Alternate History Sports

You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?



7/02/2020 10:31 am  #1


The American Premier League


Greetings everyone! 

I don't often get to work outside of the AltHL and AltFL on a personal project but here I am.  This is a short term project that I hope that you will all enjoy.  Coming up in a week or so the MLS is going to be starting 'MLS is BACK' Tournament and I saw it as an opportunity to roll out a project that I have been slowly working on for a long time.  Think of it as a mini-Legacy project

The American Premier League is my version of the MLS.  I have always thought it was funny yet intriguing that American cities chose to adopt European team name styles.  This league is made up of 26 clubs, and for this project they will all be vying for the coveting Star Cup.  

The league was broken down randomly into 6 groups.  There will be a group stage.  16 teams will make it to the knockout round and we will eliminate teams until we crown a champion.  

As for the project itself:
1.) I will be introducing the clubs one group at a time.  During these introduction you'll see their name, logo, and colors and some other interesting elements about their identity.  
2.) Once games will begin I will update you on the scores while providing insight into the teams star players and how they games went (more of a narrative).
3.) If a team makes it to the knockout stage I will reveal their uniform (1 of them)
4.) If they advance - I will make another.
5.) Finally, if they advance to the finals we will have a full brand identity reveal in preparation for the Star Cup Final.

Now on to the GROUP A Identities.  You will notice that the logos look familiar.  That is because I modeled the crest of the APL team to the crest of the team that will represent them in the tournament.  The names are to be fun and not taken too seriously.  

GROUP A (SIX TEAMS)

  Founded in 2013, the Atlanta Arsenal came on the scene as the capital of Southern Soccer.  The Arsenal sport the famous Georgia Peach and they play at Home Depot Stadium also known as "The Pit" to the Arsenal's ravenous supporters.  Last year, they missed the playoffs and finished 22nd in the league.


The Indy Machine are one of APL's newest clubs.  The logo features an being powered by a pair of pistons.  At the top is a checkered Indiana state map and it all rests on a bed of iconic Indy 500 bricks.  The Indy supporters, 'The Motorheads' campaigned hard to bring the Machine to the top league.  This tournament will be the first for the Machine.


The 10,000s also known as the Moose are named after Minnesota being known as the Land of 10,000 Lakes.  I had suggested this name for one of the Alt Leagues.  It was also the Minnesota APL team though.  Their colors reflect nature and the northern lights.  The 10,000s joined the APL in 2008.  Last season, they finished 5th in the league and lost in the quarterfinals.


Next up is Gateway Athletic.  The Gatekeepers hail from St. Louis, Missouri - the Gateway to the West.  Gateway is one of the APL's older teams being founded in 1997.  They won the Star Cup back in 1998 and have been to two others.


I have always found it funny when teams are named 'City' when that isn't what the name of their city is named. So I sought out the city name that 'city' sounded the oddest behind.  Phoenix City is making their debut this year in the Star Cup having been founded in 2019.  


Founded in 2015, Three Rivers has been a force in the league.  Last year Three Rivers finished 2nd overall in league play.  Their supporters, known as "The Trolls" are extra rowdy in the end that sits in the shadows of one of Pittsburgh's iconic bridges.  They also are relentless to opposing teams.  

That's Group A.  We have four teams from Group B coming tomorrow.  And next week...the games begin. 

Last edited by Gritty (7/02/2020 10:32 am)


 
 

7/02/2020 1:29 pm  #2


Re: The American Premier League

This fiction is awesome, Gritty! As a closet MLS fan, I am very happy to see this project. With my excitement, I'll happily give some thoughts on everything. 

The APL logo is on par for a top tier league in football, like England's lion for the Premier league or Russia's bear for the RPL. That eagle looks mean and could be on the front of a jersey for most sports.

I think the "Star Cup" could have a better name, but I'd be hard pressed to give one on the spot. Is this tournament the equivalent to an FA cup, or is the concept completely based on 'MLS is BACK'? Not being played every year.

