Pioneers, Spirits Unveil New Uniforms

Just a few weeks after the 1997 playoffs came to an end, two more teams revealed new looks for the 1997-98 season. The St. Louis Spirits and Winnipeg Pioneers both introduced all-new jerseys, but unlike most teams in recent years, simply updated their classic logos rather than reinvent them completely.

The Spirits maintained the basics of their logo while modernizing it and updating the color scheme to navy, red, silver, and white. There are also two new alternate logos, one that appears on the sleeve of the jerseys and one that may appear on a third jersey someday. "We really didn't want to change too much" said GM Toby Griffith. "The Spirits have a rich tradition and we wanted to keep the brand instantly recognizable yet modern."

The Winnipeg Pioneers also made some changes to their uniforms. The original logo from 1966 remains, the only alteration being a tan-colored outline, but the uniforms have been changed drastically for the first time in the team's 33-year history. The striped "coonskin" design on the sleeves is now gone, but a design has been added along the waist meant to resemble a log fence. In addition to the uniform changes, a new alternate mark has been added featuring a covered wagon with a stylized "W". "We're excited about this new look" said GM Jacques Fortune, who had begun working on the new look when he was hired in the spring of 1996. "We tried different logos and even different colors but ultimately decided to stick with what was familiar and just tweak it. Personally, I think it works well."

Meanwhile, the third jersey trend continued in 1997, as four teams introduced alternate looks. Cleveland's third jersey got the most attention from fans, featuring a constellation of an electric guitar on a black backdrop, a tribute to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame, located near the team's arena. The Minnesota Lumberjacks unveiled their second alternate jersey a year after discarding the black one. This one is green with white tree designs on each side and the team's classic logo on the front. The jersey also features collar laces, something not seen on a PHL jersey since the early '80s. New York's alternate is black featuring the Manhattan skyline and the team's "NYC" alternate logo, while the Los Angeles Wizards will wear a "Colossuem Blue"  third Jersey with a sublimated pattern and an alternate logo reminiscent of the team's original logo.