There are two things I love about sports. One, the competition. Two, the logos. Sports teams’ logos are always a curious presentation. Each logo possesses an overt meaning and hidden meaning. The selection of colors makes a logo shine or makes a logo dull. Growing up, I enjoyed drawing different logos. My favorite pastime with logos is to look at the logos of older and defunct professional sports teams.

This Philadelphia Eagles logo is one of my favorites. The usage of the whole bird with the clutch of the football conjures up memories of the old, whole RedHawk bird logo. The shade of green used in the logo complemented with the white is unique compared to the Eagles’ present day logo. This logo could have been in a bygone era, but today’s logos have too much pizzazz and complicated parts. This is why I like this Eagles logo. It knows what it is, and there is no hidden meaning to it.

Unbeknownst to me before this article, this Minnesota Twins logo exists. This makes me happy. The simplicity yet complex parts of this logo causes it to stand out. There is a lot to unpack with this logo. A big baseball, a river, the word “win,” the dots on the i’s are stars, the state of Minnesota, and two buds representing the Twin Cities shaking hands are all incorporated into one logo. My brain hurts. The river running down the middle provides great symmetry. The colors red, white, and blue are a solid choice because a patriotic theme draws any set of eyes.

While the Providence Steamrollers only existed for three seasons, they contributed one amazing logo to NBA history. I have not fact checked, but this may be the only time Steamrollers was used as a team name. Major bonus points awarded to them. This full-fledged steamroller incorporated into their logo is a huge positive, and it is not even made to look like a cartoon. While colors are bland, the rolling motion of the steamroller more than makes up for it. Plus, I love the added touch of smoke coming out of it. Did I mention it’s a steamroller? I love it. Go Steamrollers!

Rounding out the professional sports teams’ logos is the California Golden Seals of the NHL. While I am not huge hockey fan, I love this logo. The green and yellow are eye catching material as is the, jutting out of the C, seal holding the hockey stick. This logo is much different than other logos, and it was a forerunner to other logos by incorporating the mascot name into the letter or name of the location.

I could go on and on with a list of different sports teams’ logos, but this is enough for today. I love looking back at an old timey logo and seeing how it evolves over time into the present day. It is very fascinating, and I would love to hear what is your favorite old school sports team logo. Send me an email at sean.h.dengler@gmail.com, and I will share my favorites.