Image via Complex Original
Change is good. Well, most of the time. Every now and then, sports teams will use a logo redesign to either mark a new era in the franchise, simply freshen things up a little bit and/or just to gain a bigger profit with the help of some new merchandise. It sounds like a win-win situation for an organization, but their fans aren't always onboard with the transition.
In December 2014, the Toronto Raptors unveiled their redesign...which looked a lot like the current Brooklyn Nets logo. Some people called it a Drake-inspired look and their global ambassador made it a point to quickly shoot down any talk of him having to do with it, saying, "Actually this redesign was executed without me." In fact, reports have surfaced that Drizzy isn't happy with the new look at all.
Since Drizzy wasn't able to chime in on the Raptors' new, underwhelming logo, let's tap into his mind and see what he would think of other redesigns throughout history with the help of his own words on wax. Here are The Ugliest Logo Redesigns in Professional Sports History Reviewed Through Drake Lyrics.
Toronto Raptors
Years: 2014-Present
How Drake feels: “I'm just sayin’ you could do better/And I’ll start hatin’ only if you make me” (“Marvin's Room”)
As touched upon in the intro, Drake has publicly stated on social media that he had nothing to do with the Toronto Raptors' redesign. So, it's understandable that the rapper would passive aggressively tell the Raptors that they could've done much better. If the Toronto front office is seeking a further explanation, they should probably check this out. Thank him later.
Cleveland Browns
Years: 1959-1969
How Drake feels: “Even though it's fucked up, girl I'm still fucking with ya/Damn, is it the fall, time for me to revisit the past” (“HYFR”)
After 10 years with a “brownie” rocking a crown, the Cleveland Browns decided to redesign their logo a little bit. So, this was the end of the horrific and scary look they have been working with for the last decade, right? Nope! Instead, the Browns opted to make a few alterations here and there, but the overall look is pretty much the same damn thing. Clearly, the organization was messing with their fan base and toying with their emotions. It hasn't stopped since.
Denver Nuggets
Years: 1981-1993
How Drake feels: “Somewhere between psychotic and iconic/Somewhere between I want it and I got it/Somewhere between I'm sober and I'm lifted” (“Furthest Thing”)
It's hard to define the Nuggets' multi-colored mosaic of the Denver skyline. Drake may have summed it up best, though. While the color choice is wild, there is something that draws you in. Even though it is pretty ugly, you can still something promising in the design. But that may only be when you're lifted. Hey, these are Drizzy's words, not ours.
Cincinnati Bengals
Years: 1970-1980
How Drake feels: “Yeah, I need that, making major changes to the life I'm living/I had no choice, I had to prove I made the right decisions” (“Underground Kings”)
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. That's the mentality the Cincinnati Browns should've had before making the huge decision to switch from their Tony the Tiger-esque look to a boring, plain and just plain ugly helmet logo with the team name spelled out in an equally boring, plain and just plain ugly font. While there could be some criticism for the original logo, there's no denying that they took a huge L with this major change, and in turn, made the wrong decision.
Denver Broncos
Years: 1962-1969
How Drake feels: “I don't know why they been lyin'/But your shit is not that inspirin'” (“The Language”)
After a short stint with a brown and yellow version of a football player on a bronco that didn't look fierce at all, Denver kept the same theme but switched it up to the orange and blue they rock till this day. Let's get one thing straight: That guy on a bronco logo was always lame and it didn't matter how they altered the look, it was always going to be terrible. Things eventually changed again...and for the better.
Boston Celtics
Years: 1960-1968
How Drake feels: “I might be too strung out on compliments, overdosed on confidence/Started not to give a fuck and stopped fearing the consequence” (“Headlines”)
After winning their second NBA championship in three years, the Boston Celtics may have been a little too full of themselves (and rightfully so) to give a damn about improving their terrible-looking logo. It was arrogant enough that the guy in the logo was sporting an NBA crown, but you gotta think that the redesigned gold aura around him wasn't done on purpose. This was arguably trolling before the word existed. Respect.
Boston Red Sox
Years: 1950-1959
How Drake feels: "People around you should really have nothing to say/Me, I'm just proud of the fact that you've done it your way/And the weekends here, started it right, even if you only get part of it right" ("The Real Her")
The Boston Red Sox are just that, a red sock. It's not that hard to mess up. Or, at least, that's what we would've thought prior to 1950 when they unveiled their questionable, new school alternate logo. Honestly, it's not like we have our minds in the gutter on this one, but there is something very suggestive about the whole thing. Luckily, the Red Sox never made this hideous effort their main look. If they did, their games would be NSFW.
Detroit Tigers
Years: 1927-1928
How Drake feels: “Uh, when did you get like this?/Least you coulda done is gone an give me a warning/I don't regret like this” (“Let's Call It Off”)
Why mess up a good thing? In the Tigers' inaugural season, they tried implementing a silhouette of a tiger which lasted all of one season. After a little more than 20 years of refining their iconic “D” logo, they made the terrible decision of venturing back into creating a tiger logo and this Microsoft Paint-like rendition was dreadful. Just look at the damn thing! Ugh! Not surprisingly, the MS Paint Tiger lasted one year and went right back to a revised version of their former logo.
Anaheim Ducks
Years: 2006-2013
How Drake feels: “When a good thing goes bad, It's not the end of the world/It's just the end of a world” (“Doing It Wrong”)
It really didn't matter what the Anaheim Ducks changed their logo to, it wasn't going to compare to their original. The mask in the shape of a duck was iconic. Everything else just paled in comparison. But what can we do now? What has been done is done. Now, we can only move on and remember that moment in time. No one knows this better than Drake.
Dallas Stars
Years: 2003-2006
How Drake feels: “You say I'm old news, well who the new star?/'Cause if I'm going anywhere, it's probably too far” (“Over My Dead Body”)
As long as they are known as the Dallas Stars, they will forever live in the shadow of the Cowboys, especially from a logo perspective. After a decade rocking a very similar logo to America's favorite NFL team, they tried to switch up the script but the final result was atrocious. The constellation tie-in was a mess. The bull/uterus was a miss. Yes, Drake, they took it too far.