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Logo of the Yomiuri Giants of Japan’s Central League of Nippon Professional Baseball, the highest pro league in that country. The Giants, one of Japan’s oldest franchises, are considered the “New York Yankees of Japan” as they are the most highly regarded and historic team. Former Mets’ manager Davey Johnson once managed the Giants, and Hideki Matsui played for them before signing with the Yankees. Their most famous player is Sadaharu Oh, the “Babe Ruth of Japan”, who hit an amazing 868 home runs in his 22 year career.

This is another unfortunate attempt to “modernize” a team’s logo – the infamous “Buffaslug” logo used by the National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres from 2006 until 2010. Reacting to fans’ wishes, new Sabres owner Terry Pegula is phasing out this logo after the current season.  It is a testament to why “designers” who have no understanding of the fan base’s love of a team’s tradition shouldn’t be allowed to tinker with sports logos and uniforms.

Logo of the Birmingham Stallions football team, which played in the United States Football League from 1983 until 1985.  The Stallions were one of the USFL’s more successful franchises, posting the second most wins in the league’s short history. They were the first pro football team to draft Jerry Rice, but never signed him. The Stallions had a Pittsburgh Steeler flavor, as their head coach was former Steeler assistant Rollie Dotsch, who served with the NFL club during their Super Bowl years, and their quarterback was former Steeler Cliff Stoudt. Stoudt had replaced Terry Bradshaw as Steeler QB, but fell out of favor with fans and decided to sign with Birmingham. The next year, Pittsburgh’s USFL team, the Maulers, had their only sellout when Stoudt and the Stallions played there, and the fans pelted their former QB with snowballs. Another notable Stallion was former Bills’ running back Joe Cribbs.

Logo of the American Basketball Association Memphis Tams, who played in the old league under that name from 1972 until 1974. The franchise started out in New Orleans in 1968 as a charter member of the ABA, and moved to Memphis in 1971 and became the “Pros”. They were purchased in 1972 by the flamboyant owner of baseball’s Oakland A’s, Charlie Finley, and renamed the Tams. Some of the players from the “Tams” years include Larry Kenon, George Thompson, Johnny Neumann and Larry Finch.

Logo of a minor league baseball team that plays in the Class AA Eastern League, the Richmond Flying Squirrels. The franchise, affiliated with the San Francisco Giants, has existed since 1972, but set up shop in Richmond just this season, returning minor league baseball to the Virginia city after a one year absence when the AAA Richmond Braves, a long-standing Braves affiliate, relocated to Lawrenceville, Georgia and became the Gwinnet Braves.

A logo used by the National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres from 1996 until 2006, in an era when the team also changed its’ traditional blue and gold color scheme to black, red and grey. The logo became known to fans as the “Mad Cow Diseased Goat Head” logo, and the team has since gone back to blue and gold colors and their old Buffalo and crossed swords logo. Some players who played for Buffalo during the “Goat Head” era include Dominik Hasek, Matthew Barnaby, Brad May, Rob Ray, Richard Smehlik and one of the toughest captains in team history, Michael Peca.

Logo of a former Arena Football League team, the Buffalo Destroyers, who played in the league from 1999 until 2003. They were owned by businessman Mark Hamister, and for a couple of seasons were coached by former Bills’ linebacker Ray Bentley. Bentley resigned the post to take a broadcasting job for Fox Sports doing NFL games, a job he’s still doing today. The franchise didn’t do well at the box office and was relocated to Columbus, Ohio in 2004. Some of their players were former Bills’ lineman Jerry Crafts, quarterback Browning Nagle and placekicker Bjorn Nittmo.

Logo of the Fayetteville Patriots, a minor league basketball team that played in the NBA Developmental League from 2002 until 2006. They were one of 8 charter franchises in the league but folded in 2006 after posting a 16-32 won/loss record, finishing last. They were coached by Mike Brown, who went on to coach LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, and were affiliated with the Charlotte Bobcats, Detroit Pistons and New York Knicks. Some of their notable players include Mateen Cleaves – who led Michigan State to an NCAA title, Chris Anderson – the first NBADL player to be called up to the NBA, Gerald Green – who went on to win the NBA Slam Dunk contest, and Amir Johnson, currently a Toronto Raptor.

Logo of an old minor league baseball franchise that played in the Class AA Eastern League from 1994 until 2003, the New Haven Ravens. They were affiliated with the Colorado Rockies, and won the Eastern League championship in 2000. The team was sold and relocated to Manchester, New Hampshire in 2004, and became the New Hampshire Fisher Cats. Some notable former players from the New Haven years are Todd Helton, Alex Rios, Neifi Perez, Brian Fuentes and Craig Counsell.

Logo of the Ottawa Nationals, a hockey team that played in the old World Hockey Association for one season in 1972-73. The franchise bombed at the box office in Ottawa to the point where they finished the year by playing their playoff series in Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. They were referred to as the Ontario Nationals at that point, and prior to the next season were sold to John Bassett, permanently moved to Toronto and renamed the Toros. Some notable players on the roster for the one season in Ottawa were Wayne Carleton, Brian Conacher, Guy Trottier and goaltenders Gilles Gratton and Les Binkley.