BY Armin

A Football Star is Born

The United Football League (UFL) is a new professional league that is set to begin its first season in August of 2009 with eight teams in markets where that other professional football league isn’t and if it doesn’t get crushed by lack of ratings or attendance it will probably serve as sort of a minor league for the NFL. This week the UFL unveiled a new shiny logo. I really like the color choice, I think U.S. professional leagues get too enthralled with the red-white-and-blue combo that they forget other colors exist; I like that it’s the green field and the open skies above, although I’m sure they’ll play at night or in closed stadiums. The type is, well, whatever, it’s footballish. The ball and star icon are a little awkward, and I’ll leave it up to everyone else to say what it looks like. The overall shape is interesting — it reminds of the New Jersey Nets logo — as it avoids pure symmetry, which can sometimes make a logo hard to work with, but it also makes it stand out. I would have loved to see this without the shading and gradients and just the shadow of the ball and star, would have been pretty strong. While play begins for the UFL you can play Name Consultant and suggest team names.

Thanks to John Quijano for the tip.

DATE: Dec.04.2008CATEGORY: Sports 49 COMMENTS

Skythe’s comment is:

Terrible shiny little thing if you ask me. The perspective hmmmmmmm ok (makes the type look even weirder) but the metal look and gradients make this feel ugly and very yesterday.

On Dec.04.2008 at 06:52 AM

Plamen’s comment is:

It needs more bevel effects.

On Dec.04.2008 at 07:04 AM

Ep’s comment is:

This is why I don't give a shit about the UFL.

On Dec.04.2008 at 07:25 AM

Jeff’s comment is:

Looks like sex. Is that what you were waiting for?

On Dec.04.2008 at 08:19 AM

Armin’s comment is:

Among other things, yes.

On Dec.04.2008 at 08:32 AM

Jacob’s comment is:

Whoa, where's it going? Stay put, logo! Stop trying to leave!

... I have to agree with other comments, though. Take away the made-by-a-blacksmith effects, and redraw the deep-throating football, and it's a refreshing take on a sports logo.

On Dec.04.2008 at 08:42 AM

TFHackett’s comment is:

They haven't played a game yet and already the logo gets redesigned?
On the plus side, they're no longer ripping off Jerry Dior's MLB logo (and all the other logos that one inspired). Also, yeah, the colors are a nice departure.On the negative side: bevels! Gradients! And I didn't see a "deep-throating football" (not at first, anyway); it looked to me like the ball was being cut in half by a weird dagger.

On Dec.04.2008 at 08:56 AM

Glenn Sakamoto’s comment is:

Love the growing coconut plant! Oh wait, is that supposed to be a football?

On Dec.04.2008 at 09:32 AM

Von K’s comment is:

I have to agree about the colors--good choice.

The U and the top left edge of the shield are a little awkward, but that could be the 3d-ness of the type screwing with the perspective or something...

The football & star look like a female robot's undercarriage--chrome starfish?

Seriously, though, it's not bad for a sports logo. A simpler, less metal-clad version would be neat to see, but I'm not sure it'd work as well for football.

On Dec.04.2008 at 09:58 AM

Stacy’s comment is:

I think I like the old one much better for its simplicity... the new one is way way overdone.

On Dec.04.2008 at 09:59 AM

Oak’s comment is:

Absolutely soulless. It looks like it was designed by committee.

Also, it mystifies me why, with all of the opportunities for productive business ventures that exist in the world today, why people are apparently still attracted to the idea of being steamrolled by the NFL.

On Dec.04.2008 at 10:36 AM

jRod’s comment is:

remove ALL gradients, bevels, and that star stabbing the football to death and then we can talk.

On Dec.04.2008 at 10:48 AM

Luke D.’s comment is:

Oh dear!

On Dec.04.2008 at 10:51 AM

Paul Riehle’s comment is:

Execution has ruined this logo beyond repair.

On Dec.04.2008 at 11:08 AM

Hilary’s comment is:

provocative.

On Dec.04.2008 at 11:20 AM

Bart O'Dell’s comment is:

Compared to the new NFL Update which is clean and precise, this is horrible. However I agree the colors are a nice refreshing change but they also remind me of the Seattle Sounders FC. So all in all nice try one the design, I give it a F for effort.

On Dec.04.2008 at 11:35 AM

Dennis Moran’s comment is:

The old one was much better.

On Dec.04.2008 at 11:36 AM

ArnoldP’s comment is:

Football and shiny gradienty 3D genital porn? Wrong in every level, but sexy.

On Dec.04.2008 at 11:39 AM

Mark’s comment is:

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

it wasn't broken at all, why resort to THIS? looks like a bad soccer logo. Except it's not.

On Dec.04.2008 at 11:43 AM

Bruce’s comment is:

I thought the same thing as Glenn Sakamoto. Does the NFL need another "minor league," what with NFL Europe and the Arena League already in existence?

