Timeline of a Connecticut Fail
Sunday · Jan 2 · 2011 | 3:01 PM PSTOn Tuesday afternoon, something terrible happened in New England. The AHL's Connecticut Whale unveiled two more jerseys and we were all a little worse off for having seen them.
This story started earlier this year, when the American Hockey League franchise formerly known as the Hartford Wolf Pack assigned marketing duties to Howard Baldwin. How excited we all were by the prospect of resurrecting the Whalers moniker and colors, as Baldwin had proposed.
Even if it was in the minors. And even if it was with Baldwin at the helm. How naïve of us.
Readers were left with no option but to invent new words to express their disappointment. On Sept. 29, this logo (left) was unveiled much to chagrin of anyone with aesthetic taste, along with the name: Connecticut Whale. Uh, didn't you forget the 'S'? we all wondered.
We were indeed horrified by the name and the logo's complete lack of artistic competence. It's a pathetic cross between clip art and something a teenager might draw on a notebook. It really is that bad. And on the day it was unveiled, Icethetics readers were left with no option but to invent new words to express their disappointment.
"It's horr-awful," Connor Hanley commented, "my eyes are bleeding."
On Nov. 24, it got horr-awfuler when a picture of the team's new sweater hit the web.
Connecticut Whale unveil green jerseyYou might say the one saving grace to the new mark would be its use of the tail shape from the original Hartford Whalers logo. But I say that just tarnishes the memory of one of the best logos in the history of professional hockey.
And I do understand the value of marketing to children and the idea of giving a mascot a fierce face, but some teams do it well (Chicago Wolves). Some do not.
If it sounds like I'm being harsh, let's be honest, they kind of deserve it. I get we're talking about the minors here, but it's still professional hockey. Just one rung down from the NHL.
Brodie Dupont / photo by Chris RutschTwo days after the "unveiling," the players hit the ice for the first time as the collective "whale." They skated out wearing green — and not Reebok Edge. This was obviously a rushed job.
Any time a decision is made to fundamentally change a team's identity in the middle of a season, you know things are going to be overlooked. You wouldn't think, however, that would be the jerseys. But Reebok couldn't deliver on time.
Since the forthcoming blue and white home and road jerseys were not ready for game use, the team made its debut in a third jersey, of all things. And actually, I liked it on the ice. Right up until I saw the crest and took a closer look at the stripes.
The green and blue make a fantastic combination on a hockey uniform, one we could really use more of it in the NHL. However, the logo, a topic we've put to bed by now, is bad. And the stripes? Really look at them. Foamy waves?
One could only hope the regular home and road sweaters would be an improvement. After all, how could they not be?
That brings us back to Tuesday, when the new Reebok Edge jerseys were finally revealed to us.
Players model new Whale sweatersJared Nightingale and Lee Baldwin were on hand to model the new sweaters for the media. Perhaps this picture (left) from the Whale's website says the most.
While some might see a silly pose meant to highlight the sport's more physical nature, I see it another way. I see two players scrambling to help each other remove the awful sweaters that have been forced on them.
It's really more altruistic and friendly than it looks.
Seriously, though, I think all of this can be summed up in one succinct tweet by @gonzotherooster:
Nigel Williams modeled the green Whale jersey and got traded. Lee Baldwin modeled the blue jersey and got sent to the ECHL. I see a pattern.
The white jersey made its debut in a pair of home games over the weekend.
Ryan Garlock / photo by Chris RutschIt's just not good. And where did the baby blue come from? No chance we could get some green in the socks or the sweater itself? It's like the Vancouver Canucks with green all over their uniforms but not to be found in the primary logos.
And I hate to keep beating a dead horse, but that is just a terrible logo. Almost any Icethetics concept artist could improve it, and most are not professionals.
In fact, let's do a contest. Who can create the best logo for the Connecticut Whale? Email in your work and I'll make it the next post on the Concepts page.
By the way, great game photos from Chris Rutsch. If only the team gave him something a little better to photograph. You can find more pics on the Whale's Facebook page.
The next road game is Wednesday, so I'm guessing that will bring the debut of the blue sweater. Not that anyone here will be clamoring to see it in action.
One more thing.
Back on that Sept. 29 post, Dave Delisle added, "Some will call it the 'Connecticut Fail' eventually."
Why put off the inevitable?
Reader Comments (50)
Very well put. They're the Connecticut Fuglies as far as I'm concerned.
