When the Pittsburgh Pirates won the World Series in 1979, their logo, was the one that looked more like a cheerful sailor? Well as merchandise sales continued to sag and fan spirit sunk lower, the Pirates decided to give their logo a bit of a facelift.

So did the Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, LA Rams, Washington Capitals, Detroit Pistons and countless others. Even Penn State gave its classic Nitany Lion a surprisingly modern makeover.

Remaining true to established mascots, this new wave of sports logos were sharp and powerful and were quickly embraced by teams, alumni and fans.