Atlanta Arsenal: What a silly name and visual brand mix. I thought I would see peach pits flying out of cannons! Jokes aside, the logo is all class. The peach needs to be used for Atlanta, and the most appropriate sport for it is soccer. Atlanta United got it wrong, but I am happy you carry some good thought. The actual peach resembles the Mastercard logo in the slightest bit to me, but I think my eyes are playing tricks. The shield is great and the colors mix well. Could see them with peach/green hoops and a clash that shows off that vibrant light green. Only change I would suggest is to tie "Arsenal" in with the peach imagery. Maybe some crossed swords behind the peach in a Virginia Cavs style? Idk just spit balling. 
 
Indianapolis Machine: What a mouthful! I am with you, cutting it at Indy is just fine. I like the idea of an engine block “I”, and I think you pulled it off. The minor detailing of the logo brings it all together. The bricks, state outline and bolts take up space that really needed to be filled, and all serve a purpose. I can see this team wearing only the “I” and pistons as their badge for their kits like some teams tend to do. My only worry for the team is the checkered part of the state. Applying that to any merch would be such a headache, and may end up too busy.
 
Minneapolis 10000s: I like the approach, but something feels wrong with the name. Maybe “Ten Thousand FC” or something along those lines? Besides that, this identity is gold. I like the simplicity of the moose head, and the colors are so odd, but work very well when balanced correctly. Is it the Philadelphia Union crest? Yes. Did you make it your own? I’d say so. Jerseys might be difficult for these guys, so I’ll leave that to your genius. Of course, I have to end with the biggest change I’d suggest, so I want to ask about the line going through the inner shield. Is there a reason the green goes all the way to the purple? I think it would look better if it matched the background.
 
Gateway Athletic: I’ll always say that Gatekeepers is a great name for a team. The simple identity screams “St. Louis” so I would say it does its job. 10/10 on this one, I wouldn’t even know what to change. 
 
Phoenix City FC: You had to do it to me? Oh well, I’ll take the name. The colors are what standout the most here (No bias owning the KC Scarecrows or anything). I think that darker red/orange is much stronger than the lighter one being used on the name, but that doesn’t really matter. The shield is perfect because Arizona loves their flag more than anyone could love a flag. A change I’d make is dropping the yellow. The star could be changed to red and a thin orange outline would separate it enough. Or maybe not now that I am realizing that look weird on the bottom half. I’d buy season tickets for this team. 
 
Three Rivers FC: Classic Pittsburgh. Love the name and colors, of course. The crest is done well and I like the use of the bridge. The “P” is odd, but it reads so no big issues. I think “Trolls” is such an awesome and unique name, I wish it was used in the logo somewhere. 
 
 
Lastly, how deep is this league? If it is large enough, have you ever thought of doing an FM project? I’d follow the hell out of this league’s history played through FM if you gave it a story. I’d also play the hell out of this league on FM.

 



 

7/02/2020 1:42 pm  #3


Re: The American Premier League

Thehealthiestscratch wrote:

This fiction is awesome, Gritty! As a closet MLS fan, I am very happy to see this project. With my excitement, I'll happily give some thoughts on everything. 

The APL logo is on par for a top tier league in football, like England's lion for the Premier league or Russia's bear for the RPL. That eagle looks mean and could be on the front of a jersey for most sports.

I think the "Star Cup" could have a better name, but I'd be hard pressed to give one on the spot. Is this tournament the equivalent to an FA cup, or is the concept completely based on 'MLS is BACK'? Not being played every year.

Atlanta Arsenal: What a silly name and visual brand mix. I thought I would see peach pits flying out of cannons! Jokes aside, the logo is all class. The peach needs to be used for Atlanta, and the most appropriate sport for it is soccer. Atlanta United got it wrong, but I am happy you carry some good thought. The actual peach resembles the Mastercard logo in the slightest bit to me, but I think my eyes are playing tricks. The shield is great and the colors mix well. Could see them with peach/green hoops and a clash that shows off that vibrant light green. Only change I would suggest is to tie "Arsenal" in with the peach imagery. Maybe some crossed swords behind the peach in a Virginia Cavs style? Idk just spit balling. 
 