.... or would that be the Connecticut Fugly?
I thought they were horrible at first sight like many of you as well. After seeing them on the ice though, I think at least it looks pretty sharp altogether. The light blue is a bit of an odd choice, but I guess that the further you go down in the ocean the darker it gets, so the top is a lighter "light blue" And also the waves I didn't like at first either, but after all this is the Whale. And you failed to mention nothing happened to Jared Nightangale after modeling the uniforms. I think everyone is just looking at these jersey's harshly because you have the perception of the Whalers.
Those are literally... the ugliest uniforms I've ever seen. I mean that. I've seen a lot of special one-night minor league jerseys. I've seen NHL Edge Allstar jerseys. I've seen the Canadiens heritage sweaters.
These are the worst jerseys I've ever seen.
I have a strong feeling that Icethetics readers are going to spend more thought thinking up new words to describe how bru-gusting (brutal/disgusting) this uniform set is than what went into their design. Maybe words just cannot describe how bad they are?!
With all the made-up words, I have to wonder if Strong Bad took over (or at least influenced) the article!
"That suckquake of a jersey is a complete wastenado of my hundred bucksonsoon!" (paraphrasing from the sbemail "dictionary")
Connecticut Fail? Yeah, I made this right after the logo was released...
Wow! they just can't get anything right, huh. At least that green third jersey they've been wearing up until now matched the colours of the logo, pants, and socks which made it look alot more uniform than this newly unvieled mess.
Jerseys come and jerseys go. I am sure the logo will mature with time. Sorry to see the brilliant Wolf Pack uniforms go. Plus their tie-in with CT submarine maker, Electric Boat was great.
Speaking of ugly....remember the old Springfield Falcons uniforms where the falcon looked more like a parrot.
Fortunately since the Americans affiliation contract with the Panthers ends at season end, it has been rumored NYR's contract will head to Rochester. One can only hope it means the death of the Whale.
When I heard that the name was CT Whale and not whales I thought it couldnt get any worse, then the logo came out. I liked the green jerseys(Except for the stripes but that can be overlooked) and thought ok I may be able to get used to this. Then the light blue came, really? No joke? Green, the color of the whalers is barely on the jersey. Whoever came up with this should be fired. They should also fire Baldwin for the horrible idea to change the identity of the team in the middle of the season. Im just utterly disgusted with the entire situation and dont really know what to say.
i am never getting my hopes up for anything ever again
I just puked!
You gotta spell it right... "Connecticut Fhale"
I don't mind the light blue. I kinda like the use of several colors in a uniform. However, they do need more green, and the logo is the worst. The singular name gets me too.
Meanwhile the Whalers logo on that backdrop is pretty cool.
when i first saw the logo i thought to myself 'oh boy...here we go!'...
...sure 'nuff! a giant pile of epic fail!
god these are terrible. i dont mind the green as much. but they had so much they could have worked with. and the light blue is just another continuation of the navy blue/light blue combo going with teams lately. they would be so much better if they had straight lines and not the "foam" looking ones. i was so excited to see these but its a disappointment. a better logo would help.
Very upsetting. I was an avid Wolfpack supporter...even though their lack of creativity in the boring letter jerseys was unforunate. This is worse. As a Rangers and Wolfpack fan...it just hurts in so many ways. I was excited to see the possibility of some variation of the old Whalers jerseys being re-incarnated....no such luck. I'll cry now. Such a sad opportunity...I guess I just don't get how they can sell old Hartford Whalers s-- on their website but can't use the same logo as the basis for their new identity.
They won't be wearing the Whale away jersey until Jan 14.
Jerseys are ill-concieved. Most fans in Hartford agree. But the team is winning, 10-2-0-2 since Nov. 11th. Hopefully fans won't be so shallow as to stay home because of the laundry.
Very well written article! So true on everything, and franco i agree haha, the logo on the back drop beats the hell out of the Connecticut Fail logo.
you, know....
Their first two jerseys aren't that bad. Really. Yes, the new ones suck but I actually like the older ones. They're defintiely much better than anything the Ottawa Senators have ever put out. Hell, there's been much worse third jerseys in NHl history than those two new blue jerseys.
I think you guys are going a bit overboard with worst jersey of all time those belong to the First third jerseys of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks, LA Kings, Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay lightning. These are not nearly as bad
they're really not that bad. chill the f out
Well, you can't have a junior team with a better logo than their NHL affiliate. Maybe this is with the thinking that one day still, we might see the Hartford Whalers return to the ice. Then it would make sense. A bit.
