Sports Logo Designs

I've got this friend who really loves Nascar, and she said I should do a post about its graphic design.  So I decided to do that...but also talk about other sports logos!  There are lots of different interesting logo designs to be found amid the professional sports world, and I'm going to spotlight a few today, starting with Nascar.  First off, this is what it looks like.

Now, I'm not really a Nascar fan at all (I still think that it's just cars going round and round in circles), but I appreciate my friend's love for Nascar...and I sure appreciate the logo design!  This design is actually quite good.  I like the rainbow effect - it definitely goes right along with the colorful nature of Nascar.  The stock cars are extremely colorful individually, and when you mix that with fans, flags, etc., you get lots of color.  The logo reflects that, which is good.

I also like the lines on the left side of the logo.  They are just lines, but they emphasize motion as well as the growing interest of a Nascar race.  The lines get wider as they move right, just like the race gets more exciting as it gets closer to the finish line.  The whole italicized nature of the logo is also very effective in communicating the "racing" concept.  It's leaning forward, almost rushing...and so are Nascar cars.

At first, I didn't think I liked the typography of the logo, but now I actually think it fits well with the design.  It's fairly simple and doesn't detract from the rushing rainbow effect.

Another sports logo I thought I'd talk about today is the National Football League Logo.  This is what it looks like:

So here's what I like about it... I really like the typography of the "NFL" insignia.  It's a little bit retro and vintage, and the curly "L" looks very nice.  The shape of the logo is also very classic.  The design is timeless, but it also is reminiscent of the past in a way that is very pleasing to the eye.  The color choice is good, too.  It's very patriotic, which seems to allude to the concept that football is a part of American culture...which it is!  I'm not sure if this was intentional or not, but there are 25 stars at the top of the logo - one for every two United States.  I think it would've been better if they had been able to include all 50 stars, but at least they chose a representative number like 25.  The football graphic itself is also good.  It's clean and simple, but recognizable.

Honestly, I can't really find anything I don't like about this logo!  I think it does a good job executing skillful design, and it represents its league very well.  However, I did find another version of the logo that seemed newer, but the one I featured was also prevalent on Google Images, so I'm not sure which is the standard one.  This one was the one I liked better of the two.  The other one had more block-like typography (similar to the Nascar logo) which I didn't like as much.

The final logo I want to talk about is the logo of my personal favorite sport, Major League Baseball.  I've been a baseball fan since I was very young, and I still like going to baseball games.  The logo for MLB looks like this.

Well, I've got to say that this is probably one of the best word-less logos of all time.  I really like it!  The silhouette of the ball player against red and blue is very clear and memorable, and this design is recognizable even without any words or abbreviations to accompany it.

But even though I really like this logo, and like baseball, there are a few little qualms I have about it.  The first thing is the pointiness of the ball player and his jersey.  I mean really, what shirt has sleeves that come to such a sharp angle?  I also think his nose is strangely pointy, as well as the brim of his cap.  That's definitely the worst... I know baseball helmets are a little pointy, but this seems to be overdoing it.  I think the overall figure of the baseball player should be adjusted a little bit.  I would probably also like to see the baseball a little higher.  To me at least, having it completely in the corner makes it look like a hole punch for a tag.

Similar to the NFL logo, I also really like the color scheme of this logo.  It's patriotic, and baseball has been called "America's Game," so it's definitely appropriate.  I also like how the blue takes up 2/3 of the rectangle, and the red takes up 1/3.  It follows the "rule of thirds," which makes any design more comfortable-looking.

I hope you've enjoyed reading my little comments on sports logos.  It's been fun looking at them critically and picking the things I like and the things I don't prefer about each one.  Now, I'd love to hear your thoughts about one or all of the logos!  Do you have a favorite?  Why do you like it?