IHA Atlantic Finalists Unveiled!
69 CommentsOver the past couple of weeks I've been inundated with logo submissions for the IHA project. Some of them are top-notch, professional grade logos, others... not so much. But after going through all of the logos sent in, I've narrowed down three finalists for each team in the Atlantic Division. You'll begin voting on them this week but for right now, have a look at the competition.
ATLANTA FIRE
NEW YORK AMERICANS
PHILADELPHIA TITANS
PITTSBURGH MINERS
WASHINGTON STARS
I've left off credits here for a couple of reasons which I won't get into. However, if your logo is featured here and you would like a credit, drop me a line via email and let me know and I'll be happy to add it. Otherwise, I plan to wait and credit the logos that win for each team.
Polls will start going up on Monday to decide which logo should be used for each team. I was going to let this be a surprise but I'll go ahead and tell you anyway. Along with each poll, I'll show some of the logos that were submitted but didn't make the final cut for one reason or another. So if you sent in a logo but it's not among those above, it may still be posted on Icethetics this week.
By the way, I've tried to weed out any logos with elements stolen from actual professional sports team logos, but if I've missed anything be sure to let me know. I've got backups to put in for most teams as far as the polls go.
Now I'd like to hear what you guys think of these logos. Post your comments and critiques below!
UPDATE (5:21 PM): It seems as if the IHA project is nothing if not controversial. A number of readers are concerned that the second Atlanta Fire logo above is too similar to the old Atlanta Flames logo. My opinion is that it's different enough to be considered original but yours is the only opinion that really counts as far as I'm concerned so I'm doing a quick reader poll here to gauge the general feeling on this. It'll be open until tomorrow at noon.
Reader Comments (69)
The first Titans logo is the same as the Tennessee Tians in the NFL minus the Tennessee shield:
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=1056
The rest are great! better than I was expecting. But what about the secondary, tertiary and wordmarks?
The first Titans logo is very similar to the Tennessee Titans Secondary logo
http://sportslogos.net/images/logos/7/160/full/1056.gif
First and second Atlanta logos seem to borrow from the old Atlanta Flames logo, especially the second one ... also the word verification for Google account doesn't seem to work on Firefox 3.
Lets see...
Fire- 2nd logo will win
Americans- 3rd logo will win
Titans- 1st logo will win
Miners- 2nd logo will win
Stars- I don't really like any of them, but i think the 2nd logo will win.
And Chris, are you going to post the finalists for the West Division next sunday, just like today?
The first Titans logo is the same as the Tennessee Tians in the NFL minus the Tennessee shield
Good catch to both of you on that one. Somehow I overlooked it. I'll be adding in a replacement later today for the Philadelphia Titans.
And Chris, are you going to post the finalists for the West Division next sunday, just like today?
That's the plan, assuming I have enough logos submitted. I'm still waiting on more concepts for the Houston Comets!
Also the third miners logo looks somwhat similar to this concept logo:
http://www.kineticid.com/logos/fantasy/Yellowknife%20Miners%20Logo.gif
Comes from this list of concept logos:
http://www.kineticid.com/logos/fantasy/Yellowknife%20Miners%20Logo.gif
Of course it may well be this guy who submitted the logo!
I don't see the similarity in the first Titans logo and the Tennesee Titans logo...they're both T's sure, but that's it, otherwise they look totally different...am I the only one who thinks this?
First Pittsburgh logo looks like the shape of the Ketchup shield ! :P
I don't see the similarity in the first Titans logo and the Tennesee Titans logo...they're both T's sure, but that's it, otherwise they look totally different...am I the only one who thinks this?
I've removed the one they were talking about. It was almost exactly the same as the Tennessee Titans' logo. Because of that I won't allow it to be part of the competition. I'll have its replacement posted soon.
the first atlanta fire logo definitely resembles the atlanta flames logo. the second looks EXACTLY like the Atlanta Flames logo, just a different angle of it with a few minor changes at the bottom such as the edges.
the 3rd NY Americans logo reminds me of the Patriots logo
Oh that makes sense...I thought i was crazy! The other logos are looking great. I love the simplicity of the first Fire logo although the colors of the second one really jump out. The first Miners logo with the mine car is a great idea and it incorporates the keystone well (for the comment on the ketchup, you should know that the keystone is the symbol for Pennsylvania)...can't wait to vote and see more great stuff!
I took down the Miners logo Jonathan referenced above. Whether it's the same artist or not, it's not an original design for this project. I'll have a replacement up later — actually the replacement is a design by Andrew Harkins (one comment above me), if I'm not mistaken.
