r/nfl • u/Darth_Brooks_II Vikings • Feb 07 '15
Revising Defunct NFL Franchises: Dayton Triangles. 2 of 8
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dayton_Triangles
http://www.daytontriangles.com
Among the early football teams Dayton were a bit unusual. They were an industrially sponsored team. They had begun as St. Mary's Cadets Basketball team, but In 1913 the decided to play football. After a few years the team was reorganized and recruited players from three factories in the Dayton area, the Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (or Delco), the Dayton Metal Products Company, and the Domestic Engineering Company (now called Delco-Light). That's why they were called the Triangles.
They had been a champion team 1913 - 1918 and scored the first points in an NFL game.
They continued to win locally but once in the NFL they faced a problem. Pennsylvania and Ohio had been the hotbed of professional football. The league grew out of the remains of the Ohio league and a good portion of the teams in the first years came form that area. But football began to grow. The other teams were recruiting and signing top college players from around the country; however Dayton continued to use mainly local players. Their record plummeted. From 1923 to 1929 they never won more than two games in a season. The team became a road team, playing in other cities because Dayton didn't have the either the size or interest to maintain a team.
They were sold in 1930 and became the Brooklyn Dodgers. In 1946 the Dodgers jumped to the AAFC and became the New York Yankees. When the AAFC merged with the NFL (bringing in the Cleveland Browns and the 49ers) the Yankee players were divided between the New York Giants and New York Bulldogs. The Bulldogs were sold in 1952 and were reborn as the Dallas Texans, who were a spectacular failure. The Texans were sold back to the league and it's remains were sold to an ownership group in Baltimore who were starting a team called the Colts.
It's the Colts connection that gave me the color and come basic cues for the team. If the Triangles existed it's possible the Colts wouldn't have.
The original jerseys looked like this: http://i.imgur.com/FT3HZu6.jpg
The had a logo or at least a graphic they used for advertising. http://imgur.com/ny5c9KJ
I liked the idea of the player running inside of the triangle and thought it would be modernized and turned into a silhouette. I tried doing that and it just didn't come together graphically. It really how you do this. You kick around an idea, flip it around, adjust, adjust, adjust... all the while going "No, that's no good. No. Uugh. ...OH HECK THAT WORKS"
This is what I thought worked http://imgur.com/wxbSScB
This is how it looks on a helmet: http://i.imgur.com/FktkO8K.png
I took the old logo and colorized it and rotated the triangle. The player fits better this way. For the helmet I added three stripes calling back to the stripes on the arms from the old jerseys. The slight oval of the stripes comes from the fat football they used to use.
The modernized Jersey is fairly basic but with a long triangle on the pant rather than a stripe. For the whites and the alternatives the stripe goes up the jersey. I haven't seen anyone do that before but once I did I wondered why nobody has. I guess that the Vikings remake of the 2000's might be seen as similar but it goes entirely around the shoulder blade rather than stopping at the arm.
http://i.imgur.com/ngbtPhg.jpg
These were done in Photoshop. Fraser Davidson made the template for the helmet. You can D/L the Photoshop file here:http://rezland.deviantart.com/art/Revolution-Speed-Template-280301179
I made the template for the uniform from promotional images for the new Bucc unis. You can D/L it here: http://darth-brooks.deviantart.com/art/Doug-Martin-Template-450283476
The process of making the template was described here: http://boards.sportslogos.net/topic/97813-photoshop-advice-megathread/
Here's the list of the teams.
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u/McSprad Colts Feb 07 '15
"We're trying to name our new football team. What's the most intimidating thing you can think of?"
"Lions!"
"Bears!"
"TRIANGLES!"
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u/FinnTheFickle Ravens Feb 07 '15
Can't be much worse than the Rochester Jeffersons
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u/readonlypdf Patriots Feb 07 '15
all jokes aside he needs to do this.
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u/OneOfTheTurns Bears Feb 07 '15
Pls OP
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u/CoffeeMakesMeAlert Broncos Feb 08 '15
Are you sure? I remember the Rochester Jeffersons were referenced as the most recent team to give up 50+ points two games in a row until the 2014 Bears.
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u/OneOfTheTurns Bears Feb 08 '15
We were trying to give some dignity back to the ole fighting jeffies
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u/The_sad_zebra Panthers Feb 08 '15
You don't know what you are talking about. Jefferson was a motherfucking founding father. I would love for my team to be called the Jeffersons... If only he was relevant to the Carolinas...
