NSC Stars Unveil New Uniforms
The home and away jersey for the NSC Minnesota Stars will be announced today.
The home kit will be a standard royal blue Adidas Tiro jersey with Nova shorts. The sponsor will be Schwan’s. Adidas is the uniform sponsor along with Soccer USA who will be printing up the kits. A Coerver Coaching patch appears on the shoulder since the USSF is not requiring a league patch this season.
The away kit will be a sunshine yellow Adidas Toque jerseys and shorts. The USA Cup logo is displayed on the away jersey along with a smaller Schwan’s logo to help promote NSC’s largest tournament to out-of-town markets.
Soccer USA will be handling kit orders and details should be coming shortly from the NSC for pre-orders.
More details will be available on the Stars website later today.
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Yeah, I’m a hater. It’s what I do.
But, did they have to pick the worst of the current Adidas templates for the blue shirts? At the least, it would have been cool if they had used yellow trim instead of white, a la the Lightning from a few years ago.
The yellow’s better, though the white trim doesn’t contrast well. (And the fact that they have the USA Cup as the sponsor just makes me giggle.)
Also not a real fan of the new Schwan’s logo. When did that come out? It’s rather awkward.
That isn’t the Schwan’s logo.
It is Nessy!
I agree with the Super Rookie–it is a Nessy!
BTW, I gotta’ have’em. Can fans buy them at Soccer USA?
Here is the “official” Believers press release image:
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_CdhxMFB-az4/S6KTybQ1gTI/AAAAAAAABX0/cjL46NOEkQU/NessyJersey.jpg
I’m with kj on the template for the blue jerseys – not a fan of that goofy white trim on just one arm thing. That’s more a criticism of adidas than of NSC I suppose.
But yeah, my first thought when that image popped up was that they really had taken the whole “listening to the fans” thing one step further and decided to put Nessy on the jersey.
I have a rendering of the kit in a previous post, but since it is a link it is getting moderated (damn spammers!), but check back in a little bit for the real awesomeness!
I have to join the haters. I don’t mind the Schwans logo though. Last time I was looking at Adidas kits for a 6 x 6 team, the home design was the cheapest, so that would explain things. I’m also with kj, better contrasting colors on the yellow would look better, maybe even contrasting shorts.
And, what is up with this “nessy” crap? I understand, NSC… nessy, but it has nothing to do with anything when it comes to the team. Especially considering the team is the “Stars”. I could see it if we were the “Scottish Drunkards” or the “Fake Lake Monsters”. I hope it doesn’t catch on.
I think they are borrowing the Wayzata HS kits to save money!
I’ll buy them. I am big on aesthetics, and I can’t say I would not prefer a cleaner look, but I am having difficulty getting too worked about it. At least there is a recognizable shirt sponsor.
I am very disappointed with the NSC for presenting these uniforms. I thought the colors where yellow and blue not blue and white and yellow and white. Of course picking those colors would probably mean a very limited selection of off the shelf uniforms. Most likely a poor selection of any uniforms with those colors. That would mean special order which means $$$.
There isn’t anything special about the look whatsoever and the royal blue and white looks like a youth uniform to me. As KJ said, one of the worst of the adidas templates. One thing you DO NOT want to do with a pro soccer team is present the team in a poor kit. Are there any actual soccer people up there running things at the NSC that really get this stuff? Come of NSC.
The kit is what players wear to represent the product. Its like the business man making a call in a leisure suit or a cheesy Walmart suit. Every photo that is taken of the players – they will be wearing that uniform. Spend the money and make it look sharp. Its money WELL invested.
Also, PLEASE reduce the size of that swan on the home jersey. It’s freaking huge and quite frankly a bit scary. It looks like a sea monster or something. Graphically it is way out of balance. You could actually increase the size of the Schwan’s copy and reduce the swan itself and it would look far better. More like the away jersey as far as proportions. Also, why beige for that color. Yuk!
If you keep that home kit with the big swan, I sure hope the team doesn’t have to play away from home wearing it. The oppositions supporters will be having a field day with it.
I hate to break the news to those who don’t believe, but Nessy exists.
Jake- It doesn’t just, “look like a sea monster…”, it is a lake monster. Subtle, but an important difference.
All- From what I have read on the interwebs and in conversations with other fans the split is about 75% like and 25% dislike. So, I bet they sell a fair amount of them. I also think the kit looks extremely professional. Finally, if this was the only way to get free kits from Adidas (or extremely discounted) I don’t see what is wrong with that as this team needs to be fiscally responsible!
Believe!
Wow. I was unable to get too worked up about it, but Jake is worked up enough for several people.
