Thursday: First-Person Shoot-Out

What's up guys? I'll tell you what's up, the HJC Open Final Vote!  That's right, the two last survivors have completed their concepts, and starting today you guys must comment and decide the winner of the 2014 HJC Open.  No pressure or anything...

I already talked about the Grand Rapids Griffins competition last week, so I won't ramble on about it again.  But I've seen some of the work put in so far, and wow this competition is bringing some of the best work out of everybody! We're barely a quarter of the way through August, so there is plenty of time to work on your entry and get it submitted. I'm sure the decision-makers for the Griffins will have a hard time picking a winner, especially with so many great designs already sent in.  Keep up the good work guys!

But that's enough jibber jabber for me, let's go straight to business.

COTW July 28-Aug 3 Vote (ends Friday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

HJC Open Final Vote (ends Saturday @ 11:59pm Eastern)

Grand Rapids Griffins Competition (ends August 31st)

Battlefield 4 Concept - Mario A.

Yay: We start today with a concept I can't see, due to all of the lens flare (Battlefield joke).  All joking aside Mario starts today off with a pair of video game concepts.  I'm not familiar with the logo with the metal decorations, but it looks cool, especially when used in the striping.  The colours are well chosen for this concept, and aside from a few execution errors, this would be a cool fan jersey.

Nay: On the dark jersey, the lowest hem stripe before the metal design should be white to match the hem.  The metal stripes don't share the same pattern of dots on both jerseys, which looks messy.  On both jerseys, the logo is way too wide, the captains patch and name are too small, and the back number is too big.  The lack of TV numbers hurts this concept too.

Overall: Cool design, but a bit of a misfire.  7/10



Doom Concept - Mario A.

Yay: Next up is the classic game Doom.  I'm not really to familiar with the game, but the colours are a pretty good choice.  This font would never work on an actual hockey jersey, but I think it works in this case, since (to my knowledge) there isn't an actual hockey team dedicated to Doom.  That would be pretty cool though.

Nay: The sizing issues on the first concept apply here, besides the logo (which is sized pretty much perfectly).  The colours on the hem stripes should be inverted, that way it would better match the arms.  I'd also like to see some red in the design, to better match the logo.

Overall: Definitely seeing an improvement in your work. Not bad, but still need to work on execution. 6.5/10



Oklahoma City Barons Concept - Justin S.

Yay: Next is an interesting concept that takes the Oklahoma City Barons and matches them with the OKC Thunder alternate jersey. Personally, I think the Thunder's alternate is ugly, but I think it fits a little better with the "Barons" identity.  For what the concept is supposed to do, it's done very well.

Nay:  I still can't bring myself to like this jersey. I know it's different, and executed well, which is difficult to do, but I just can't enjoy this concept. Respect it? Yes. Enjoy it? No.  As far as changes go, I'd move the vertical stripes and name closer to the side, and move the number the same distance towards the other side.  The name on the back could be a little bigger too.  I think going with a white collar would be good enough without the white yoke outline.

Overall: I can respect the effort in the design, and it does replicate the Thunder's jersey quite well. But I won't be buying this anytime soon.  7.6/10



Chicago Blackhawks Concept - Phil B.

Yay: Next up is a soccer kit for the Chicago Blackhawks.  I'm really liking the creativity I'm seeing in this set so far.  This Chicago kit naturally looks classy and sharp. The colours and stripes really make this concept feel like a 'Hawks concept, and the sponsorship on the crest is just the right size.

Nay: I get why the number and name are off to the side, but it looks ridiculous. I don't follow soccer much, so I don't know if other teams do that, but it's a really amateurish look for a team like the Blackhawks.  The white arms are a bit much, I'd go with a white trim instead.

Overall:  Neat concept, but struggling to find the jersey mojo the Blackhawks have on the ice. 6.7/10



Calgary Flames Concept - Phil B.

Yay: Phil comes back with a Calgary Flames soccer kit, and I'm liking the look of this.  The uniform definitely has the flair of the Flames, while looking classy enough to look good on the pitch.  The colours are well balanced here, and the sponsorship looks to be about the right size for a soccer uniform.