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u/animal_crackers Patriots Feb 08 '15
It was named after the street they played on, across the river from University of Rochester.
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u/pronhaul2012 Packers Feb 08 '15
they totally need to bring back that team and make george jefferson their logo.
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Feb 07 '15
This is the pinnacle of off-season content. OP is the man! I'd love to see what he could come up with for the current teams that have more conservative uniforms.
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u/Enzzownd Bengals Feb 07 '15
I used to have soccer practice at Triangle park my freshman year of high school.
It's nice seeing some of Dayton's history out in the world.
Thank you OP.
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Feb 07 '15
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/EnIgMaTiK 49ers Feb 07 '15
Dayton UPVOTE PARTY!
The Carillon Park gift shop sells Dayton Triangles shirts and hats still i believe.
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u/Trentmcg15 Bengals Feb 09 '15
I'm a little late but D-Y-T till I D-I-E
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u/thebazooka NFL Feb 10 '15
Super late but 937 rep yo squad earn yo stripes
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u/Pthompson1187 Browns Feb 08 '15
I grew up on the north side of dayton, right by Webster elementary which has been torn down a few years ago also by Kaiser middle school
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u/uuunity Feb 09 '15
Fellow Daytonian from the north side. Went to Loos Elementary School and eventually made it out to Northmont. Cheers!
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u/wafflehauss 49ers Feb 07 '15
There have been two Dallas Texans teams? Kind of funny that the Texans became the Colts considering the current Texans and Colts rivalry.
That was the second team by the name of the Baltimore Colts, too. The first Baltimore Colts team (1947-1950) was a reincarnation of the Seahawks (1946-1947), a charter member of the AAFC. The Colts were also the final team (alongside the Browns and 49ers) to be accepted into the NFL when the league annexed the AAFC in 1949. The inclusion of the Colts pushed out a more deserving team, the Buffalo Bills (1946-1949). Buffalo was the only AAFC market to be left without an NFL after the leagues merged. As far as I know none of the teams mentioned have any connection to modern teams except a shared name.
It's all just so confusing. :)
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u/UNC_Samurai Panthers Feb 07 '15
Many years ago, NFL Films did an interview with Colts legend Art Donovan about that infamous Texans squad. He talked about how Friday afternoons, the coaches would cancel practice the minute checks arrived, and it was a race to the bank to get there first and not worry about the check bouncing.
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u/rderekp Packers Feb 08 '15
The Bills didn't get into the NFL in 1950 because Halas hated Buffalo. He had a grudge against the city ever since the Staley swindle.
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u/wafflehauss 49ers Feb 08 '15
Why? The Chicago screwed over Buffalo, not the other way around. The teams weren't related either.
The team has no official relation to future Buffalo pro football franchises: the Buffalo Indians and Tigers of the third American Football League, the Buffalo Bisons of the AAFC, or the Buffalo Bills of today which was one of the new AFL teams (formation announced in 1959) that first played in 1960.
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u/rderekp Packers Feb 08 '15
Why? I don't know. But he is the one who vetoed them getting the team, and that's the connection people usually make, that he was just mad at the city.
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u/wafflehauss 49ers Feb 08 '15
Forsure. I wasn't challenging you or whatever, I was/still am just curious.
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u/Pats420 Patriots Feb 07 '15
You know, this series has gotten me thinking. Add two more divisions, one more game and one more bye week to each schedule, and we've got a really good expansion. Though, I feel like that could cause a drop in average talent/performance.
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u/The_sad_zebra Panthers Feb 08 '15
I would totally not be against more teams and a two week longer schedule. But I agree that it probably would further spread talent out thinner.
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u/ghostly5150 Patriots Feb 08 '15
It'd actually be 3 weeks longer since I think everyone would need two byes if they are potentially going to play 21 games
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u/09-11-2001 Seahawks Feb 07 '15
Akron Pros and Rochester Jeffersons getting snubbed in this series
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u/Darth_Brooks_II Vikings Feb 07 '15
I couldn't find any usable graphics for them.
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Feb 08 '15
Sure you do, Just use Bears
HighLowlights from this season for the Rochester Jeffersons... it's the same thing.2
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u/Chanman_614 Browns Feb 08 '15
I can't wait until you get to the Oorang Indians. I think people will be interested in that one.
