Trent Richardson

The Brownies havn’t had a BA like him since Kevin Mack. Well hopefully, he hasn’t really done anything yet, but last week he looked like the Brownies finally hit on a draft pick. Trent the Tank, let’s get that going. T-Rich has promise, and I am thinking it’s finally going to be their time.

Fernando Rodney

Who would have thunk it? Fernando Rodney really is good, and that little bow and arrow thing pretty cool. Good on him, he seems like a nice enough guy. I’m glad he finally put it together for a full year.

The Benchmark

Kobe Bryant is the benchmark. His logo is as confusing as it is cool. The Black Mamba has a cool name, cool commercials, the coolest shoes on the market, and one bad looking logo.

The Number Logo

The number logo is the lazy way out in the world of branding. This logo strategy is usually employed by the players who just put up numbers but are not necessarily the most important cultural leader on his team. The number logo is short hand for this guy can play but don’t fallow him on twitter or else you are going to be hearing about their “great workouts” and “wonderful teammates”.

Tom Brady, Chris Paul, Ryan Kessler are sterling examples of this logo. I feel like Eddy Murray could have employed this branding strategy if players were branding in the 70’s. 3,000 hits and 500 homeruns and I don’t think he was ever the most beloved player on any team he played on. Chris Sale is a big, hard throwing, Cy Young candidate and it’s time for a logo.

 

 

Jordan after Jordan

The most recognizable brand is that of one Michael Jordan. What happens when the kids no longer know who Jordan is? No matter what the media says people are not going to clammier for his image anymore sooner than later. There needs to be a transition period between Jordan and who ever is next, and I don’t see that player on the sports landscape right now, and nike is going to need to have some players fill the void for a little while.

This first image of Jeter and he’s already almost forgotten at least outside of New York so he isn’t really a placeholder he just has worn Jumpman cleats for the last 10 years or so the first step is to let him, Wade and Melo wear their own silhouette. We all know Jordan, but sooner than you would think the kids wont. I’m not saying get rid of Jordan just expand your brand. This is a perfect chance to transition of the next era of Jumpman.

Don’t get me wrong Jordan’s great, and he’s built a cool brand, and people love Jordans. Let’s see where we can go with this. I know this is probably blasphemy to even have Tebow and Jordan in the same article but hear me out. If Tebow is going to be relivant that means he won the starting job in New York, and the team is already a pretty good team, and if he starts and is just not terrible then they’ll more than likely make the playoffs and say that have a running back go crazy and Tebow doesn’t completely blow it. I’m just saying stranger things have happened, Trent Dilford has a Superbowl ring, and he was OK but not Hall of Fame, and I think Tebow could possible be as good as Trent Dilford maybe. If the team wins the superbowl and he is somehow the QB then he will be immortal, He’s got a signature move already, I mean, nike would be stupid not to just have that on the back burner, in the 1 in 50 chance in which that scenario actually happens or something equally unlikely then they’ll be ready.

I think that most dynamic players out there now, with the potential to be able to exemplify the silhouette design are Timmy Lincecum and Rajon Rondo. They have distinct body position in their specific sport and both guys are world champions. I feel like no players should even be in the same time article as Jordan unless they have one. I put some of those green shoes on Rondo because not many other people in the league with the NBA Jam look.

 

 

Weird Beard

Hey check it, Brian Wilson has a beard, and therefor so shall his logo. Those masterminds down in Oklahoma City should fire up that marketing machine and thief that logo while it’s still basketball season and captain shoe-polish face is on the DL. Now is the time to run with the logo, because sooner than later there will be a fella with a beard and Mohawk in every sport; that is, if there isn’t already. It really is a pretty cool look, to tell the truth I sport personally the ol’ 3 inch long beard, and classic Native American / WWII Airborne Infantry look).

I know this isn’t the first time this style has been utilized to market other players. Last year MLB had one of the cooler ad campaigns, replicating other famous hairstyles for other teams. The Brewers had John Axford, Ichiro was the Seattle representative and so on and so forth. They even took some classics out of the closet, they dusted off Rollie Fingers fancy stache, and Goose Gossage’s what ever that was. The fact that it had already been done didn’t stop me. It’s a pretty darn good idea, and good ideas get to keep on, until we are sick of them, and I’m not sick of it, it’s a cool style.

Harden looks like he’s waiting for Guinness to come so they can count the bee’s on his chin. I feel like since he won 6th man of the year, and is about to win the NBA championship he probably doesn’t need the money from those nice people at Guinness. That is if you even get money for it, I’m not exactly sure how those records work. Either way, I digress James Harden is a big enough star to have a logo and if he isn’t whatever, he’s interesting, and interesting is the key.

I’m figuring with Lebron showing his teeth all play-offs, I’m sure he wants us to see that silly 16 on his teeth. I don’t get it, I mean I know it’s because you need 16 wins to win the championship, but hey big guy we all know you really really really want to win a championship, and we get it, you don’t need to do stuff like that. You’ll eventually win one, and if you don’t it’s just a statistical anomalies, but putting roman numerals on your mouthgaurd looks kinda dumb. But I guess anything that takes the conversation off that ridicules thick headband. Which some how caught on as a style in the NBA , I saw Melo wearing one the other day, it’s kinda odd.

This style of logo could work for Lebron but it’s tailor-made for Polamalu. There isn’t really all that much to say about it. He really is a one of a kind, he’s a 210lb. killing machine with that weird haircut that Diana Ross wore after she quit making hits and started cashing in on them. Cheers for having the cahonas to wear such a silly hair do.

Baron VonGoodness

Baron VonGoodness is my little alter ego. Baron comments on different logos and branding in sports, he specializes in players individual logos. I like the idea of players cultivating their own personal brand. It really is a necessity in professional sports. It seems like a really narcissistic thing to do. I love it. It is an unavoidable part of modern sports. Lebron is the best at it, he wears t-shirts with his face and logo on it and doesn’t even bat an eye. Branding is the most interesting new trend in the field of sports design.