Saturday, April 5, 2008

Ask SabresNotSlugs...

"First off, i am in no way meaning to be disrepectful with this question...

Depending on the design, would you complain on a brand new logo design, which was not our vintage or the concept logo design?"

No disrespect at all asking that.

The reason I like the concept jersey is that it really proves false all that Sabres' management said "would not work" on the new uniforms if they had went with the classic or an update of it. They simply let RBK do what THEY wanted to do to the uniform and logo. The new uniform is actually well done...the logo part is bad... They are two separate elements of the uniform and I try to make sure people know I like the jersey and hate the logo.

If they were going to make a brand new logo, they had better make it a classy and tasteful update of the original and let the fans in on the design process.
If they followed those guidelines I would be pretty happy and so would most of the fans.

I want to see the majority of fans happy and I think really they would like to see the vintage uniforms back as the primary on ice jersey. I really hate that slug as the public face of the team. It brings discredit to the tradition and pride of Sabres hockey.

So to sum up...I would complain if they re-did the logo and screwed it up again. But I would hope that wouldn't happen...between John Slabyk's work and the concept logo, they can come up with a good looking updated vintage crest and slap that on our current uniforms.

Now here are some questions for you. I do want to see the Sabres make money off this...if the "concept logo" was our actual logo and jersey and the vintage was still our third jersey, if you had the money, would you buy both jerseys? And would you be happy with either logo as the identity of the team?

See, I'm only trying to promote the idea of having two long term good looking (and good selling) jerseys. Right now, I think the slug sales are tapering off is only sticking around to urge on sales of the vintage that is coming back.

**If you have a question, please comment below or send an email to Info@SabresNotSlugs.com

Wednesday, April 2, 2008

Naysayers really say a whole lot of nothing.

"I seriously can't believe you have nothing better to do than sit here and wail on about the logo."

Not the most biting comment I've ever read from a negative Nelly but will address it utilizing the utmost lack of brevity.

It's actually a little more deeper than wailing on the logo. I'm don't want Larry Quinn to get away with swerving accountability for letting RBK ruin the teams identity as the one of the Edge System uniform's guinea pigs with a lame logo on a jersey that was originally designed to be tucked in by the RBK brain trust and suggested as a best hockey practice. You can throw in what happened to Briere and Drury too. One of them had to go sure and we were braced for that...not losing both of them. Drury wasn't THAT homesick...come on.

I quote from a WGRZ interview:

"Quinn: "We wanted to preserve our tradition and old look."

2 On Your Side’s Stefan Mychajliw: "A lot of folks would have liked the 'old school' uniforms just to be 'the' uniform. Any talk of that ever?”

Quinn: "We thought about it. But what you really want to do is go forward. And I think having a forward looking ‘futuristic’ uniform, if you want to call it that, and one tied to your tradition, is a good way to go. I think the old one, the original one, is a retro look. I don't know that's the look you want all the time."

You is us...he knows what WE want? Actually the fan's sentiment when Golisano bought the team was to bring back the classic identity IN ITS ENTIRETY. So why when we don't get what most of us wanted do they test market the new uniform in Las Vegas and New Orleans?

People shouldn't have to "grow to accept, like, or deal with" a logo. If anything it should be the other way around because if it was done right in the beginning, people would have loved it right from the start. Then that love might fade over time, it might not. That is what creates a time tested identity that fans can be proud of and can be marketed and successfully sold as such for the long term. And the latter is what really matters to management anyway. Until it changes, the slug will be an embarassment and a missed opportunity to re-establish a respectable long term identity for the team.

I really like the uniform style suprisingly enough...the logo simply ruins it all and couple that with the Sabres pure avoidance of the issue has snowballed into the site and blog.

Here is what I think will happen. The managing partner will dangle that classic uniform for another meager 15 games in 2008-2009...just to tease and spur on the mob to buy it next season when it comes back. The marketers are simply hedging the teams' two logos against each other. It is actually smart thing to do to capture the fans "passion" as Larry calls it.

What logo do you want to have as the face of the team? The Original crest or the slug...next season is the perfect opportunity for fans to have a choice and make their opinions heard.

I mean has anyone ever came up with a derogatory nickname for our original logo like we or others did for the goathead and slug? Not to my knowledge and that is because it is respected for the most part by fellow Sabres fans and NHL fans league wide.

The Managing partner blew off or was directed to blow off a talented and ambitious John Slabyk, surrendered to RBK's design influences on the re-branding of the franchise, thumbed his nose at 30,000 plus people who signed the petitions, he quickly increased the amount of games the vintage third jersey was to be worn at home to 15, and then lucky for him the team started 10-0 last season. Complacency clearly set in as winning could even make Rosie O'Donnell's mug as our logo easier on the eyes. And given what has happened in the off season and the degrees of frustration this season, that public relations band-aid should fall off real soon.