Showboats Logo History

Memphis Showboats is a professional football team that played in the United States Football League (USFL) from 1984 to 1985. The USFL was an upstart rival league to the National Football League, and while it didn't last long, its teams still remain beloved by many fans. One of those teams is the Memphis Showboats, whose logo has become iconic over time.

The original Memphis Showboats logo featured a cartoon-style steamboat with two smokestacks on either side of it and large paddlewheels behind it. The boat itself was colored white with red trim along its sides and top deck area; this color scheme would later be adopted for all future versions of the logo as well. Above the boat were two blue stars representing Tennessee's state flag—a nod to their home city’s heritage—and beneath them were three yellow stars arranged in an arc shape above a banner reading “Showboats” in bold black lettering below them both.

In 1986, when ownership shifted hands from Fred Bullard Jr., who had founded showboat Sports Entertainment LLC which owned a 50% stake until then, to William Dunavant Jr., the new owner decided to modernize their look by introducing more vibrant colors into their design palette — thus giving birth to what we now know as today's version: An updated version featuring navy blue instead of white for background coloration; gold accents around edges & windows; larger font size & different placement altogether. This new look still retains much of what made the original so popular - including traditional elements such as the steamboat motif, stars & "showboaters" wordmark.

Though short-lived due partly because USFL suspended operations after only 3 seasons, Memphis' NFL franchise will forever live on through memories brought about by its classic logos. It remains one symbol synonymous with American sports culture - reminding us how even small organizations can make big impacts despite limited resources available at hand.