Indianapolis Machine: What a mouthful! I am with you, cutting it at Indy is just fine. I like the idea of an engine block “I”, and I think you pulled it off. The minor detailing of the logo brings it all together. The bricks, state outline and bolts take up space that really needed to be filled, and all serve a purpose. I can see this team wearing only the “I” and pistons as their badge for their kits like some teams tend to do. My only worry for the team is the checkered part of the state. Applying that to any merch would be such a headache, and may end up too busy.
 
Minneapolis 10000s: I like the approach, but something feels wrong with the name. Maybe “Ten Thousand FC” or something along those lines? Besides that, this identity is gold. I like the simplicity of the moose head, and the colors are so odd, but work very well when balanced correctly. Is it the Philadelphia Union crest? Yes. Did you make it your own? I’d say so. Jerseys might be difficult for these guys, so I’ll leave that to your genius. Of course, I have to end with the biggest change I’d suggest, so I want to ask about the line going through the inner shield. Is there a reason the green goes all the way to the purple? I think it would look better if it matched the background.
 
Gateway Athletic: I’ll always say that Gatekeepers is a great name for a team. The simple identity screams “St. Louis” so I would say it does its job. 10/10 on this one, I wouldn’t even know what to change. 
 
Phoenix City FC: You had to do it to me? Oh well, I’ll take the name. The colors are what standout the most here (No bias owning the KC Scarecrows or anything). I think that darker red/orange is much stronger than the lighter one being used on the name, but that doesn’t really matter. The shield is perfect because Arizona loves their flag more than anyone could love a flag. A change I’d make is dropping the yellow. The star could be changed to red and a thin orange outline would separate it enough. Or maybe not now that I am realizing that look weird on the bottom half. I’d buy season tickets for this team. 
 
Three Rivers FC: Classic Pittsburgh. Love the name and colors, of course. The crest is done well and I like the use of the bridge. The “P” is odd, but it reads so no big issues. I think “Trolls” is such an awesome and unique name, I wish it was used in the logo somewhere. 
 
 
Lastly, how deep is this league? If it is large enough, have you ever thought of doing an FM project? I’d follow the hell out of this league’s history played through FM if you gave it a story. I’d also play the hell out of this league on FM.

 

ha thanks for the comments.  A lot of the things you mentioned are things that I considered.  Sometimes their matchup team ended up being constraining (as you will see as we move forward).  Like I said the names are meant to be a little silly.  Sorry about Phoenix City.  I just felt like Phoenix City sounded the most bizarre.  That'll happen a few more times with other teams too.  For Indy I figure the fans would just end up calling them INDY or the Machine. You're right all of it together it a lot.  And about Atlanta, I did have swords, I tried cannons and it ended up looking a little Civil War-y and decided to be safe and nix it for now.  

As for the Star Cup.  I was trying to find a name that was bland enough like Gold Cup.  And I think this is just meant to follow the MLS is Back tournament, since the APL season follows the normal MLS season which hopefully will still be moving forward.  I hadn't thought about expanding it yet.  We'll see how we feel as we move forward.  

Last edited by Gritty (7/02/2020 1:49 pm)


 
     Thread Starter
 

7/02/2020 2:06 pm  #4


Re: The American Premier League

Indianapolis is always a mouthful. It's inevitable with that many syllables. I feel "Indiana Machine" flows better, but I don't know if Indiana carries the same weight regarding Machines compared to Indianapolis.

However, if you want to go more abstract, Indianapolis is known as the Circle City. So maybe the way to go is "Circle City Machine"?



2x Alt Champion :: AltLB Champion Oklahoma City Bison - 2022 :: AltFL Champion New York Emperors - 2022

 

7/02/2020 4:37 pm  #5


Re: The American Premier League

This is fun! Looking forward to seeing this project progress.

I am immediately a fan of having a Pittsburgh team, so I hope they do well. Love the tie-in to the bridges and "Trolls".

I dig everything else so far. 



AHS Admin. Creator of the THLPUCHWHA: Redux and Retroliga.
 

