The new NFL logo for the Miami Dolphins is official, after months of leaks, rumors and fan debate about the future of the dolphin and the helmet it traditionally wore. .
The new logo was confirmed this week by the team's CEO, Mike Dee. It makes some changes to the iconic logo of the South Florida sports franchise. For one, the new dolphin is curved up, not down. The new logo also looks more futuristic with fewer details filled in. And, also a key change, the new logo took away the long-time helmet worn by the dolphin.
Yes, as some have pointed out, technically the old helmet covered up the dolphin's blowhole, making theoretical breathing by the theoretical logo dolphin impossible. But for fans, that silly helmet was part of the dolphin's charm, and many bristled when early leaks showed a helmet-less mascot for the logo.
However fans feel, two key leaders in Dolphins history made their approval of the new logo known, via Twitter. Hall of Fame Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino sent out a positive tweet, complete with the hash tag #13approved. Marino wore the number 13 when he played for the Dolphins. Legendary former Dolphins coach Don Shula also sent out a tweet of approval, saying via his account, "a new look for a new era. Go Dolphins!"
"It was leaked by somebody at Nike," Dee told SunSentinel.com. "We had always had a plan to kind of roll it out over a 30-day period so we're going to start rolling it out. But the logo is only one part of the announcement. It's a complete re-branding of the team."
Will the approval of Shula and Marino sway Dolphins fans? Maybe, and at this point the fans have little choice. The decision has been made and the new logo soon will be appearing on hats, shirt, helmets and everything else related to the Dolphins. Fans, who have been through a few logo changes, will survive this one as well -- especially if the Dolphins ring in the new logo with winning games.
