Weather Delay Caused by AUDL Team Logos

Tonight's Madison Radicals-Pittsburgh Thunderbirds AUDL game is delayed because of....

Lightning.

[Posted on Twitter]

AUDL Preseason: Mega Scrimmage 2016

More AUDL preseason is scheduled for tonight. Unlike last week's game, this game play of 3 Midwest Division teams and 1 East Division will not be streamed.

The 5-hour scrimmage hosted at Cool Springs Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is scheduled to start at 9pm and ends at 2am in the morning.

In the 2015 American Ultimate Disc League season, the Revolution(2-12), Phoenix (1-13) and Mechanix (0-14) posted a combined (3-39) record. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds went (12-2), won their first playoff game, but lost in the Midwest Division championship game.

A similar assemblage (AUDL teams: Cincinnati Revolution, Indianapolis AlleyCats, Nashville NightWatch and Pittsburgh Thunderbirds) was organized in the 2015 preseason.

Review: Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (AUDL)

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

Team: Pittsburgh Thunderbirds

Web: http://pghthunderbirds.com // twitter: @PGHThunderbirds

Representation: City // League: AUDL

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

Background: A ballot of 18 potential team names were voted on by MARS Ultimate Tournament 2014 participants, and "Thunderbirds" was later announced as the winner. A thunderbird is an enormous bird with huge wingspans, and similar in appearance to a condor. Generally, the creature is regarded as a myth.

First impression(s) from SLUDGE: Besides borrowing elements from existing AUDL teams, the bird reminds me of the USPS icon.

Eli's Eval: The lightning bird logo does a nice job of hiding two elements in one. The easy way out would have been to make the eye a bolt but the designer incorporated it into the shape of the head while retaining the anatomy of the head and beak. I'm not sure what the dog-leg slash [indicated below in red dotted outline] in the gray shape is for, so that could go.

The light stroke around the outside of the gold shape seems too light and I think it would be better off without it. Even a slight white space/negative space between the two shapes would serve the same purpose more effectively. Backing up this theory is that the design looks much better in its embroidered form on the hats than it does on the discs or tees where it maintains its intentional structure.

The type is simple and bold and effective. The metal plate it is set on is a nice nod to the steel city and its rust belt history. The rivets are simple, the drop-shadow is not overdone, and the letter-spacing is consistently good. (Save between the B and I, and R and D.) The city name is clear at a small size and the designing type on a curve is never easy, so bonus points there.

The only other thing that I keep going back to is the rounded left edge of the eye: the rest of the design is pointy and sharp and angular and aggressive and this little teardrop on such an important part of the design just seems like a lost opportunity for consistency and stylistic reinforcement.

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

Pittsburgh Thunderbirds Borrowed Jersey Design

Pittsburgh Thunderbirds unveiled their 2015 jerseys and once again borrowed their design from 2 AUDL teams. Having multiple teams with bird logos is expected, though it's egregious to have two lightning bolt teams. Identical jersey design happened last year, too; albeit for teams in different divisions.

The Radicals jersey features one colored sleeve with a descending lightning bolt, and so does the Thunderbirds jersey. 

The Madison jersey wrapped-around lettering on the lower right hip as does the Thunderbirds jersey.

AUDL Jerseys (upper left, clockwise): Madison Radicals, Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, 
Pittsburgh Thunderbirds, Montreal Royal. 

Pittsburgh's jersey has a diagonal band running from shoulder to hip, similar to the Montreal jersey .

RELATED: Evaluation of 2014 AUDL Jerseys

Updated Pittsburgh Tbirds Logo

The Pittsburgh Thunderbirds (AUDL) were originally in the East Division are now in the Midwest Division. So, here's a "revamped" Thunderbirds logo since they're no longer facing East Division teams.

Pittsburgh Thunderbirds to Play in AUDL Midwest Division

According to Pittsburgh's website, the Thunderbirds will be playing the 2015 AUDL season in the Midwest Division; not in the East Division. This transfer has been rumored here, here, here and shown here, yet only recently appeared on their website.

The team quietly moved - without any formal announcement from the league nor team - from one division to another which evens out the two divisions with seven teams each and avoids an in-state rivalry with Philadelphia. Pittsburgh becomes the easternmost city in the AUDL Midwest Division.

See the text changes via PGH's About webpage,
Original:

Old screengrab listing Eastern Division teams

Now:

Recent screengrab listing Midwestern Division teams

The AUDL's website originally positioned Pittsburgh in the East Division, but the current listing shows Pittsburgh in the Midwest.

Screengrab [October 2014]

The homepage of the Thunderbirds' website still needs some updating, though.

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Another notable tidbit per the webpage is the 2015 AUDL Championships is scheduled for early August instead of late July. 

Pittsburgh Thunderbirds Logo

Pittsburgh Thunderbirds - one of American Ultimate Disc League's expansion teams - unveiled their team logo last week.  The black and gold colors are congruent with Pittsburgh sports teams. The logo seemingly borrows from 2 existing AUDL teams – lightning bolt from Madison Radicals and the bird profile with hook-like beak similar to Montreal Royal.

While we're on the topic, the logo appears to embody "Lightning" more than 'Thunder.'

AUDL Expansion: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Oh mi-lawndry!! Pittsburgh has been reported to be the location of a new pro Ultimate team for the 2015 AUDL season. "Steel City" is about 300 miles away from an existing in-state AUDL team – Philadelphia Phoenix, and 283 miles from Rochester; 289 miles from Cincinnati. If/when Pittsburgh joins the American Ultimate Disc League, Pennsylvania would become the 3rd state with 2 AUDL teams - California: San Jose Spiders, San Francisco FlameThrowers; New York: Rochester Dragons, New York Empire.

The AUDL has yet to formally announce any new teams for their 2015 season.

UPDATE: The team name for the Pittsburgh team will be the Thunderbirds.

[HT Ultiworld]

UPDATE 8/21/2014: Pittsburgh released their logo which retains the black and gold colors of Burgh's sports teams.