Pyrabot - The Ranger's contract in Hartford doesn't end until 2013. Also, why would they leave? The team is winning, and they're average attendance is about 4500, and rising.
It's bad enough Wade Redden has to endure the humiliation of being sent to the AHL because of Sather's incompetence, but now he has to wear these craptacular things. Yes, this is THAT BAD. Grimacing cartoon characters are so '90s. Maybe this whale and Captain Hindgrinder on the Isles '95 jersey could have a Scowl-off. I might try to improve on this... but with the spectre of a true classic logo hanging over this mess, and the poor name choice now, it's gonna be like trying to do it with both arms tied behind our proverbial backs. It's worth a shot, though... this is far too awful for words. Not the VERY worst I've seen... but certainly bottom 5 in style and originality.
I really like the green socks everything in this post is god awful though
I'm sure all of you would have been whining about how the Whalers NHL jerseys back in 1980 had no yellow in it, right? And what about that logo? It has no harpoon! Flat out awful.
Is the logo the best? No. But it's nowhere near as stupid as the one the Crunch use, and the AHL hasn't folded yet.
And Hartford is closer to Manhattan than Rochester, not to mention as Biggie pointed out the lease runs through 2013.
I'm a fan of the green and blue whaler jerseys but the other ones are not terrible either. the Light blue is kind of jarring for sure.
I don't think its terrible but they should just be the whalers and use the old logo.
I don't mind them at all. Would take them 1,000 times over the Vancouver Canucks jersies.
well i've seen worse jerseys than these (atlanta's 3rd / all the current dallas jerseys to name a few), whale logo is pretty bad, the name just needs an 's' adding!! what was the reason behind using the singular (representing the individual) & not the plural (representing the team)?? odd, just plain odd.....
Why don't they just take the Canucks logo? It's a whale in the shape of a big C.... perfect!
I'm willing to bet the vast majority of Canucks fans wouldn't mind giving that logo up if it meant that we never would have to use it again.
Wow...another example of a blogger with no sense of subtlety. Everything's either great, or it absolutely sucks. Nine tenths of this article is comprised of the author coming up with "creative" ways of saying that it sucks. How very Beavis and Butt-head. Been watching too many Angry Video Game Nerd videos on Youtube?
Oh, and I'm glad that he decided to appoint himself arbiter of what is and what isn't ugly. Feel important yet?
Gee, the official white and blue jerseys kinda looks worse than the green ones. Why they didn't keep the font from the green jerseys?
Haha, TTUBRETEP... there's nothing subtle about that Whale uniform/logo combination either (or your handle, Peter Butt... maybe we need a new word). You must not be a regular reader as I'm nothing if not indecisive when it comes to reviews. This effort by the Whale, however, is just poor and hard to look past. And no one has to agree with me, though clearly many do.
But most importantly, what is a blog if not a medium by which the "author" can be free to spout his meaningless opinions and nonsensical drivel to the world? You don't have to like it and I'm only as important as others make me (which is to say not very much). Here's an idea. Counter with a comment explaining why I'm wrong rather than merely pointing out my negativity — and being rather negative yourself, actually.
Wait, was that all supposed to be irony just then?
I am a Wolfpack/Whale fan as I was a Whaler fan way back when. I was very disappointed with the logo and more so with the jerseys. We have the Danbury Whalers of the FHL that have a better logo and they are just a ride down I-84. Now, can we make it better by whining all the time, no. However I applaud the idea of the fans here coming up with ideas of what they would have liked to seen. We can only hope the management sees and hears the fans and makes a better primary logo for next year or the year after and have the current logo on one shoulder and the Rangers logo on the other. I am looking forward to the concepts.
I liked the green jersey (despite the craptastic logo and weird stripes), but these new ones...what the hell? The whole uniform looks so random. They look like guys in my men's league who just wear whatever's clean. I like wearing a Blues jersey w/ some green pants, and a pair of Nashville socks. At least my black helmet matches my black gloves.
The Rangers lease at the Civic Center does run till 2013 but the club still has the option to suspend the franchise or sell it at anytime. It would be an added cost to the deal but it is not unheard of in the AHL where affiliation contracts are not really that binding. Back in May there was lots of nasty discussion about the Civic Center lease and partnership with Northland AEG; since then it has been circulating that Rochester and Ted Nolan have been trying to get the Rangers contract for the 11-12 season.