On Dec.04.2008 at 12:55 PM

Colin’s comment is:

Vah Jay Jay

On Dec.04.2008 at 01:42 PM

TFHackett’s comment is:

...aUFL

On Dec.04.2008 at 01:48 PM

Scott’s comment is:

The helmet looks like a bad optical illusion.

On Dec.04.2008 at 02:10 PM

Jonathan’s comment is:

Seriously? No one on the board saw the sexual innuendo... There's no way all those bevels and gradients will be able to be stitched on a uniform.

On Dec.04.2008 at 03:26 PM

Darrel’s comment is:

ufl = awful?

(Couldn't resist...)

On Dec.04.2008 at 03:41 PM

Darrin Crescenzi’s comment is:

Bruce — the NFL Europe no longer exists. They discontinued it in favor of hosting a couple of over-seas NFL games each season.

On Dec.04.2008 at 04:49 PM

g-sppud’s comment is:

Not bad for a football league, and I agree with many comments here. The old one is far worse than the new. The MLB logo is without a doubt a stroke of genius, and easily one of the most recognizable brands in the last 100 years. Sadly, it looks like it's going to be ripped off again and again, each time becoming more and more uninspired.

While the new one has its drawbacks, it is far more dynamic than the mimic it replaces.

On Dec.04.2008 at 04:50 PM

tony’s comment is:

Why does their new logo have a Pineapple in it?

On Dec.04.2008 at 08:23 PM

davebarrondesign’s comment is:

The logo ends up looking odd on the website-facing off the page.

On Dec.04.2008 at 08:34 PM

Matheus’s comment is:

Thats not Football
Just boring armored rugby

On Dec.04.2008 at 10:19 PM

Jason ’s comment is:

Looks like PacMan is puking stars.

On Dec.05.2008 at 01:25 AM

chrisM70’s comment is:

Football... or Pistachio?

On Dec.05.2008 at 01:43 AM

Mark’s comment is:

great.

the opening animation only reinforces the "football throwing up the star" image. XD

On Dec.05.2008 at 08:01 AM

Paul Lloyd Johnson’s comment is:

They could have tidied up the old logo, rather than make this cliche.

On Dec.05.2008 at 12:12 PM

David’s comment is:

UFL=Ugly F***ing Logo

On Dec.05.2008 at 04:07 PM

Wookiepants’s comment is:

Is this a Women's football league? Should it be VFL? And finally, that's a Vagina.

On Dec.05.2008 at 05:19 PM

dMullins’s comment is:

Meh. I agree with Ep, another reason to not care about football.

On Dec.05.2008 at 08:50 PM

Kelly Hobkirk’s comment is:

A clam. Another kind of "clam."
Mrs. Pac Man.
A horny star's middle leg.
Some damned improbable, if not impossible, lighting and bevel edge visibility.
The UFL type is actually crooked in the shield!

All of this gawdawful character, and it's still better than the old one. Eeek.

On Dec.06.2008 at 06:13 AM

Tim Whalen’s comment is:

the football looks like a germinating seed...

i will say that the new logo is far and away better than the often overused MLB-style logo, but they should have whittled it down a bit more... make something that would be legible when embroidered in a 1 inch square

On Dec.07.2008 at 03:36 PM

Sara Tack’s comment is:

Reminiscent of the new (not so new) UPS logo. A shield with a swoosh with 3d shading AND - gradient effects. It''s so novel and conceptual - just like football. I was finally over UPS changing their logo, but seeing imitations brings back bad memories.

On Dec.07.2008 at 06:29 PM

Craig Wells’s comment is:

If this logo is sex as mentioned above, i have a headache tonight.

On Dec.08.2008 at 07:58 AM

Matt’s comment is:

whats up with the horrible silos on the website? looks like crap, blah@the logo also

On Dec.08.2008 at 12:53 PM

Ginn’s comment is:

YIKE

On Dec.18.2008 at 12:05 AM

Jake’s comment is:

Why is it in the shape of a badge? Does not signify football one bit.

On Dec.18.2008 at 10:01 AM

Gavan Michael’s comment is:

Turns out this one was done by Landor.

Landor Press Release.

On Jan.02.2009 at 11:23 PM

Justin Hill’s comment is:

Worst change ever.

On Jan.14.2009 at 05:58 PM

Tyler’s comment is:

Hmmm...this reminds me of the OKC Thunder logo, way too much with not enough to say. Aren't we done with shields??

On Jan.22.2009 at 05:22 AM

Mark’s comment is:

STILL looks ugly

baaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrggggggggggggllllllhhhhhhhhhhfffff...

that's me barfing.

On Jan.22.2009 at 07:59 AM

JR Salazar’s comment is:

Man, this another reason I hate the people that are preventing the NFL from coming back to Los Angeles. And the USC Trojans are exempt from sharing the blame.

Come on you crooks up there, figure something out already! >:(

On Feb.15.2009 at 02:46 AM