersey, which always looks great. For the Hurricanes, I found a stitching style I thought was unique, threw colour all over it, and created something incredibly awesome yet awful at the same time. I feel like if the people who created the Buffalo 3rd wanted to make a Hurricanes jersey with red and blue, this is what you'd get.
So that's my story on it, but I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts on it. Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this series so far, and hopefully you wont have to wait long until the next batch comes in.
So that's my story on it, but I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts on it. Thank you to everyone who has enjoyed this series so far, and hopefully you wont have to wait long until the next batch comes in.
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Alright, now that I'm done shamelessly self-promoting myself,I will announce that, after some pondering, I'm going to give Andrew's St. John's IceCaps concept my COTW nomination. There really wasn't a standout concept today, but lots of good concept that made this a difficult decision.
Well that wraps it up for today. Please take a minute to vote for the votes going on this week, including the FINALS FOR 2013 COTY. That's a big honour for one of those two designers, and you can help make that a reality for them.
Thanks for reading, and have a good weekend!
Well that wraps it up for today. Please take a minute to vote for the votes going on this week, including the FINALS FOR 2013 COTY. That's a big honour for one of those two designers, and you can help make that a reality for them.
Thanks for reading, and have a good weekend!
Thursday: More Stadium, Less Chrome
Reviewed by Unknown
on
January 30, 2014
Rating:
Reviewed by Unknown
on
January 30, 2014
Rating:
9 comments:
I second the COTW nom for the Ice Caps concept. That alternate is awesome!
Third on Andrew's St. John's IceCaps concept!
Maybe I'm jealous, and maybe I'm kind of confused, but is an 8.2/10 concept worth a COTW? Now, regardless it got two more nominations so it doesn't matter what you, William have said. I've noticed though that you give a COTW nominee every week. Some weeks I don't have a problem because some really deserve it. I'm wondering if you considered not even giving a concept a nomination on a post. I know this is strictly your opinion, and nothing against the IceCaps one today. I think it definitely has earned the score it got, maybe even more. I just feel that it seems like an 8.2 in a grade wouldn't normally be a nomination.
Again, no harm to you William, I know how this HJC stuff works! Just my two cents.
In that case, I'll give my two cents on that jersey too! I personally think double blue is probably my favorite color scheme used by teams in sports. Secondly I think the alternate is the strongest in this set. It gives the team a solid traditional jersey to land back on. For the home and road I do like the sublimated icecap design. However, I do not feel that using the same style from the logo directly to the hem would look that nice. It's almost like an overkill of the icecap. Maybe make other similar and smaller ones connecting to the middle one to have it go around the jersey completely would make it look nice. Also my one gripe on the alternate would be to use more baby blue!
So after that mini rant/question, I hope I made up for it by also putting my opinion of the concept in mind. I know others in the past have complained about a jersey being nominated, but they would just be pissed off. So I'm not really complaining, just wondering what everyone might think.
I'll leave so everyone else can have some comment room!
@Dylan
I definitely see what you are getting at. Not to specifically mention today's concepts, but there are days where the best concept would never win a COTW vote on any given week.
But I get frustrated when I see only 2 or 3 concepts up for the weekly vote, when there are roughly 60 concepts to choose from, because no one is nominating a concept that probably should be there. I personally like to include a COTW nomination every day I post, to get the ball rolling. My vote alone doesn't get a concept nominated, so I think this is a fair move. However, there has been one week that I failed to nominate a concept, because the best concept was probably below 8/10.
Which brings up another point: I'm not a fan of numbers. I loved my posts that involved different ways of comparing concepts, like my mustache post. But those take way too much time and effort for my schedule to be able to dish out an entertaining post, so I stick to the traditional numbers system. I don't have a set formula to determine the score for each concept, because I could really care less about it. What matters to me is the positive and negative feedback, to learn what you did right and what needs work. I value that more than some arbitrary number attached to it, especially because everyone seems to have a different number system. My 8 might be someone else's 6.
So you've heard my side of the story. I don't entirely disagree with what you have to say, but I do feel that being the best concept on any given day deserves a second look compared to the rest of the week, and that is why I give my nomination. Again, my single nomination means squat until someone else feels the same way, and today a few people do.
Oh yeah, not saying it doesn't deserve to be. I just felt it kind of off. I can see what you're saying about the ratings being different on days, and for sure when I wrote that happened, where I almost had to compare ones grade to another one on the post. I never wrote down a grading scale or anything but for the most part I felt my grades had a similar ratio to each other (or I at least tried). So I start to lose some comprehension to the situation. What a glorious world of art, huh?
If I were to choose COTW, I would be torn between the St. John's one and the Anaheim Ducks concept. By the way, William, You do a good job on the Caps reverse color scheme, but I don't like the grey on the Caps jersey. The Hurricanes looks like Uncle Sam threw up on it, but would look cool on the ice.
Hey Will, I loved the concept you made for the Flames. Just one question: How did you make the logos for the Home/Away Jerseys? I love the Flames logo already, and putting the Calgary Tower was a touch of greatness. I just want to know how you made it.
Thanks, Ben A.
@Ben
Thank you, I wanted to use red as the main colour on the Capitals jersey instead of grey, but grey at the bottom looked bad, and so did black, so grey as the primary dark was my next best option. The Hurricanes one is just plain weird but I agree it would be interesting on the ice.
Its really simple, but I used Photoshop so if you're using a simple program like Paint, its more challenging. Basically I had the Flames logo and the tower on separate layers, selected around the tower, saved that selection and used it on the Flames logo, and erase wherever necessary. Then I added an outline to the whole image to make it look like it was designed together.
@ Ben
If you're using a program that doesn't use layers or selections, then the best way to do it is to paste the tower above the Flames logo, and with the colour of the Flames logo carefully paint over the tower where desired, to create that "3D weave" effect. Hope either of those methods help.
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