January, 2008:

• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Wait, Aren't the Giants Called Big BLUE?"
  January 31, 2008
  Here's a simple uni-related rule of thumb: A football team's helmet color usually matches the color of some other prominent uniform element -- either the jersey, the pants, the stripes and trim, the typography or even the socks. The only exceptions are teams whose helmets are white, black or silver, which are neutral colors that pretty much match up with everything. So with the Super Bowl almost upon us, consider the case of a certain mystery team, which for demonstration purposes Uni Watch will refer to as "NYG." As you can see here, NYG's road uni is heavy on the red -- red socks, red uni numbers, red sleeve stripes, red captain's patch, red chest insignia. Red nameplates, gloves and shoe trim, too. Even NYG's little Reebok logo is red. So NYG probably wears a red helmet, right?
   
• Chicago Blackhawks Not Changing Slogan (National Hockey League)
  January 30, 2008
  Created by a mixture of passion, anger and frustration over a close defeat, the phrase "Commit to the Indian" wasn't something Blackhawks coach Denis Savard planned on becoming the team's official slogan. And it won't be. Club President John McDonough said Tuesday the organization won't pursue using the phrase Savard uttered during a postgame rant Thursday night after the Hawks' 1-0 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. "When Denis said commit to the Indian, what I think he was saying is commit to the fans, commit to the logo that's on the sweater," McDonough said. "Sometimes you just say it spontaneously and that's where it was and it just caught some people's attention."
   
• Portland Beavers Unveil New Logo, Uniforms (Pacific Coast League (baseball))
  January 29, 2008
  The Portland Beavers have launched a new era in the team’s rich, franchise history, today unveiling new official logos, color schemes and on-field uniforms that will be in use during the 2008 season and beyond. The new identity system, created by Portland-based Sandstrom Design, was introduced during a special launch event at Pioneer Place in downtown Portland on Tuesday. Building on more than 90 years of franchise history, the Beavers’ visual identity signals a new direction for the team while at the same time blending elements of the considerable past of the Portland club that was a charter member of the Pacific Coast League in the early 1900s. A large part of the re-branding initiative is centered on the emphasis of this unique charm, showcasing the Beavers as “Portland’s Team Since 1903.”
   
• Pittsburgh Pirates Unveil New Spring Training Commemorative Logo (Major League Baseball/National League)
  January 24, 2008
  Pittsburgh Pirates Chairman of the Board Bob Nutting and Pirates President Frank Coonelly have unveiled a commemorative logo celebrating the ballclub’s 40th anniversary of playing host to Spring Training in Bradenton, Fla., The logo is symbolic of the club’s long-term relationship with the city as it brings the classic Pirates ‘‘P’’ and Bradenton together onto the historical facade outline of McKechnie Field. The Pirates will display the logo throughout Spring Training on a large billboard just behind the right-center field wall at McKechnie, as well as on the Pirates Spring Training jerseys. ‘‘For 40 years, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been proud to call the City of Bradenton our southern home, and we are excited to continue our partnership for many more years to come,’’ Nutting said. ‘‘It is important that the Pirates continue to be a good community partner, as well as an economic driver for the Bradenton area. We are very pleased that Pirates fans from Pittsburgh and across the country will be able to continue to spend a part of their spring watching Pirates baseball in the City of Bradenton.’’
   
• Vancouver Canadians Unveil New Logo (Northwest League (baseball))
  January 24, 2008
  The Vancouver Canadians Professional Baseball Club will start the 2008 season off with a fresh new look with the unveiling of a new logo and merchandise. The new design takes its cues from "old time" baseball while combining with the colours and themes of the recently-revitalized Nat Bailey Stadium, the Canadians much-loved ballpark. The clean, contemporary font compliments the retro "C" graphic, while the stitching effect was a natural fit to create the baseball within the logo. "We really wanted our new brand and logo to promote the fact that this is a new era for the Canadians, and that baseball in Vancouver is alive and well," says Canadians owner Jake Kerr. "We are a team that loves baseball and is proud to be Canadian." Despite buying the team in 2007, branding guidelines from Minor and Major League Baseball prevented the Canadians from changing its mark until the 2008 season. The Canadians creative team worked closely with both Minor and Major League Baseball to develop a new look that would appeal to Vancouver fans and its MLB affiliated team the Oakland Athletics. Another tribute to fans is the evolution of the historic "C" to "C's", reflecting the nickname commonly used by fans. It even draws comparisons to the Oakland Athletics who are referred to as the "A's".
   