Nay: Flaming pants?  I get the look you're going for, and it's cool, but I think it'll be as popular in Calgary as the Flaming Snot Horse logo.  If you put the Flames logo design on the arms and used them as cuffs instead, I think it would work out better.  I'd also reverse the gradient on the socks, so black ends at the bottom, and I'd make the Scotiabank logo red, because that follows their branding more than yellow does.

Overall:  I like it. It isn't perfect, but it sure is cool!  7.3/10



Vancouver Canucks Concept - Christian L.

Yay: Does this concept look familiar? That's because Christian had a concept similar to this yesterday, although that one was much simpler in design.  This concept brings out the full-body barber pole, which I never thought would look as good as it does here.  As Alex pointed out yesterday, I love the cleaned-up logo, and everything here looks like it belongs, with nothing out of place.

Nay: First, let's discuss the logo. Yes, it is flawlessly designed, cleaned-up, and still keeps the Canucks identity, but I see one problem, it's a white skate.  I don't think that's a design flaw, but how many fans would look at that and say "hey they have a figure skate on their logo" or mention a connection to the Oakland Seals?  There's just so much room for fan hatred, even though it looks awesome.  Other than that, the stripes on the left arms don't line up as well as the stripes on the right, the sock stripes leak off of the sock outline, and I think adding a green stripe could help the pants.

Overall: Not buying the barber pole look, especially after seeing that beautiful classic concept yesterday. The white skate logo has it's flaws, but is still really awesome.  7.8/10



St. Louis Blues Concept - Christian L.

Yay: Christian doubles up his concepts today with this absolute beauty for the St. Louis Blues.  I'd love to see a throwback alternate, bringing back some red.  The stripes are a modernization of the diagonal stripes look, which was one of the most unique and awesome designs in NHL history.  The execution on this concept is fantastic, especially since this is a difficult template to work with.  The results are well worth it. Fantastic work.

Nay: Personally, I like the straight stripes more than this more curvy design, but that's just personal tastes.  The gloves must be from a 2D template, and looks extra cartoony placed right by the 3D realistic template, which isn't really your fault.  Still, I'd like to see some red on the gloves as well.  I think the shoulder patches could be higher up on the shoulder.

Overall: Love it! I have a few personal choices I'd change, but this is still a ridiculously cool concept as is.  9/10



2015 Winter Classic Concept - Ryan H.

Yay: Last but not least is Ryan's take on the 2015 Winter Classic.  Many designers have been putting the 70's Capitals and 30's Blackhawks jerseys together, which gives fans 2 awesome jerseys, but doesn't make an accurate jersey match up.  Ryan makes two time-insensitive fauxbacks, which look great together.  Washington's uniform could work for a classic or modern uniform, and would be a sweet alternate to use year-round. Chicago's uniform is a black version of their current home uniform (with vintage white), which looks better than their black alternates they used in the Stadium Series.

Nay: On the Washington jersey, it may be because of the "Washington" text, but the logo seems really small and insignificant, when it should be loud and proud like the awesome yet underused logo it is.  The bronze stripes look out of place, because there's no bronze anywhere else on the logo or jersey.  On the Blackhawks jersey, the vintage-white effect is hurt by the fact there's pure white on the logo. Only a little, but enough to stand out.

Overall: The Capitals jersey is very interesting, but has a few issues.  The Blackhawks jersey is executed beautifully, but not as interesting considering it's mostly just a recolour job.  I wouldn't be disappointed with these, but I think both teams could do better. 8.3/10

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My COTW nom is going to Christian L's St Louis Blues concept. I may be biased, because I absolutely love the 90's Blues look, but this concept is very well done and looks fantastic.

What do you guys think? Take a minute to comment on your favourite concepts, and say what you like and didn't like.  I think everyone brought something cool to the post today, which is great to see.

That's all for me today. Don't forget to put your vote into the HJC Open Final and COTW votes for this week. Thanks for reading, and have a good weekend.