Aisa Team Logos (please help)

Hee hee. This isn't the Toledo Pride you might have remembered.

 

Totally random, I know, but I can tell you that I had a t-shirt from relatives in Louisville back when I was a kid. The shirt was maroon and the Thunder logo was a combination of white and gray. Hope that is accurate and maybe helps.

 

That must have been from the first season ('84-'85). I remember them wearing maroon uniforms trimmed with gray when I went to Game 1 of the 1985 AISA championship series in Canton. I know they switched to black and gold (yellow) starting the next season ('85-'86) and for their final season ('86-'87). The logo didn't change, just the colors.

In fact, you can see them in black and gold (yellow) on YouTube on the CantonInvaders page, from the 1986-87 season (there are two Invader - Thunder games on there).

 

You'll know them when you see them:

TOLEDO PRIDE logo was blue & orange and basically was a Jr. High School student's sketch of three lions pawing at a soccer ball (since they were using their FRONT paws, this clearly constitutes a handball violation, IMO) above stack lettering TOLEDO on top of PRIDE. It's a miracle that team finished their one season AND qualified for a playoff berth.

MEMPHIS STORM logo was also orange and blue with a yellow lightning bolt protruding from a soccer ball... this was the team that the owner's husband bought her as a gift... and a $20K bridge used for player introductions.

 

Louisville thunder had black and yellow lettering with a lightening bolt... google image and its there...

 

I've been searching like crazy for the Toledo Pride and the Memphis Storm logos, to no avail.

Small consolation: perhaps THE TWO STUPIDEST team names of all-time squared off at the Gator Bowl (as a mysterious cloud engulfed the 500 or so spectators...). Is it just me, or does this goalkeeper look like he has a bong stashed next to his towel in the nets?

 

To be honest the Tea Men name was better when the team was based in Boston (as it the Tea Party). I'm still looking for those enclosed bodies of water in LA that the basketball team is named after or those streetcars that the baseball team has to dodge.

 

We have at least one lake in Los Angeles, which is about 9,999 fewer than Minnesota, where the Lakers began... and Dodgers now refers to Los Angelenos avoiding foreclosure on our over-priced and undervalued homes!

The second they left New England for Jacksonville, the Tea Men should have been renamed... perhaps the J-Men?

 

We're getting closer! Google search tonight found this little gem:

 

If you still need Louisville, you can try getting a screen capture of this video where the logo is prominent.

 

Was that Joe Machnik presenting the AISA Championship Trophy at game's end?

 

While looking up something related to the 30th anniversary of the 1982 Brewers World Series Team, I found a small article from this time period in '82... A Milwaukee businessman was *this close* to buying the NASL Tea Men and bringing them to Milwaukee. The MISL had already given their acceptance to the indoor version. There appeard to be just I's to dot and T's to cross.

About two weeks later, entire deal fell apart when Milwaukee County Stadium decided what they really wanted for per-game rental, and Lipton added a demand that would have required an irrevocable line of credit.

 

I wish it would have happened... I had lined up THE COOLEST name for the Milwaukee team... it would have been THE MILWAUKEE SUDS...

 

I came across this site a few years ago but didn't think of joining. I was searching for Toledo Pride stuff this morning, as I do occasionally, and came across this post again.

If you are still looking for the Toledo Pride logo, I have it. I can scan it and get it to you.

I was in second grade when the Toledo Pride existed. My parents took my sister and me to every home game except one (weather), as well as a road trip to a game in Canton.

I had so much fun watching that team, and was brokenhearted when I learned that they would not be back for another season. I miss indoor soccer, and we now have a facility (in Toledo) that it would be a lot of fun to have a team play at.

I still remember watching them tear up the turf at the end of the playoff loss vs. Chicago. I had so much fun that year going to the games and getting to meet all the players. My favorite was #20 John Rudovic. My sister's was #1 John Stahl.

 

No.

Real Salt Lake is dumber. Always has been, always will be. Oxford City FC of Texas is probably the second-dumbest. Sporting Kansas City is dumb (though "not European whatsoever," their crazy owner said). Columbus Xoggz is up there.

Jacksonville Tea Men is a non sequitur, but still isn't as dumb as those two. (And, remember, that was a time when it was not a given that a relocated team in most sports would get re-branded, merchandising not being the primary concern it is today.)

And Pennsylvania is the Keystone State. It's a bit of a sad trombone name, but not nearly as stupid as pandering to Eurosnobs in Utah or Missouri/Kansas.

 

Hey, during the Sidekicks offseason, I do make the occasional FC Dallas game, and I think "FC" is a really stupid name for a team.

 

Hey, Toledo Pride 86-87, #16 Quote, would you be able to send me a scan of the Toledo Pride logo?? Thanx, Logopolis.

 

Let's not forget Cleveland's recent penchant for inscrutable team names.

Cleveland City or Cleveland City/Stars or Cleveland/City Stars

AFC Cleveland or AFC Cleveland/Royals or AFC/Cleveland Royals

 

Where do you put all the "Uniteds" (DC, Atlanta, Minnesota) in this discussion?

 

The idea of "Sporting" was due to the fact that OnGoal at that time was looking to bring a lacrosse team to KC as well as buy the KC Blues rugby team and have them under the Sporting Club brand. They had also looked into the possibility of starting a women's team under the brand, but the Comets owners beat them to it.

The model was European in the fact of "sporting clubs" in Eruope that owned multiple teams across multiple sports. Obviously the fans had to warm up to the idea of Sporting Kansas City, but merchandise flies off the shelves and the re-brand seems to have worked. There are some Eurosnobs in the area, but most people don't even think about the euro-connection anymore.

As for Real Salt Lake, "Real" means royal and there is a connection to Utah regarding lions and royalty. Brigham Young was called the "Lion of the Lord" and Salt Lake City is no doubt the capital of the Mormon faith (although many people from Utah come to Liberty, Missouri to visit the jail that held Joseph Smith before they headed west). Each of those names has a purpose for their area and isn't just to "pander" to Eurosnobs. I'm just glad we finally got the Swope Park Rangers which is what many fans wanted the Wizards to rebrand to, but obviously Swope Park in Kansas City, Missouri is nowhere near Children's Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas. (And yes, there are two separate cites of Kansas City, one in Missouri and one in Kansas).

 

Shorter explanation: They were both Europosing.

 

There are too many of them. It's just a slight step up from "FC."

Folks will tell you most clubs called "United" actually came from the combining of two separate clubs. In DC's case, it was actually fitting.

Atlanta is just lazy, and the fact MLS is (likely) going to make Minnesota change its name before they take the field is beyond stupid, too.