• Atlanta Dream Unveils Nickname, Logo (Women's National Basketball Association)
  January 23, 2008
  Atlanta’s new WNBA team officially arrived today as Team Owner Ron Terwilliger and the franchise unveiled the Atlanta Dream team name, logo and colors in front of a large crowd at the East Lake YMCA. WNBA President Donna Orender and Atlanta City Council President Lisa Borders were joined by hundreds of supporters at the special community event. “Today’s is another milestone toward our Inaugural 2008 Season in May,” said Terwilliger. “Atlanta is a city of dreamers and this week we have had time to reflect on what it means to dream and what can happen when you do. Little girls, like little boys, imagine playing in front of cheering crowds and achieving success in professional sports leagues. We believe Dream best captures Atlanta’s spirit and the core values of the WNBA. We look forward to the Atlanta Dream continuing to make history as we work toward our goal of transcending sports.” The Atlanta Dream’s color scheme is red and sky blue. In the logo, Atlanta is spelled out in red capital letters above Dream which is penned in sky blue capital letters and shadowed with a red and white. Three light blue stars surround the A of Dream with one star in the middle and a basketball propelled out of the star.
   
• Los Angeles Times - "Patriots Needed a Logo, And This Doodle Was a Dandy" (National Football League)
  January 20, 2008
  The most unlikely team on today's NFL playoff fields will not be from San Diego. The most bizarre team in today's NFL conference championship games has nothing to do with New York. The most amazing team is not led by Brett Favre, and the most prolific team is not featuring Tom Brady. The coolest of all teams lives not on your TV screen, but in an anonymous brick building next to a nail salon on a busy street in Culver City. There are no signs out front. There is really only one notable sign inside, a tiny photo in the middle of a wall filled with tiny photos. Fifteen years ago, on a drafting table in the middle of this building, a designer and his college intern casually doodled the logo on that photo.
   
• Kansas City Wizards Unveil New Uniforms (Major League Soccer)
  January 19, 2008
  Kansas City Wizards and adidas have worked together to introduce an altered uniform with a slight color evolution that fans and players alike will enjoy. "When we initially sat down with adidas to discuss the 2008 kit, it was important to both of us that any change in kit color or design should be an evolution, not a revolution," Wizards Executive Vice President Greg Cotton said. "Our fans embraced Wizards team merchandise like never before last season. In fact, we increased total jersey sales across all markets by over 700 percent last season, the largest increase in team history. This redesign builds on that success, and injects new life and enthusiasm into a powerful Wizards brand." The Wizards home kit will feature a cobalt blue background with dark indigo trim and pure yellow piping. Away jerseys will feature a white background with cobalt blue under-sleeve and dark indigo trim. Numbers will be white on the home kid and navy on the away kit. "Kansas City" will appear in the traditional Wizards font in white on the home kit and in dark indigo on the away kit. The crest has been changed to what was formerly the secondary logo without the rainbow design. The crest is also slightly larger this season. The official game jersey will be 100 percent polyester and features adidas Clima 365 technology.
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Something is Definitely Up These Sleeves"
  January 17, 2008
  Is there some sort of conservation-of-fabric rule out there on the hard court? Some sort of zero-sum dictum that states, "If thou taketh away over here, thou must addeth back somewhere else"? Uni Watch is inclined to think so after witnessing two events that took place a few weekends ago: The one you probably heard about was that the Lakers broke out the old-school short shorts; less celebrated, but just as notable, was that Evansville tried to channel a bit of nostalgic karma by reviving its sleeved jerseys, which had been the school's visual trademark back in the day.
  
   
• San Angelo Colts Unveil All-Star Game Logo (United League Baseball)
  January 16, 2008
  The Colts have released the logo for the 2008 All-Star game. As previously announced, United League Baseball and the Golden Baseball League have agreed to a partnership, where the two leagues will face off against each other in an All-Star exhibition for the 2008 and 2009 seasons. The 2008 All-Star game will take place at Foster Field in San Angelo on Tuesday, July 15th. The teams will consist of 20-man rosters, one from the GBL, with eight teams in California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and Western Canada, and the other from the ULB, with six teams in Texas and Louisiana. The Colts are very excited about the event, after coming off an amazing 2007 season, in which the team recorded its highest attendance since 2001.
   
• Chicago Fire Unveils New Uniform Sponsor (Major League Soccer)
  January 15, 2008
  The Chicago Fire will have a new look for the 2008 season. The players will be sporting a new jersey sponsored by Best Buy. The two organizations recently completed a three-year, multi-million dollar deal announced on Tuesday afternoon. "This is huge," Fire defender C.J. Brown said. "When I started with the Fire our sponsors were league sponsors. This is another big step in the right direction for the league and also for the Fire. You're in good company when you have Best Buy in your corner." Chicago's jerseys will look the same. They have the Fire logo on the chest and the stripe on the front. Only this time, instead of the stripe reading Chicago or Fire, it will read Best Buy.
   