I hate to jump too far into this nonsense, but this is most assuredly NOT the same as a “business man making a call in a leisure suit or a cheesy Walmart suit.” There are no Armani soccer kits. This is an Adidas template. Take it up with them. Werder Bremen won the double wearing the most hideous kit in human history. I am pretty sure people still took them seriously.
Am I the only one who is really, really bored with comments like “are there any actual soccer people up there running things at the NSC that really get this stuff?” The implication is that the writer, Jake, really does get this stuff, more than the people making the actual decisions. Which is just a wee bit arrogant.
It is extremely arrogant and irrational.
Yet, so is Nessy.
i’m a big fan of seamonsters.
I think Jake is more on track, than arrogant. The front office will probably kill this franchise…they don’t know what their doing! The uniform is just another mistake in a long series of PR and organizational blunders….go Stars?!?
The home kit is the same Adidas Tiro design as the Houston Dynamo, so to call it cheap, or whatever, is pathetic. I can’t wait to get a custom shirt for myself!
First of all, if its a template, it’s not a custom uniform and was probably chosen in part to save money, not to mention time.
Second of all, the style of the kit is a matter of opinion (I don’t think it’s half bad – maybe I don’t know “design,” but I also could care less about that as long as I like it). As a matter of opinion, it’s seems a bit absurd to imply that any organization doesn’t know what it’s doing.
Third – who cares!?! I’m amazed at the fury over the logo and kit design as if they were the be all end all of a team – I’ll be happy to wear one, am happy to have a team to support, and am looking forward to some good times in the beer garden!
To quote a famous movie, Stripes, “Lighten up Francis.” There are quite a few “experts” who can only find fault with EVERYTHING the NSC is doing. I will give them credit for stepping up to fill a void.
I will not be surprised to read a post from someone who after a game blames the NSC for the shade of green of the grass, the hue of the sun, and the shape of the clouds (dark?) in the sky.
While I think they could have come up with a more original or interesting uniform, I realize that is but my subjective opinion and not something to get worked up about.
Having an opinion does not an expert make, except Superrookie and Nessy.
Someone at NSC should hire zlatan immediately before this whole endeavor goes slowly and painfully down the drain. Clearly this individual knows more about running a successful soccer organization than anyone else and is not in any way shy about sharing his superior knowledge….go zlatan?!?
I think it’s interesting that everyone is allowed an opinion, unless it’s negative. Zlatan and kj have good arguments. The kit is the team. That is what everyone sees, even before how they play. The templates mean, ‘hey, if you’re a club team, this is what $60 can get you for each player.’ templates are not for pro teams. Clearly, they are trying to save money, and for that, I accept what they have given for a kit. But, the front office did miss the mark on one of the most important parts of marketing a team.
I like the yellow, plus if you ever go to the away matches you can chant “youll neevver beeeat the limeyyys”. I agree that the blue Tiro jersey is a horrible design, it looks like they ran out of blue faberic and just slapped some leftover white on there.
At least we have a team that has Jerseys!!!!!!!
GO LIMEYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
At this point I’m glad to have a team with jerseys that will be playing on a field this season against other teams and in which I can buy a ticket and watch said event and cheer like a wild crazy fan for our beloved home team the NSC Minnesota Stars. Its not perfect but I’ll take it.
GOL STARS!!!!!
If they win games the kit will look great!
If they lose games the kit will look bad!
JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER TEAM IN THE HISTORY OF FOOTBALL
You know, styles & designs are subjective preferences, so we’ll always have lovers & haters. I’m actually really excited that the sponsors Schwans USA Cup is huge on the jersey because that tournament is perhaps the most recognizable soccer event in our state. I plan to buy one.
Somehow I still can’t let go of the name though…I know i need to…Go NSC MN STARS FC!
I’m not a big fan of the USA Cup, but Schwans is good. It’s nice to have a kit sponsor that’s local, but known nationally. I’m with you fotbalist, I haven’t gotten used to the name either. Hopefully, it will get better.
Jeff is spot on!
I dig ‘em. But I also recognize that that fact doesn’t necessarily imply that the NSC FO staff are marketing geniuses or the new kingpins of the soccer business.
Other people don’t dig ‘em. Fine. But recognize that that fact doesn’t necessarily imply that the NSC FO staff are bumbling clueless idiots.
Your (and my) individual opinion of the aesthetics has little relationship to the overall business acumen of others.
I also think the kits will make them look like a youth club team. The USA Cup logo doesn’t help either.
Is this the best they can do?
Not only will this team struggle to win games they will look like amateurs while doing so.
This is going to be a really tough year for this team and I think they’re going to struggle even more putting people in the stands.
I hope I’m wrong but…..
Chris A, no one will ever blame a loss on this team’s jerseys, the color of the grass, or on the sponsor; they’ll have plenty of valid reasons to cite–like the fact that they won’t have a preseason.