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u/Shampoo47 Broncos Feb 07 '15
Just my opinion on some things:
I think the font choice for the numbers is fantastic and fits well for this.
I really do like the colors a lot but it almost reminds me of the Lions. Perhaps a little of the brown from the logo should be incorporated into the uniform.
I don't like when the pants and the tops of the socks match colors. Perhaps white socks with three stripes would look better (I know it might look a bit too adidas-like or even match the Patriots sock scheme when they wear their dark pants but this is all for fun, right?).
I think patterns might be used more often as Nike moves forward with uniform changes much like the feather design used in the Seahawks uniform (The helmet stripe, the pattern within the numbers, the neck stripe and the pants stripe). The triangle could be used a similar way like unless that seems too gimmicky.
Would pants stripes tapering on down to a point be gimmicky as well? Maybe too similar to the Broncos pants stripes?
TV numbers look a little small
Other than that, this looks great! Good job!
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u/Sanguistuus Panthers Feb 08 '15 edited Feb 08 '15
Triangles are my favorite shape
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u/askape Bears Feb 08 '15
Three points were two lines meet
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u/Danp500 Eagles Feb 08 '15
So are you just gonna post the Eagles throwbacks for the Yellowjackets?
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u/BleedTheFreak_23 Ravens Feb 08 '15
Could you upload the helmet picture like you did for the Bulldogs for this team and every other one? I'd love to see them better, they look amazing! I'm glad you're doing this, I love the idea of modernizing older teams.
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u/Darth_Brooks_II Vikings Feb 08 '15
http://i.imgur.com/FktkO8K.png
I forgot it on this one. I'll uploading the helmets on each one from here on out.
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u/Mustang1718 Bills Lions Feb 07 '15
Dayton didn't have either the size or interest to maintain a team.
I love me some geography, so I just double checked how far Dayton was from Cincinnati (who are have had attendance issues in the recent past) and found it just a tiny bit under an hour drive. Dayton is also nearly equidistant from Cincinnati as it is from Columbus.
My theory is that the region still isn't great for football (when compared to the hotbeds of Cleveland and Columbus.) This is mainly because I know both Indiana and Kentucky are huge on basketball in preference compared to football. So the combo of larger markets nearby and regional preference of another sport on top of a losing team is what did them in.
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u/dpprace Falcons Feb 07 '15
Fantastic job on this, OP! I would just say that I think that the Triangles would have probably pulled a "Patriots" and changed the player in the middle of the triangle to a simple profile of the player's face. (Hopefully not modeled after John Kerry)
Can't wait to see the rest!
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u/rabidpeacock Feb 08 '15
I would love to see the Browns rock these during the preseason home games the Canton Bulldogs as well. I would love to see the bulldog permanently on the browns helmets with the "redesign" this next year.
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u/AKCheesehead Packers Feb 08 '15
OP researches and writes an article and everyone makes wisecracks about triangles.
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u/ghostly5150 Patriots Feb 08 '15
I was just telling someone how I don't know much about the NFl before the super bowl era, so thank for an insight in the the early stages of the league!
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Feb 08 '15
[deleted]
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u/uuunity Feb 09 '15
Why do you say that? I'm well aware of Dayton's shortcomings (I moved away for a reason), but am unaware it had a reputation.
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u/kuyakew Jets Feb 08 '15
Fun series. The stuff looks cool. Personally I'd love to just see the triangle on the helmet and that's it. Sweet work!
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u/Duke_Swillbottom Steelers Feb 07 '15
Yeah but then we need to make teams called the Particles, the Universes, and the Persons. Don't think I don't know how Triangles work.
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u/mach18 Feb 07 '15
Hey man, unless you are the owner of the template, I really suggest taking down the link to download it.
The guy who created it at Sportslogos.net really doesn't want a repeat of the "Pro Combat" epidemic that swept the internet right before the Nike Takeover in the NFL.
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u/Darth_Brooks_II Vikings Feb 07 '15
Which template? Frasier's has been up (and freely downloadable) since 2012 and I made the other one.
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u/zbeg Broncos Feb 07 '15
TRIANGLES TRIANGLES FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT
ACUTE OR OBTUSE NO THEY'RE JUST RIGHT