Springfield Sliders

I'm always impressed when a really small-time team understands the importance of a great logo.

The Springfield Sliders will become the fifth team in the Central Illinois Collegiate League when they open the 2008 season at Robin Roberts Stadium. They have already jumped to the top of the league standings and probably to the top of all collegiate wood bat leagues with this outstanding logo. Heck, it's better than a lot of Minor League Baseball teams, maybe even better than a few Major League teams - I'm looking at you Tampa Bay Rays!

And it instantly gives them credibility. I know nothing at all about their ownership group, but if I were approached by their sales people trying to sell me season tickets or advertising, this logo would go a long way in establishing that these guys mean business. With a logo like that, I wouldn't consider this a fly-by-night, rinky-dink organization upon first glance.

Now they actually have to back it up, a logo can't do it alone. But it definitely goes a long way.

Plus, I have a soft spot for turtles, so this is right up my alley.


Team: Springfield Sliders
League: Central Illinois Collegiate League
Location: Springfield, Illinois
Stadium: Robin Roberts Stadium at Lanphier Park

P.S....Can I just say how much I love the CICL. I wish I could make it out to Illinois just for some ballgames in this league. You've got three uber-historic stadiums living on in Danville, Quincy and Springfield, and one of the best recreations of a historic stadium in the country in Dubois County.

Chicago Slaughter

With a name like the Chicago Slaughter, simple and classy are not the adjectives I expected to use when describing the Continental Indoor Football League's newest franchise. But in a surprising twist for an indoor football team, someone used some good judgment and kept this logo sane.

Imagine, if you will, the nickname "Slaughter" in the hands of the ABA or the NIFL (in the hands of the NIFL it would be the Shicago Slotter). Blood would be splattered all over a cartoon cow giving a big thumbs up and a wink. It would be a logo that would make animal rights activists wince and vegetarians pass out, not that that's a bad thing, necessarily.

But it isn't a good thing for a team that's trying to make it's mark in the increasingly crowded sports scene of Hoffman Estates, Illinois. The new Sears Centre now has four professional franchises that call it home and each team has to do what it can to set themselves apart. The Slaughter could have chosen gross and creepy and drawn some attention, but with three other teams sporting somewhat classy logos, they were smart and took the high road.

Instead, to make some big Chicagoland waves, they hired Steve "Mongo" McMichael as their Head Coach and William "The Refrigerator" Perry as their Director of Football Operations. That'll do the trick.

Team: Chicago Slaughter
League: Continental Indoor Football League
Location: Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Arena: Sears Centre
Online Store: Not yet

Kane County Cougars

Has it really been over a week since my last post? I don't know why, but I lose track of time with this blog. I feel like I just posted that thing about Whiskey Chimp a couple days ago. Seriously? Only four posts so far in the entire month of September? I've got to get cracking.

Luckily, I have some patient readers giving me some good ideas. I don't know if I'm going to get to them, but here's a start. Awhile back, Kevin asked me what I thought of his hometown Kane County Cougars logo. Very good question. It's a very interesting logo because of it's longevity despite it's simplicity and I really respect the Cougars for keeping it as their primary logo even after adding a fancier Cougar secondary logo a few years ago. Plus, the logo always brings up a little nostalgia whenever I see it.

I first started reading Baseball America when I was in either the seventh or eighth grade. Baseball America got me interested in baseball like nothing else did, especially minor league baseball. My favorite part of the magazine was the classifieds where a number of teams advertised their merchandise. It was here that I got myself an Albany Polecats sweatshirt, an Augusta Greenjackets polo and some other items that I can't remember anymore.

It was also where I first saw the Kane County Cougar logo. At the time, all I wanted was funny or really unique looking merchandise, so the Kane County Cougars logo went straight out the window. But it piqued my interest because I had no idea where Kane County was. I always thought it was in the South somewhere and they played in a little tiny old stadium out in the middle of nowhere and had a very limited budget but also had the love and support of their long time fans. My perception of the team came directly from seeing this logo every single week in the back of BA. The simplicity and conservative nature just gave me that vision for some reason.

Turns out, Kane County is a suburb of Chicago. The team, stadium and logo were brand spanking new at the time and they were wildly successful at the box office. My perception couldn't have been more wrong. Since learning this, I have always felt a little ripped off. I had such a romantic notion about this team in my mind that the truth was a little disappointing. I wouldn't expect a logo like that from a new, suburban team. What I would expect is the secondary logo that they currently use on their BP caps. Now that screams suburban.