That REALLY BLOWS!! We ALL agree that logo is just FANTASTIC but this new logo is HORRIBLE! It looks like a piece on a chess board! The AC St.Louis logo is also awful and so why the hell are they making the logos worse?? What do you mean they weren't buying merchandise because of the SLSG logo?? They'll buy even LESS merchandise now since this logo is much worse! You should use your influence and try to get them to change it back.
The merch thing ties into the youth system. Now, I didn't play soccer in STL so someone correct me if I'm wrong, but the club you play for is a big deal. Kids don't like kids from other clubs, don't like their designs, etc... The old logo looked a lot like the STL Scott Gal logo and youth teams were not wanting any merch because it looked as if they were supporting their rivals. It was actually hard for them to convince other clubs to come to games and ball kids and whatnot because they were afraid their money was going to their rivals. I think it sounds crazy a bit, but that is apparently STL soccer for you. Hope that helps... ps. they know I think it sucks.
Ugh, people are stupid. By the same logic, no one from Edwardsville would buy St. Louis Cardinal merchandise because it looks too much like the Alton Redbirds. So because a few people are idiots, we're left with a generic looking logo. Thanks for the research...even though I really am pissed at the answer. I doubt if this will change anything though, because the colors are still green and that's Scott Gallagher's colors, goodness forbid someone wear the wrong colors.
I remember from, I think it was the second game at SIUE, while we were tailgaiting, I was talking to the woman next to us and she said basically the same thing. Her kids' club hated Scott Gal, and though she wanted to put the Athletica crest on her back windshield with the crest for her kids' club, she didn't want the other kids on the team (and, more scary, their parents) attacking her kids or her for supporting their "rivals" b/c they could mistake the Athletica logo for the Scott Gal logo. I wish, though, that instead of changing Athletica's logo, they had given a simple, generic logo to the Scott Gal youth team instead. Would've made things a whole lot better, and it really annoys me because it makes it look like the youth team "deserves" to keep the logo more than (and thus is more important than) Athletica. >-( Stupid PR move by SLSU - or, rather, ACSTL - IMO.
It is very unfortunate, but I don't think that team ever saw it coming. When they released the original SLSU logo (the one the original Athletica logo was based on) it was done so with the belief that we would be getting an MLS team very shortly. If you recall, Cooper was told if he could get a stadium plan together, St. Louis would get a team. In fact, Abott, the MLS president, made that very same statement publicly. The plan was to have the MLS team and then create the SLSG club UNDER the umbrella of the club and bring in a women's team. If that happens, it all would have worked out. However, as we know, MLS never awarded the team. The logo became associated with SLSG as it was the only teams playing at the time. Youth soccer is serious business in St. Louis. Cooper merged 3 clubs when it was thought to be impossible. (It's still too early to tell if it was a good decision for youth development or not). This greatly offended the clubs who were not chosen to be part of SLSG. So, it became you are either in SLSG or you are against SLSG. Then, Athletica reveal it's logo - a great feminization of the original SLSU logo. At the time, I don't think the club realized what a backlash would result from the visual linking of the women's team and the youth club. So, I think it sucks as I love the two original logos, but I don't know that it is the teams fault or if the shortsightedness of St. Louis soccer fans is to blame. But does fault really matter? The truth is, it had become a problem for the women's team and something needed to be done. I'm certain that Cooper regrets that the best logo around became associated with solely with the youth team. Had MLS kept it's promise, this would never be an issue. AC-STL would have the "Apotheosis of St. Louis" logo, Athletica would have the Joan of Arc logo and a new logo would have been created uniquely for the youth club. You know what they say about hindsight and broken promises. Oh, well.
But that is not dependent on getting an MLS club. WPS and this new NASL team are still much bigger than youth soccer!! Like Siberian T said too they should've just changed the logo for youth soccer. Like a bunch of kids are going to care. They want to get outside and play soccer. They play for the game not for the logo. It makes no sense why Cooper simply didn't alter the youth logo instead of the PRO team for pete's sake!!
You are misunderstanding me. It's a matter of timing not of which is more important. If MLS/NASL/Athletica had the logo before the youth team, changing it for the youth team would work (in fact, they would have just been given a different logo.) However, the youth team had the logo first. Once people relate the logo with the youth team, it's too late. The connection is already there. Financially, changing the youth team would be a nightmare. You're looking at replacing the jerseys of nearly 250 teams plus all of their bags, sweats, etc.
I see the point you're making. But it's still a shame. When I heard the decision, I went out and bought one of the jerseys with the original Athletica logo, even though it will never fit me, because I liked them that much. Just something to have as part of the team's history. It's really a wonder that anything gets done in St. Louis considering the various factions and partisanship in the area. We saw it over and over with the stadium location situation and now with the logos. I guess you have to give Cooper a lot of credit for getting the things accomplished that he has so far, considering this.
But aren't we only talking about changing the jerseys of just ONE team since only one team has the Athletica's Joan of Arc logo? Obviously 250 youth teams don't all have the same logo but it's only the Scott Gallagher team that has the Athletica's logo which some kids/families dislike?
Yes, 250 teams all have the same logo. St. Louis Scott Gallagher consists of teams ages 8 - 30, both boys and girls, in both Missouri and Illinois. There are approximately 250 teams in total. You can find them here: http://premium.bluesombrero.com/Default.aspx?alias=premium.bluesombrero.com/stlouis move your cursor over "HOME" 250 x 16 or so per team = 4000 new jerseys.
So if all 250 teams have the SAME logo then they obviously don't play each other right? Who do they play? Other youth teams in different leagues?
Some teams play in SLYSA against other clubs. Some teams play in SLYSA against other clubs and other SLSG teams. Some teams play in regional leagues only. Some younger teams play in leagues made up entirely of SLSG team (same logo different colored shirts)
So it reeks that all these little kids that most adults don't even know about are killing off our kick ass pro logo.
Never really knew all the details, just bits and pieces. Really, we should blame the MLS if promises were made and taken back. The youth league and the kids have nothing to do with it. Although, you must be a damn fool if you can't see the difference between the Athletica and SLSU images. Changing the logos is one thing, but I do feel what they've changed it to is pretty weak. The ACSTL crest is...ok, but it doesn't need to be THAT boring. All in all, it could be worse. Athletica's little dagger and crown really is bland though. Judging from the new clinic photos posted it does seem to be official, as they've added a banner underneath to make it read as a more official crest. So, there ya go. 2 great logos killed by broken promises and retarded people, it seems.
Well said dude. My thoughts exactly. But the office said you can STILL get t-shirts with the Joan of Arc logo so that's a relief to know they won't be killing her off!
They may not be killing her off but I'd almost prefer they do. What's the point, really? It isn't the logo anymore, so the sooner we can get over our anger the happier we can be, lol.
Actually, when we were talking with a few of the team officials yesterday about the merchandise, they seemed to indicate that the original Joan of Arc logo would still be on the jerseys. They still referred to the new simplified logo as "the 2nd logo". So I'm not sure.
Then this whole thing is even more ridiculous than it is. Push the 2nd logo to the forefront because of the kid leagues and their parents having a war about the similarities and being too dumb to decipher the difference, yet keep using the original logo anyway, ultimately solving nothing whatsoever... My brain just exploded.
"Official"(?) new logo up on Facebook for the scarf contest: http://www.facebook.com/AthleticaFans?v=wall#/photo.php?pid=3032603&id=48192824665 They made the crown look cartoon-y.... =-(
Better than just a flat grey image...I guess... Oh sunovabitch this is so stupid. Use Joan of Arc and quit with the shenanigans.