Thanks for catching these, guys.
So Chris,
Are you just going to allow those Atlanta Flames knockoffs? Especially Number 2?
Titans "T-bell" logo is AWESOME!!!!
The Atlanta team never should have been named "Fire" that just begs for the Atlanta Flames logos to be ripped off or altered. Poor planning on that part.
Are you going to put up the two logos you took down with the polls?
didn't get to see the 3rd miners logo but those first 2 look great. and lol @ "shape of the ketchup shield"... it's the keystone, which is the symbol of pennsylvania.
and i have to echo the whole "what's up with those first two fire logos" sentiment - especially the 2nd one... blatant ripoffs off the old atlanta flames logo. I didn't get here in time to see the ones you removed, but I don't see how you can allow those Fire logos to continue.
When are you going to put up the replacements for those logos?
looks like someone else was thinking the same thing as me with the Miners logo (the first one), i suppose that's a better execution of it.
i don't mean to double-post, but Chris (and whoever else decided on the finalists), you really don't like the inclusion of hockey equipment in the logo itself, do you? not a single one of these logos are hockey-exclusive
So Chris,
Are you just going to allow those Atlanta Flames knockoffs? Especially Number 2?
I disagree with your assessment that they're "knockoffs." If anything, I'd perhaps consider the second a modernization of the Atlanta Flames' old logo and that makes it acceptable for this project. But if you don't like it, you don't have to vote for it.
i don't mean to double-post, but Chris (and whoever else decided on the finalists), you really don't like the inclusion of hockey equipment in the logo itself, do you? not a single one of these logos are hockey-exclusive
That was unintentional, but some of the best NHL logos have no hockey equipment in them. Why do they have to be "hockey-exclusive" to be worthy logos?
Only the americans logos impress me (especially the third for it's originality), the rest are all pretty bad, only done by good artists so they look good. Especially the atlanta fire and washington stars. And how does a T in the liberty bell symbolize the titans, that one should be a secondary logo because they always symbolize the city whereas the primary should always symbolize the team.
"That was unintentional, but some of the best NHL logos have no hockey equipment in them. Why do they have to be "hockey-exclusive" to be worthy logos?"
of course not all NHL logos have hockey exclusivity to them, but some of them do. at a glance, 7 NHL logos do and 14 AHL logos do, so maybe having A FEW of the finalists with hockey exclusivity would be nice.
i grade a logo based on 4 things: does it represent its team nickname, does it represent it's area, does it represent its sport, and does it look cool. sure a lot of these logos have 3 out of 4 (i'm loving the philly concepts especially), i'm just surprised that NONE of them represent the sport.
are these "worthy" as you call it? absolutely. just-about all of these logos look amazing. the lack of hockey equipment is just an observation that struck me, and i just wondered if you actually were biased against those kinds of logos, not that there's anything wrong with that.
I just inserted the replacement logos for the Miners and Titans. Hopefully that's all the changes we'll have to make.
Hockey Week: You are right, though I've got to say the majority of the logos submitted did not have any hockey equipment in them. When I post some of the logos that didn't make the cut here you'll see that some of them do have hockey sticks and pucks but you'll also see why they weren't finalists.
Now personally, I don't think putting hockey equipment into a logo adds anything. In fact, it makes me think minor league hockey in a mid-sized market. However, there are plenty of exceptions — in the NHL especially. I think it works great for the Avalanche, Islanders, Sharks and Capitals. I think it's a miss for the Thrashers and Penguins. Not sure who the 7th team is on your list (Hurricanes, maybe?).
Anyway, good observation but just keep in mind that this is only 5 of the 30 teams. We've got a long way to go yet.
Well I was hoping for something else than the letter A or F for the Fire logo. Maybe a phoenix, cause it's Atlantas symbol, or a torch, cause it hosted the summer olympics in 1996. People should make some research to get some ideas. Those are a bit plain, but my faves number one.
And the Titans logo. The third one is frigging clever. I first thought it was just a man (titan) with a beard, but it's not just that cause it's shaped like the Liberty Bell. The best of the Atlantic division.
The Americans logo, again, a bit plain, but I like the first one. The first Miners logo looks cool, love it. The third one is okay. And the first Stars logo is the best of those plain thingies.
I'd be doing my own versions too, but I have no skills to fulfill my ideas :(
alright then, i just wondered if my observation had any validity.
