What is an American Soccer team supposed to do, try to be distinctly American or nod to the traditions of Europe when it chooses a team crest? Soon the Timbers will have to decide: from the Meritt Paulson Q&A:
Q – Josh Thompson:
when are you going to release the new crest?
A – Merritt Paulson:
June
I favor the classic European look.
The history of the MLS is that most teams started with pretty horrendous American-style logos:
Then they slowly moved toward Europe and things got better. So, since nobody asked here is my guidance for the good folks at the Timbers when looking at current MLS crests:
GOOD:
(Though the name is atrocious)
OKAY:
OH GOD PLEASE NO:
As for the Timbers, the current/throwback crest needs to retire back to the 70s even though it is pretty cool:
The new version actually was headed in a good direction but then some slanting and waving sent it off course and it seems a bit unfinished:
Lets hope for something classic, but a little better than the Sounders managed to do.
By the way, the timbers army has done a nice job with their new crest:
This is not a small decision, so I imagine a lot of market testing will go on. I think the key is to test it among soccer fans, not random 8 year olds - which is how I imagine the Clash and Burn logos above were decided upon (fire breathing horse! scorpion!! AWESOME!!!). Given that Portland is perhaps the most traditional and tradition-rich club in the US, I am optimistic.
