Review: Rochester Dragons (AUDL)

Part of the series critiquing the professional Ultimate team logos and nicknames.

Team: Rochester Dragons

Web: http://rochesterdragons.com/ // twitter: @ROC_Dragons

Representation: City// League: AUDL

Disc within logo?: No. // Ultimate element in team name?: No.

Background: The Dragon is one of the most powerful and lucky Chinese Zodiac signs.  Dragon is a karmic sign, which means they will experience more than a few extreme highs and lows in their lives. The downside to the Dragon is that some are wildly unrealistic with their big plans, while others are simply all talk or show and no action.

An amateur football team - WNY Dragons - are also located in western New York. "Western New York's Professional Ultimate team" was formerly known as the Buffalo Hunters until they moved to Rochester and became the Dragons in December 2012. Previous Dragons logo:

First impression(s): The Mortal Kombat Tournament on ice? The Mortal Kombat Tournament on ice.

Eli's Eval: Nothing wrong with a mythical creature as your mascot. Like the Indianapolis Alley Cat, this dragon has a head and tail, but no body. Not worried about legs, this dragon is closer in origin to Ouroboros, the world serpent, with no visible legs, just a head a tail and wings. The dragon is flat but is still given a good amount of articulated detail in the wing and tail and horns.The circular dragon logo is iconic enough, if a little embryonic from being forced into a circle.

The type has been give the app store treatment, in some instances, which results in a metallic feel that has no relation to the dragon logo unless maybe it is meant to represent armor or hoarded silver. The font choice is modern and reminiscent of the ROBOCOP logo, which also has very little to do with creatures of fantastical origins. The blocky font is illegible at smaller sizes so they could definitely benefit from some sort of "RD" monogram treatment. They did not leave any space in or around the dragon for it, so it would have to be a separate element, much like the current type treatment.

:Eli's Grades:
Grade: B
On Logo: B+
On Typography: C

Thoughts on this AUDL's team name & logo?