I’m not real high on the kit, but while it may be a marketing mistake, it’ll never lose games for them. In the end, though, it might be worth the marketing advantage you “lose”to be able to put the money you save back into the team. The case for fiscal responsibility is a good one.
If they put a good product on the field, I’ll cheer for them no matter what colors they’re wearing.
Seriously, how much could they be saving per kit? How many players are we talking about? I’ve bought countless kits over the year so I know what the best, better, and good stuff costs. You might be talking about $3K-$4K total – doubtful more, most likely a lot less, for the whole team.
I think, and correct me if I’m wrong, that the reason some are upset
(myself included) is that this a NEW club, with a chance to get
everything “right” as far as sharp looking kit, and everything else…
So thinking of having a clean slate and it being “wasted” is what
is frustrating. Those type of decisions have nothing to do with
money, just bad taste. This color or shape doesn’t cost more than another.
Bad name, bad/cheap looking logo, wrong kit – when none of it had to be!
THAT is what get others, and me.
That said, happy to have a team.
(but we shouldn’t have to say “well I’m just happy to have a team”.
get what I’m saying yet?)
The colors of the kits were overwhelmingly selected by a fan vote a few weeks ago.
I understand the concerns of the “cheapness” of the kit, although I don’t think it look cheap at all, but the financial implications of choosing the semi-custom kit are not due to just outfitting the players, but are mostly due to having a large amount of jerseys to sell to fans at games and inside the pro shop at the SuperRink.
One of the bigger complaints from Thunder fans that showed up to the stakeholders summit was that it was hard to get merchandise from the team, especially, replica kits that were not game-worn. How many times was merchandise out of stock, or fresh from the laundry in the tent? Finally, all merchandise will be available for sale at Soccer USA as they have signed on to be the official supplier of uniforms/merchandise for the team. Not only will jerseys be available, but team issue scarves (not the supporters scarf as this is reserved for those who buy supporters season tickets) and other cool items.
As the eternal optimist who is extremely happy that we have a team, I am even happier that there will be multiple outlets around the city (3 Soccer USA’s and the Super Rink Pro Shop) to purchase NSC Minnesota gear and merchandise. Don’t know how many other Div. 2 teams have this option, but I believe this is a damn good start for a franchise that was announced a mere three months ago.
Believe!
Super Rookie, I truly admire your patience. Clearly, a few boos from the gallery is wholly legitimate and expected. Not everyone is going to like everything and it does show that people care enough to comment. With all that said, there are people here whose default mode is loudly and arrogantly complaining about absolutely everything NSC does. You do not like it, ergo, it is wrong, it is bad, it is amateurish, the people making the decisions do not know what they doing, and my personal favorite, You Could Do Better. This is the online age and the bravery of being out of range makes people confident enough to make all kinds of suggestions that do not work out so well in Reality World. Do we all wish the budget was bigger? Obviously. Is it? No. Can they deficit spend? No. This is not Monopoly. I have lost track of how many times I have seen someone blithely suggest that NSC “spend the money” to “get it right”. Breaking news for the people making this demand: If NSC “spent the money” and followed your expert instructions to the letter, the first five people commenting would go on at length about how the end result sucked, what was NSC thinking, they could do better. Someone always hates it, sometimes that someone is you. Try to get past it.
Nathan3e- I am just getting extremely antsy for the season to start. The players yesterday were as well. They seemed to like their training kits, but I really enjoyed the full goalkeeping kits of Crayton (DC United) and Joe Warren (Thunder with Comcast sponsorship).
Good times!
Super Rookie – I am anxious for the season to begin as well. My reference to your patience was your respectful responses to people who are banging away at the team mercilessly before a ball has been kicked in anger. Every team needs a True Believer, and you are that person. Please continue.
I’m glad they went with the yellow jersey (that’s what I voted for). My first choice would have been to revive the North Stars name and green and yellow uniforms, but given the circumstances I think this is just fine.
My main complaint with the blue is that it looks a lot like the Kansas City Wizards, and I’m not a fan of their uniforms, but it’s not the end of the world.
I also would have liked to see blue/yellow and yellow/blue instead of blue/white, yellow/white, but for the first uniforms of a new, minor league team, I think they are just fine. I really like the Schwan’s name and logo, too.
Not a huge fan of the uniforms but they are a team on a tight budget. I would not buy the uniforms even if they were really nice looking after they named the team NSC STARS after they said they were going to run the club based on fan input. Then they through out the fan choice for name and put their company right in the name, suspicous.
Coach 55, evidently you have not read any of the numerous articles and interviews I have done concerning the topic of names or you would not have stated such a silly comment. Please do your homework and know what you’re talking about before shooting your mouth off.