The new Las Vegas Raiders logo is as sharp as a blade

The Raiders logo has stood the test of time (and multiple relocations). But even the teams with the best NFL logos are knocking out temporary anniversary logos with increasing frequency. It's not just the decades that deserve new logos now: it seems every quinquennium warrants a commemorative design and corresponding new merchandise.

Or maybe the Las Vegas Raiders just saw an opportunity that it couldn't let pass to deliver a clever 65th anniversary logo (well timed for the start of its training season). It's made nifty use of its traditional crossed swords motif, using it to form the 'X' in 'LXV'. But the sharp design is dividing fans.

The Raiders anniversary logo makes use of the NFL team's traditional black and silver (grey) colours and puts the crossed swords at the centre of the design. With the 'X' and the swords in white, and the 'L' and 'V' in grey, the new logo is easy to interpret (though the Raiders shared a post explaining, just in case – see below). 

The usual Raiders logo is embedded within the new design at the bottom along with the years 1960 and 2024. That's technically a span of 64 years if we're going to pick holes, but many fans are impressed by the design – and by the pirate's chest for season ticket holders.

However, some fans aren't so sure. Some think the design would have worked better if it used the crossing swords alone without the literal X to make it obvious. Others think the repetition of the shield and sword motif makes the design too busy. "We heard you like shields and swords, so we put some shields and swords inside your shields and swords," one person quipped on X.

Others still haven't got over the team's relocation from Oakland to Las Vegas. "The L shoulda been California shaped if they was really 'paying homage' to the first 60 years," one person suggested. "What city will they be in during their 75th?," someone else person asked. "Technically it's not 65 years. Wouldn’t the franchise start over at 0 after relocating?" was another opinion. Others are just tired of so many logo changes. "I hate anniversary logos unless it’s a biggie, i.e.,10, 25, 50, 75, 100, etc. Everything else is just a cash grab," someone wrote.

Raiders itself said in a statement that the logo "stands as a testament to resilience and tradition in the world of professional sports." We presume players will wear the new logo as a patch during the season. 

For more sports logo news, see the new old LA Kings Logo, the legal snag that's hit the new New York Jets logo and the controversy around the Red Bull logo on Leeds United kit. 

We're also delving into the design behind the Olympic Games with features on the first Olympics logo and the best Olympics logos of all time.