I am glad to know that you'll be posting more for these teams, it'll make for some great posts.
we'll have to agree to disagree on the Penguins, call me a homer, but i think it's an amazing logo that represents the team name (obviously), the city (the golden triangle), the sport, and looks "cool".
but i think i see what you're getting at, the Avs and Caps are so subtle that many people don't see it unless you point it out (believe it or not!). The hurricanes (which is the 7th on my list) uses a puck as the middle of the storm, so subtle that you're even questioning. I look at teams like the Norfolk Admirals and think it's a perfect logo for that team (with a tough name to represent). While some logos push with hockey (a lot of the minor league logos you're reminded of), some teams pull it off tastefully (hershey bears, norfolk admirals, toronto marlies, worcester sharks, portland pirates, and the NHL teams you mentioned), others not-so-much.
i realize we're only one division in, but i hope that we'll see the occasional puck or stick in a logo in the future.
one quick question for you, how is this going to work with secondary logos and wordmarks? will there be separate finalists and separate tournaments for those?
Where are the secondary logos and wordmarks?
Where are the secondary logos and wordmarks?
That won't be decided here. Just primary logos for these polls. In fact, contrary to my instructions, a lot of folks submitted artwork with a primary mark only. But this is all we're deciding on right now.
This is going to seem a little bit angry from me, but why do you decide what goes here?
I mean I understand you made up the teams, but what constitutes your logo choosing over ours? I originally thought we were going to decide which ones move forward, not just 3 of them.
I guess if your response is enough I could ask, will you show the others off eventually? I'd be curious what didn't make it...
If you don't change the 2nd Flames logo I'm not going to vote. I hope others agree with me.
Jason,
he said that he'll post logos that didn't make it (i'm hoping all of them, but i doubt it) at some point. i hope that if there's enough fuss made over some logo that didn't make his cut from people like us, he'll include it in the poll to choose the final logo, but i'm not going to expect it.
as for why his choosing is the final decision, if you don't mind my speaking for you Chris, would be because 1) it's his blog, 2) time: how many logos were submitted? 20? do we want to do 20 logos for each of 30 teams? the season would be over by then. 3) fairness: some designs are going to have more submissions than others. personally, i only had a good idea for the Miners, and that didn't make the cut. some teams might have 40 logos, some might have 5. so not to slight any city, he choose his favorite 3 and we choose from that.
i just hope that, eventually, he gives the same treatment for the secondary logos and wordmarks.
Chris also mentioned the idea of building a league from the ground up. sometime in the distant future, whenever this project is done, I really hope he goes through with it, and we choose the cities, the nicknames, the colors, the logos, and the jerseys. If there's enough support, and the idea is popular, we might get to do it, so let's hope for that.
This is going to seem a little bit angry from me, but why do you decide what goes here?
I mean I understand you made up the teams, but what constitutes your logo choosing over ours? I originally thought we were going to decide which ones move forward, not just 3 of them.
Even though you say you do, I'm not sure that you understand the process entirely — or that you read all of what I've written. And to begin, I apologize if this response comes off as annoyed, but no offense to you or anyone else, I just feel like I'm constantly answering the same questions repeatedly.
I'm not deciding on the final logo for each team, you guys are. I'm merely choosing 3 finalists for simplicity's sake. I'm not building a poll with a dozen choices for every team, most of which would be disregarded anyway. That would take too much time and not be worth anything in the long run.
I will be posting other entries I received when I post the polls throughout the upcoming week, as stated. On top of which, if there's enough of an outcry over any of the logos not included in the poll, I'd be more than happy to do it over again.
And most importantly, I didn't make up the teams or this league. I'm merely using what someone else came up with to put together a fun project. It seems no matter how often I point this out, it doesn't seem to get through to everyone.
Some of you guys are taking this blog too seriously and I'm not quite sure why. We sit around talking about hockey logos and jerseys all day. If you can't have a sense of humor and lightheartedness about that, you're in the wrong place.
Pardon the semi-rant there. But I felt like that needed saying. And despite my whining, I'm happy to answer any other questions if you've got them.
Hockey Week... thank you. You beat me to it. LOL :)
godsave1thequeen... you don't have to vote. No one's forcing you.
"I disagree with your assessment that they're "knockoffs." If anything, I'd perhaps consider the second a modernization of the Atlanta Flames' old logo and that makes it acceptable for this project. But if you don't like it, you don't have to vote for it."
