Tampa Bay's uniform design has reached the end of its thread
by John Fontana on May 28, 2011 2:34 PM EDT
in Lightning Franchise news
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PrintThe 2007 Tampa Bay Lightning logo and jersey designs have reached the end of their life. They've never really been reflected upon and rallied around as a symbol of pride, at least not compared to the more memorable logos and uniforms from other franchises around pro sports. The jerseys themselves have been maligned, and only seldom heralded. Heck, my opinion of the black home jersey has been that it resembles a smock. The road whites often get described that way too, but with a little more contrast.
Yet, as I said, the logo and jersey system's collective life is over. With the final game of the 2010-11 Tampa Bay Lightning season in the books, the Bolts effectively retire the uniforms and fully embrace the new. The new primary logo, as most Lightning fans are well aware, has been plastered all over the place since it's January 31st unveiling.
But the next time you see a player dawn a Lightning jersey at a league function (the 2011 NHL draft in Minnesota), they'll be wearing the new sweater, and dawning a cap that has the new logo stamped upon it.
Since the design's inception in August 25, 2007, the Bolts record has been 181-143-50 (a .483 win percentage). They've seen three different ownership groups, huge roster turnovers, and a lone winning season: the 2010-11 campaign.
While the design was cooked up and implemented at the tail end of the Palace Sports and Entertainment ownership group, the jersey system has been tied to ownership changes from day one. In August 2007, before its official unveiling, Absolute Hockey was introduced as a group determined to buy the Lightning. Of course, that group fell apart and OK Hockey bought the Bolts, and then sold the team in February 2010 to current owner Jeffrey Vinik.
The jersey system saw only one playoff berth - the 2011 playoffs - and has a post-season record of 11-7. Even though it's going out with a loss, the 2007 design is going out with a winning record in the post-season.
So we bid adieu to the black and silver, we say "until our next meeting" to the victory stripes, and we move forward once again.
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I liked the black and silver, tracked down one of the remaining home jerseys at River City Sports if anyone is looking. Had it on sale for $149, free shipping. I’m not affiliated with them at all just sharing a deal.
Florida Panthers, Good Hockey, Great Sponsors!! Panthers STH since 1994 and Lightning STH since 2011.
Authentic Team Merchandise, who I have been slinging at certain points all season, is selling them cheaper (a limited quantity and limited sizes) much cheaper. Authentics for $125, premiere for $58
http://www.authenticteammerchandise.com
No affiliation with them, it’s just a damn good deal.
Typing is an adventure, and reading should be, too!
Raw Charge.
by John Fontana on May 28, 2011 4:47 PM EDT up reply actions
I got the $60 one from them a few weeks ago
they’re out of smalls and mediums, but what they do have is at a good price
Heel for school, Vol for life!
Go Bolts! Out West, go Preds! Southern hockey solidarity!
by Incipient_Senescence on May 28, 2011 4:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I picked up an authentic road jersey customized with Vinny’s name and number – including the C – because I wanted one of this year’s jerseys and not one of the new ones coming out next season. I got it ordered and fixed (the front letter and number was wrong – and corrected for free) from Authentic Tame Merchandise. Nice people and very helpful. Again, not affiliated with them, but it was a lot cheaper with them than anywhere else.
Win or lose, I'm proud of these guys.
Raw Charge, an SBN Tampa Bay Lightning community. Follow me on Twitter: @dagmar27.
by Cassie McClellan on May 28, 2011 5:06 PM EDT up reply actions
That is a good deal, they are out of the black home authentics and only have size 50 left for the aways. Oh well. Going to contact them to see if they can number and letter my jersey, most likely St. Louis.
Florida Panthers, Good Hockey, Great Sponsors!! Panthers STH since 1994 and Lightning STH since 2011.
Hopefully the team will have better success in the new threads.
@DigDeepNYR
"I like a man who grins when he fights." -Sir Winston Churchill
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
That makes it sound as if their season was bad
It was completely not…but could have been 5 wins better. :-)
"[The Lightning] are uncanny. When they want to get a goal, it's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'we know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is, it leaves [the opposition] flabbergasted." - Mike Knuble, 3 May 2011
I wasn’t referring to this season, but the entire run with the current jersey:
Since the design’s inception in August 25, 2007, the Bolts record has been 181-143-50 (a .483 win percentage). They’ve seen three different ownership groups, huge roster turnovers, and a lone winning season: the 2010-11 campaign.
A lone winning season suggests to me that they didn’t bring much luck.
@DigDeepNYR
"I like a man who grins when he fights." -Sir Winston Churchill
"It's just pain." -Brandon Prust | "In Prust we Trust."
If it wasn’t for this season, these would’ve been looked upon as one of the least successful uniform sets in recent memory.