• Charlotte Checkers Unveil New Logo (ECHL (hockey))
  January 11, 2008
  As part of the 15th Anniversary Season celebration, the Charlotte Checkers will unveil their brand-new primary logo tonight in a game against their division rivals, the Columbia Inferno. The historic day will mark the first time in the team’s 15 year history that they have changed their primary logo. During tonight’s game, Checkers players will be wearing their new logo jerseys presented by Amtrak. The Checkers plan to wear their new logo jerseys for six regular season games; following the April 4 game, the jerseys will be auctioned off to benefit Charlotte Youth Hockey. As part of the celebration, the Checkers will hand out new logo t-shirts to the first 2000 fans that attend tonight’s game courtesy of CorporateXposure. Another feature during the game will be an announcement of the nominations for the first class of the Charlotte Hockey Hall of Fame presented by American Airlines. Also included in tonight’s game will be a unique broadcast from ice level. Director of media relations and broadcasting, Jason Shaya, will deliver the play-by-play of the action from between the home and away benches. The game will be made available for free via the B2 Networks and by logging onto www.gocheckers.com ten minutes before the game begins.
   
• Clinton LumberKings Unveil New Logo (Midwest League (baseball))
  January 10, 2008
  On Opening Day 2008, a new crop of players will not be the only fresh look for the Clinton LumberKings. The classic "Louie the LumberKing" logo that adorns Clinton's hats and helmets is getting its first facelift since its creation in 1994. Thanks to New Era's design team, Louie has toned up, changed his facial hair and is even equipped with some new gear. Gone is the handlebar mustache, silver crown and green wood plank that epitomized the mascot for 14 seasons. Nowadays, Louie is sporting a new slick goatee, a shiny golden crown, and swings a more conventional wood baseball bat. With all the changes, he has still maintained the scrappy attitude that made him a fan favorite - arching his eyebrow and sporting his classic grin. "With all the changes that have taken place in the last few seasons, we wanted to give Louie a new and fresher look," said Ted Tornow, General Manager of the LumberKings. Although the LumberKings' wordmark and uniforms will remain virtually the same, the team is already excited over the new Louie logo and the attention it will bring to the Midwest League's eldest franchise.
   
• Tampa Bay Storm Unveil New Helmets for 2008 (Arena Football League)
  January 6, 2008
  It looks like the Storm has disappeared. Well, from their helmets, anyway. The Tampa Bay Storm will sport a slightly new look when they take the field March 1 in Kansas City to take on the Brigade. Gone from their helmets will be the familiar “Tampa Bay Storm” text logo with the familiar hurricane swirl replacing the “O” in Storm. The Storm’s helmet will instead feature an oversized blue swirl with no text on the sides. The color scheme will remain the same as the helmet will continue to be the familiar metallic gold with a royal blue “storm” swirl. The change was confirmed by Storm Public Relations Director Jim Robinson.
   
• Uni Watch by Paul Lukas - "Remembering Fallen Friends Through Uniforms"
  January 3, 2008
  The NFL, notoriously rigid about enforcing leaguewide uniform standards, has been surprisingly flexible about one uni-related element this season: The Sean Taylor memorial "21" decal, which all teams wore in Week 13, was made optional for the rest of the season. So some teams have been wearing it and others haven't. And then there are the Giants, who removed the decal for Week 14 but restored it the following week -- except for offensive lineman Grey Ruegamer, who was Pat Tillman's teammate at Arizona State and doesn't think anyone should be getting a more extended memorial tribute than Tillman got.
   
• U. of Georgia and U. of Hawaii to Wear Alt Uniforms in Sugar Bowl (NCAA)
  January 1, 2008
  Today's Sugar Bowl between Hawai'i and Georgia is supposed to be the stage for a clash of football styles, and no more was that apparent than on a Sugar Bowl-sponsored stage yesterday. The opposing head coaches, UH's June Jones and Georgia's Mark Richt, wore business suits in their final pre-game news conference. Richt appeared to be a comfortable fit, as he leads the Bulldogs into their eighth Sugar Bowl, and third since the game was incorporated as part of the Bowl Championship Series in 1999. In contrast, Jones was noticeably awkward in a suit, the first he claims to have worn in nine years. Jones, who sometimes plays golf in bare feet, even wore socks for the first time in recent memory. There they were, two leaders of programs that are polar in style, tradition and circumstance.