Actually, I do check out your blog from time to time, which is why I'm a bit disappointed by this post. I can't comment upon where you're wrong, as there are no "right" or "wrong" in matters of taste. However, one CAN comment on the execution, which I already did. Making fun of something by rattling off fifty knee-jerk variations of "it sucks" is like shooting fish in a barrel. Some people might find it clever. Good for them. Based on what I'd seen of some of your earlier articles, I thought you might aim a little higher.
Also, your "what's the point of having a blog if..." tangent is a little weak. It's right up there with, "Well, I have a right to an opinion!" and "I'm just indulging in my freedom of speech!" as far as lame rationalizations go. You certainly have provided yourself with a showplace for your views, but the freedom to have it doesn't provide protection from having it questioned. Drivel and rant all you want, just don't be surprised when people question your views...or execution.
I suppose my irritation stems from what seems to be the mentality behind the post. Frankly, I'm sick of the whole arrogant sense of entitlement prevalent in blogging these days - if something doesn't meet someone's exacting criteria, it sucks and has absolutely no merit. It shows an utter lack of appreciation or tolerance.
Fair point... sort of. I understand some of what you're saying, but I'm not sure what you mean by "arrogant sense of entitlement." Indeed we are all entitled to an opinion, but are you saying it's arrogant to share it? Yes, I could sit here and dither on about the strong points and weak points of a marketing effort by a professional sports organization targeted to anyone but those who actually have the money to buy a ticket. But why bother? I am of the steadfast opinion it is just bad, and lacking in any redeeming qualities.
You're free to question my opinions, of course. Everyone is. But you're not questioning it, are you? You're name-calling. And you call my argument weak. Debate the relevance of blogging all you want, but you do keep coming back to read. And I'm therefore indebted and appreciative. Thank you, sir.
I'm amazed at the strong feelings this jersey has received. It is neither the greatest nor the worst minor league jersey. It isn't even outside of the norm. No, it does not compare to the Hartford Whalers of old - which featured one of the greatest logos ever. However that jersey went through some changes over the years from the green to the blue with grey they finished off in and I bet we wouldn't all agree on the merits of those. And this team isn't the Hartford Whalers anyways. I personally liked the New England Whalers green with gold colour scheme better.
The "arrogant sense of entitlement" that I mentioned refers to the generally intolerant attitude to the effect of, "If X isn't marketed specifically to my own tastes, it sucks and lacks merit." People are more and more dismissive, and seemingly more and more eager to have reasons not to enjoy something anymore...not to mention being eager to spoil things for those who still enjoy it.
As for why one might go into detail about the strong points, weak points, etc? Because it makes your statement far more compelling, not to mention more meaningful than, "Nyah, I don't like it, so it sucks."
LOL. Ok.
I don't like the baby blue at all. If I missed this from before I apologize, but can someone explain why the backdrop with the players modeling the new jerseys says Whalers but yet the team is called the Whale?
That is for Whalers Sports & Entertainment, Howard Baldwin's marketing department. They also have the same type of logo for the Whalers Hockey Fest, a week of outdoor hockey at Rentschler Field in East Hartford CT. The CT Whale will play the Providence Bruins after a Whalers - Bruins Alumni game on Feb 19.
this is the worst team identity ever. no other team even compares to how much this one has failed.
First, the relevant stuff: The name's bizarre, the jersey looks like a rec league wears 'em, and the organization would have done well to enlist the help of some of the frequent contributors to this site's IceHL project (may it rest in peace.). Now for the goods: Nice little debate between TTUBRETEP and the recently relocated author! Both had their points and kept it civil! Nice job, boys! Good to see two folks engaged in debate in this age of "you suck and I don't".
The colors green and blue don't match on any jersey. Horrendous again! I can't wait until the Canucks go back to normal colors too or just do away with that hideous green.
Regardless of all the apparent hate for the Whale uniforms, I've been to around 10 games since the name change and it has been much more fun attending games and I also bought one of the original green game worn jerseys (worn by Blake Parlett #5) and think that much of what has been written about the jersey style and logo are too critical, it's not nearly as bad as many make it to be. I've seen much worse (Beast of New Haven jerseys had to have been one of the worst if not the worst ever in hockey jerseys of any league in history) And considering that the change in the teams name happened after the season started it could have been worse. I've worn the green jersey many times since I've gotten it and always get positive comments about it.