They did house two 50 loss seasons and a 48 loss season in their first three years.
by FloridaownsFSU on May 28, 2011 7:45 PM EDT up reply actions
I understand now. Thanks for the clarification.
"[The Lightning] are uncanny. When they want to get a goal, it's like they just snap their fingers or hit a button. They just dial it up. You can see it. It's like they flip a switch. When they are down, it's just like they think, 'we know we are going to score.' I don't know what it is, it leaves [the opposition] flabbergasted." - Mike Knuble, 3 May 2011
Hopefully a black alternate will be introduced some time in the future
I love the emphasis on the blue. LOVE it. I’ve liked both alternate blue uniforms the Bolts have used in the past (the jersey designs may have been a bit lacking and/or poorly designed) because of the slick look that black-blue-black has (helmet-jersey-pants).
That’s what I would’ve wanted here, too. Black-blue-black. All black can get a bit old at times, which is why I like the blue. But I, like most here, feel the black was de-emphasized too much. Would love to see black added back to the mix gradually in the coming years.
I’ll admit, I thought about the end of the current Lightning design entering Game 5 against Pittsburgh. Looking back, I’m surprised they lasted 14 more games after that.
100% Agree
The new blue has looked amazing, especially when everyone in the crowd wears it. I’ve always liked the idea of having blue as the main color, but there needs to be some black. I too love the blue jersey/black pants combo, and I agree that having both tops and bottoms being black could get a bit boring. But I think the same could be said for blue/blue too, I just think the new uniforms are a bit too simple, even with the black piping around the numbers.
Personally, I’ll wait a year or two to buy a new jersey to see if any adjustments are made. I’ve heard rumors that victory stripes and maybe some more black will be re-added in the future, so I want to see if that does happen before dropping any money.
Basically, which is why I’m such a proponent of black pants.
As I’ve said before, look at a team like Chicago. I understand red/black “pops” better perhaps than blue/black (though I think the Magic make it look pretty good), but the general design of a lighter color as the jersey color with black as the pants color is a design element that I’ve always liked and usually apply to what I wear myself.
As much as I love the color black, it isn’t the best color to wear as a primary jersey color. As an alternate worn ~15 times a year, I like it. As something worn 30-40 times a year, it gets a bit old. Wearing it less helps keep the look fresh.
by FloridaownsFSU on May 29, 2011 2:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Also, about a black alt
I hope that for perhaps the 25 season, they come out with a commorative alternate with the same design as those used in the inagural season
I haven’t bought a new sweater since we went from the “paint” numbers to the block style, whenever that was (2003?) but I will be buying one of the new home sweaters. A lot of the re-designs that occurred when the new jerseys were introduced throughout the NHL came out worse but I still never cared for ours. The whites were too white and the blacks were too black. When I get nostalgiac for the black, blue and silver, I go back to our original unifoms that looked unique-yet-traditional.
I really liked the blue 3rd jersey though, and that’s why I wasn’t upset when they went that direction with the new uniforms.
I thought the sweaters the Bolts wore when they won the Cup was the best design they’ve had in their history, with the minor exception of the blue, in that I wish they still used their original shade of blue, not the darker shade that gets lost in black more easily, something that was really evident in the newer uniforms they Bolts wore the past four years.
Generally speaking, the contrasting shoulders and striping were both very nice and classy. Plus, they have a Cup in their record. I wouldn’t have minded at all if they had stuck with those uniforms for a long, long time.
by FloridaownsFSU on May 29, 2011 2:35 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree..
Love all the old Lightning jerseys ‘04 era and prior. The newer ones were just starting to grow on me and then they unveiled Toronto south. Who knows, maybe these new ones will grow on me eventually. I don’t hate them as much as I did on day one and I’m pretty sure some things will still be changed and/or added to the new set-up. Including the Bolt on the side of the pants.. that’s a definite must stay. I guess the main thing I don’t like still is the actual logo itself.. just looks to generic, like a power company logo.
I sure hope to see some sort of ‘04 era 3rd jersey down the road at some point. I’d buy that for a dolla!
So... if that was just the beginning? Can't friggin' wait to see what's next!! A HUGE Thank You to Mr. Vinik, Steve Yzerman, Guy Boucher & the whole damn Lightning team/organization!! 100% Continued support and respect.
by Let's JOE WINGS-BOLTS on Jun 1, 2011 7:40 PM EDT up reply actions
That will always be the look I rock if I go to a Lightning game wearing a sweater.
It’s not even bad form either, just look at Canucks fans. They can literally wear yellow, red, black, dark blue, royal blue, green, silver and still be showing obvious support for their team.
Now on Twitter @Carcillo_
http://twitter.com/#!/Carcillo_
by FloridaownsFSU on Jun 2, 2011 9:31 AM EDT up reply actions
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