A Change for the...Better?

For the first time since the 1997 season the Miami Dolphins are changing their logo. Not so coincidentally, the Miami Dolphins are mired in the worst stretch of their existence. This is the logo that Dan Marino retired under. This is the logo that represented the team in our 1-15 season. With this logo, the Dolphins have missed the playoffs ten times (including each of the last four seasons) and finished last in the division three times. While I understand the franchises desire to distance themselves from this awful period in our history, I could not be more disappointed with what the brass has decided to go with.

The previous logo was my favorite in the franchise's history. Yes, it looks a lot like a cartoon caricature of a dolphin. No, it's not very intimidating. In fact, it may be the least intimidating logo in the entire NFL. That being said, I have always absolutely loved the design of it. I feel like it was a huge improvement over the previous logo, and the new direction we're going with is a drastic step back stylistically. The posture of the dolphin does not fit with how dolphins naturally jump a majority of the time (that is, with their tail down. Go ahead, Google it. I'll wait). The colors are just wrong for the franchise; while Navy Blue is an official color, I don't think there is a single person that associates that color with the team, and I think it's a mistake to add it to the underbelly of the dolphin. On the positive side, I do enjoy that they chose to get rid of the helmet on the dolphin. I always thought that the helmet was a silly and unnecessary feature.

The new uniforms have yet to be unveiled, but a few people across several fan forums have taken a stab at what they might look like. If what the majority of them have come up with is correct, I'm not a fan of these either. Both of these jerseys (home and away) seem to have used the orange as almost an after thought in the coloration. It seems to be more of an accent color than an official color, and that bothers me to the core. The orange has always been one of the two primary colors. In addition to being essentially an accent color, the orange of the sleeves is an entirely different shade from the orange shown in the sneakers. This further reinforces orange being an afterthought and shows a blatant disregard for the essence of the Miami Dolphin color scheme. Now, at first glance, it would appear that our team colors are aqua and white. While the need for change is apparent and understandable, both the official logo and these possible new uniforms are going about it in completely the wrong way.

On a rare occasion, I may consult my lovely fiancee', like when fashion and sports intercept (on that note, do not get her started on the Dallas Cowboys' "sea-foam green" uniforms). My fiancee' suggests that they add orange to the shin-guards and belt to further emphasize the orange is a primary color, adding balance to the uniform as a whole.

Here is a link to the new logo, let me know what you all think: http://www.miamidolphins.com/ (the new logo appears in the top-left corner) 

As for the possible uniforms, this is what most people are assuming (credit for the photo goes to Jt0323 from www.thephins.com/forums)