Sorry to bring this up again, I agree that this logo -the 2nd Atlanta logo- is a knockoff. It is a beautiful logo, and well recreated but if someone where to come on here with a slightly altered Seattle Seahawks logo for Edmonton I bet it would not make it to the final three. Although the logo is not the same it is in no way an original piece of work, my bet is it would infringe upon copyright laws if a team tried to use it in the real world. If you don't remove it the world will not end, but I hope it does not win and my vote will go against it even though it is the best one of the three.
As for the "why you choose the three you did" I kind of feel cheated out of a decision, but I respect your decision none the less considering the amount of logos that you probably have received, but an alternate idea for the voting process might be to do what you did for the 'what team you are a fan of' poll (that I can't find a link for), even if all the logos are in one poll I don't think that people will mind... but its your choice and we will have to live with it. Again sorry for repeating these questions.
The second Pittsburgh Miners logo with the pick axe is pretty similar to the logo set of the Charlotte 49ers.
Oops forgot the link. Anybody else agree?
http://www.sportslogos.net/logo.php?id=vea55ffqc50et7z9r6f3
AnimalCoop24, you got that one right. Definitely stolen. I wasn't even aware of that logo. Thanks for letting me know. I'll replace it. Hopefully I can find another backup.
Just added a poll to the post. Share your opinion on the controversial Fire logo. Thanks!
how long will that post be up?
I was really enjoying all this, and all the pictures and the concepts of new teams and a new league. But ever since it started people have just complained about it. Chris is doing his best to make this site great for all us logos and jersey fans, and all people do is bash it in some sort of way. Yeah "icethetics" wasnt my favorite name for the site, but I didnt rant, complain and cry like alot of poeple. The site is what Chris makes it, and hes totally open to what everyone says, but cut the man some slack, without him. You wouldnt be here voting for this, you wouldnt get to see this awesome concept art, and none of this would be open to any of you.
Take it for what it is, enjoy the fact we have it, and we are able to do this, and relax, its all for fun.
I think you should replace it...grant it, the outer design is different...but, the Flame coming up is WAY too similar to the original Atlanta Flames logo...no offense Chris but naming the Atlanta team the FIRE is kinda almost asking for the artists of this site to copy/update the Flames logo...
I think some people forgot to read the "learn about the project" post, Chris didn't create this league so don't go bashing him for names that don't fit the team location or any other reason that part of this league that doesn't quite make sense. "The IHA is a fantasy hockey league that exists only in cyberspace created by an Icethetics reader named Nicolas." Now dont go bashing this guy either this is his fantasy league, so what he says goes, when and if we do our own run by Chris, we will get more say in how the teams are layed out. Oh and for all of you who dont think Seahawks makes sense for Edmonton (which I didnt either until now), wiki edmonton and youll see that they are nicknamed river city, and already have a small team named the seahawks so no more complaining about that.
Anyways thanks Chris for making the poll for the altanta logo, good idea, and thanks for dealing with us.
Got another update. I've replaced the third Miners logo. And before I start getting weird comments, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noisy_miner" REL="nofollow">this is the bird the designer had in mind. Hopefully we're through with all the copycat logos!
I like that Miners' logo, the one you just put up. I'm sure that when everybody first looks at it, they'll think that the designer was trying to incorporate a penguin into it. I think it's done impeccably.
Hey guys, I'm the artist of the first Fire logo, and although I'm thrilled my work has made it onto the blog, I was mildly upset when he chose the logo I had designated as tertiary.
I also wanted to move away from an A with flames. That's why I used... (brace yourself)a peach. I know it sounds crazy, but I think it holds true to Atlanta's identity and what a logo should represent. I also changed the orange to a slightly peachy color, but that was overlooked as well.
If you want to take a look at it, the link's below.
Let me know what you guys think! ... I personally think my primary was far more original.
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=25swvw7&s=4
In response to the entry itself...
let the games begin! You guys better bring the FIRE(no pun intended)!
http://www.sportslogos.net/images/logos/1/31/full/221.gif
VS
http://bp0.blogger.com/_r8tWGVHrjGI/SIyHotKsZ6I/AAAAAAAAFKQ/vLToonCUmyQ/s1600-h/atl2.png
PLEEEEEAAASEE Chris, tell me why we need a poll for this. The two logos are identical. Even the two Flames in the middle of the "A" have the same angles in both images. (look at them From top o bottom)
whoaa...i hope this doesnt sound mean but how did the new miners logo not make your top 3 list in the first place?? It looks crazy and its so creative!
whoaa...i hope this doesnt sound mean but how did the new miners logo not make your top 3 list in the first place?? It looks crazy and its so creative!
Actually, it was sent in today after I posted the original three. I'm a big fan of it as well.