7/03/2020 10:14 am  #6


Re: The American Premier League

On to Group B...

Founded in 2012, after years of campaigning professional soccer finally came to the nation's capital.  A vanguard is the center strength of a military formation.  The Vanguard have seen a great amount of success over recent years.  They claimed two APL Titles in 2016 and 2019. Last season Washington finished in 4th place and won the playoffs.  

Big Foot FC was founded in 1995 and was one of the APL's original clubs. This Seattle's club's name - worthy of the 90s, references the Sasquatch - the mysterious Apex Predator that roams the Pacific Northwest.  People wonder whether Big Foot is real, but they are real in soccer.  Overall, the Big Foot have not been very successful.  Last year, they finished 13th overall.  I am still working on the Sasquatch, he is a placeholder for now.  

In 2009, during a wave of APL expansion - Bayern Milwaukee stormed onto the scene.  Taking their team name to reference Milwaukee's Bavarian/German heritage.  Last season the 'Black Bears' finished towards the bottom of the league and did not qualify for the playoffs.  

Perhaps one of my favorite teams.  Along with Big Foot, Cleveland was one of the league's original teams.  I always found it ridiculous that it was Real Salt Lake.  So I figured Cleveland took that another step.  Real Cleveland is also known as 'The Rockers' and their rabid fans are known as the 'Roadies'.  The Rockers won it all in 2001 and 2003. But last year they finished 15th and didn't make the playoffs.  


 
     Thread Starter
 

7/03/2020 3:54 pm  #7


Re: The American Premier League

I'm loving Big Foot. That's fantastic. Give him some paws and he'd be perfect.



AHS Admin. Creator of the THLPUCHWHA: Redux and Retroliga.
 

7/04/2020 11:03 am  #8


Re: The American Premier League

Time to reveal Group C.  Fitting that this group has a few cities of Revolutionary importance.  

The Philadelphia Strikers employ a blue and gold color scheme.  Blue and yellow is my favorite athletic sports color combo.  Philly's flag is blue and gold and I have always thought that those colors were missing on the Philadelphia landscape.  The name the Strikers has a dual meaning...Strikers referring to the offensive position in soccer as well as a lightning strike referring to Ben Franklin's famous Kite Flight.  The Strikers have had moderate success in their 10 year existence.  Last year they didn't make the playoffs.

One of the APL's most successful clubs.  They went to the first four APL Finals - winning three of them.  They also have the honor of being the first team to ever win the APL Cup.  The Baltimore Ramparts name is a reference to Fort McHenry - the fort that held strong against the British Forces in the War of 1812.  It was this event that led to the National Anthem's composition - The Star Spangled Banner.  I of course had to work a crab on to the crest.  As a former Baltimore resident I would definitely have cheered for the Ramparts.


In 2005, Charlotte Athletic brought a professional team to the Carolinas.  North Carolina's flag features Red, White and Blue.  I wanted to substitute Carolina Blue (i think the only crayola color inspired by a university) in for royal blue.  I think that with a cool slate color makes for a solid identity.  The 'Crowns' have had a good amount of success in recent years - going to the APL Cup Final 3 of the last 5 years.  They won it all in 2017 and lost last season's final to Washington.  

Finally, we leave the mid-atlantic and head to the Pacific.  In Los Angeles, we have AC Sol.  AC Sol has been around since the beginning of the APL.  They have consistently been a strong team in the league BUT have never won the APL Cup.  They have lost in the finals 5 times, including three years in a row from 05-07.  


 
     Thread Starter
 

7/04/2020 11:10 am  #9


Re: The American Premier League

I'm REAL curious to see what you come up with Boston if there is a team for them.


 

7/04/2020 11:17 am  #10


Re: The American Premier League

Darknes wrote:

I'm REAL curious to see what you come up with Boston if there is a team for them.

Stay tuned for Group E.  I hope you like Boston's installment.  I tried to take a different approach with them.  


 
     Thread Starter
 

Board footera

 

Powered by Boardhost. Create a Free Forum