The Hawks yesterday unveiled new uniforms and color schemes that "paid homage" to the team's past but "brought a look never before seen in the NBA," according to Chris Vivlamore of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The simple red and blue colors are "long gone," replaced by Volt Green, Georgia Granite Gray and Torch Red. Hawks Senior VP/Marketing and Chief Creative Officer Peter Sorckoff: “We wanted to appeal to next generation Atlantans.” Vivlamore notes the uniforms are a "primary home white and a primary road gray with Atlanta across the chest in red and outlined in green." The alternate road red "has ATL across the chest in black and outlined in green." The numbers and names on the back of the red and gray uniforms "are in the green, which is a florescent version of the color worn" in the '70s. The shorts "have red and green striping." The uniforms also feature a "green tab on the back with 'True to Atlanta' written in script." Hawks CEO Steve Koonin said that he "insisted the new design, more than a year in the works, have a green element to remember the team’s heritage." He said the re-design was “the best of both worlds.” The uniforms were designed by Mississippi-based Rare Design Owner Rodney Richardson (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 6/25). ESPN.com's Matt Walks noted the jerseys include "repeatable feathery V patterns, recalling a swooping bird of prey, and the collegiate ability to mix and match tops, bottoms, socks and even shoelaces." But Sorckoff is "most excited about the surprising introduction of a road charcoal jersey." It is "highlighted by bright green accents," like the shade worn in the early '70s "but electrified." Sorckoff: "The gray is a color that's new for us, and really to the best of my knowledge has never been deployed anywhere in the NBA before. Between that color and the Volt green, we feel we're doing something that's never been done before" (ESPN.com, 6/24).
MIXING IT UP: SI.com's Tim Newcomb reported the Hawks also "brought in Stance Socks, the NBA’s new apparel partner for hosiery, to create matching socks for the new package and is working with Nike, Adidas and Under Armour about matching the multiple colors on the footwear" (SI.com, 6/24). YAHOO SPORTS' Dan Devine noted the Hawks are also "trumpeting the opportunity to mix-and-match their new jerseys and their new shorts." Devine: "We'll have to see how that looks on the court; it hasn't worked out so hot for the teams that have tried it in the past" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/24).
FLUORESCENT ADOLESECENT: ESPN.com's Paul Lukas wrote this is an "unusual uniform set on several levels, from the atypical color scheme and the sublimated triangle pattern to the mix-and-match factor and the lack of the team name on any of the jerseys." He graded the color scheme a D because it is "a mess." The fluorescent green color is the "flavor of the month and will look badly dated in a few years." More important, it "looks pretty bad right now -- too loud, too undignified, too clown-like, especially in conjunction with the red tones." The effect is "sort of like a nuclear-irradiated Ronald McDonald." Even worse, the colors "don't match the team's new logo." Lukas gave the white home uniform a C-minus. It is "probably the best of the three, but the neon trim ruins it." The black road uniform received a D-plus. The vertically lettered "Hawks" on the shorts "is a nice touch, but that's not enough to save this design." The red alternate was given an F. It is the "worst of the bunch." Between the "searing red and the fluorescent trim, these uniforms likely will be visible from space." Lukas: "Under normal circumstances we might need to discuss that hyper-stylized 'A,' but that would be like discussing the Titanic's paint job while the ship was going down" (ESPN.com, 6/24). The Boston Globe’s Bob Ryan said the uniforms were “awful” and then asked, “Where do they find these designers? They’re terrible." But the Hawks "have a long history of terrible uniforms, so this is in keeping with an ancient Atlanta tradition” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 6/24).
BOLD IS GOLD: In Phoenix, Andrew Joseph writes the uniforms "are great," as the prominent use of Volt Green is "obviously going to draw some harsh criticism, but not here." The Hawks under Koonin's leadership have "built a strong following in a fickle sports market by connecting with millennials and African American fans." From Tinder Nights to 2 Chainz postgame concerts, everything Koonin has done with the Hawks "has been on point with a clear marketing strategy," and these uniforms "are no different." This is how a uniform redesign "should be done." Joseph: "It's bold, edgy and true to Atlanta" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 6/25). ESPN's Jason Whitlock said, "These uniforms are awesome. They fit Atlanta to a tee. This is ‘Chocolate City,’ this is ‘Hip-Hop City,’ this is so Andre 3000 Outkast” (“PTI,” ESPN, 6/24).
CHANGING OF THE GUARD: Ares Management Chair, co-Founder & CEO Tony Ressler was scheduled to meet the media this morning in his first press conference as the new owner of the Hawks. The NBA BOG yesterday unanimously approved his purchase of the team, and in Atlanta, Jeff Schultz wrote the vote officially ended the "reign of terror of possibly the worst ownership in the history of professional sports" -- the Atlanta Spirit group. There is "no guarantee Ressler will be a great sports owner, or even a good one." But he gets "the benefit of the doubt, merely because his name" is not Bruce Levenson, Ed Peskowitz, Todd Foreman or Michael Gearon Sr. Nothing can "undo the damage the Atlanta Spirit did," as the city "lost its NHL team because those knuckleheads didn’t care about the sport, didn’t want the team, ran the franchise into the ground." Nothing "can reverse the blizzard of litigation" between the two factions of the previous ownership group. The only "mystery here" is that Michael Gearon Jr. will "still be a minority owner in this group, expected to retain" about a 1% stake. Schultz: "It would be better if Ressler started clean with all new faces" (AJC.com, 6/24).
