loved Lockhart.
9. Colorado I:
Even back in '96, I went on a rant about the original Colorado Rapids logo. Why? Because there was nothing soccer about it. It was, for lack of a better description, a minor league baseball logo. Read on ...
8. Colorado II:
Clearly someone in Denver agreed with my minor league assessment, because the original logo was jettisoned in 2002 in favor of an equally-bland soccer ball logo that someone could've picked out of a Eurosport catalog.
7. D.C. United:
Call me crazy, but I liked the original D.C. United crest and, in fact, still own an adidas jacket emblazoned with it. I understand why the original crest had to go and applaud United for coming up with a solid second crest, which many people probably didn't realize was a new logo. But while I'm on the subject, I'm ready for D.C. United to go with a throwback '96 looking jersey with the three wide stripes across the middle of the jerseys -- and the white shirt, red shorts, road kit that D.C. wore in Year One.
6. Dallas:
Much like the Tampa Bay bat, the Dallas fire-breathing horse was just odd. However, with that admission, I must say, I liked it. I guess because it was memorable, and kind of looked like a hood ornament, I don't know. Never much liked the decision to change the team's name to FC Dallas (would've even preferred SC Dallas), so it's hard for me to care much for Big Tex and the look they've worn in Frisco.
5. Kansas City:
Well, somebody had to do it. Somebody in the first year of MLS had to push the envelope, and it was the good folks in Kansas City, who named their new soccer team "The Wiz" and came up with a logo that looked like a record label from the '70s. Thankfully, the nickname did not stick and the logo was altered. However, in my opinion, if there was one team in MLS in need of a Crest Makeover, it's Kansas City. Come on, is there going to be anybody out there who misses the present one?
4. Los Angeles:
Liked the original, saw no need to change it. The new crest, introduced a year ago, probably would've been one of the best logos in MLS had it been introduced in 1996, but as the bar has been set higher, my reaction is, basically ... yawn.
3. MetroStars I:
The first MetroStars crest, which I've always called "The Electric Skyline" never did much for me. I thought it was a case of trying too hard, and it was busy and, well, so far from "classic" that it was never on my good list. Maybe I also have a harsh opinion of this logo since it emblazoned my team-issued blue linen suit that I was forced to wear on 100-degree road trips during my first year of employment with the club. Never liked those suits much, but wish I'd held on to it for a '90s party.
2. Metrostars II:
The second logo, as I said before about the Rapids second logo, was pretty youth soccer-ish. It was an improvement, and would've been a decent inaugural logo, but when it was introduced in 2003, I would have to say it was, at best, bland. Not much to say about where the N.Y. MLS logo has gone since the name change.
1. San Jose:
The scorpion, emblematic of The Clash? So strange that I actually wish I'd invested in an inaugural year jersey from the team that would later become the Earthquakes and then the Houston Dynamo and then re-emerge as the Eathquakes again. Isn't it nice that, like old photos, we can look back on those days and laugh?
Jeff Bradley is a senior writer for ESPN The Magazine. Send your comments and complaints (200 words or less, please) to Jeff at jbradleyespn2003@yahoo.com and he promises to read (but not respond to) all of them. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
