Colorado Rapids is a football team from Denver, which represents the Western Conference of Major League Soccer. It joined the professional league in 1996 as one of the 10 MLS founding clubs. It was owned by Anschutz Corporation before. At the end of 2004 billionaire, Philip Frederick Anschutz sold it to sports and entertainment Kroenke Sports Enterprises Holding. Now the franchise belongs to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment operated by Enos Stanley Kroenke.
The team name was approved in 1995. When the news broke that a football club would appear in Colorado, the organizers had allowed the locals to choose the name. According to the survey results, Rapids won. It symbolized the high canyons and rapids of the Colorado River. At first, green was the official color of the franchise. In 2003 it was changed to black and blue and in 2007 – to celestial-blue and burgundy.
Meaning and History
1996 – 1999Colorado Rapids owners made two re-brandings which influenced the insignia design. Throughout its history, the team had three main logos. Since 1996 one of them had been used as a secondary one, but in 2002 it became the main one. The last chance of the graphics was made when the team moved to the Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Stadium.
The debut insignia was devoted to MLS introductory season. It depicts the Colorado Rocky Mountains and copies the scene from the window of the club HQ at the foothill of the Rocky Mountains. In the eastern part of the ridge, the rivers flow into the Atlantic Ocean, and in the western part, it flows into the Pacific Ocean. The outrush is depicted on the logo, where the rushing current washes the foothill of the peaks. As the team owners claimed, it was a V-class rapid common in Colorado.
“Rapids” (in capital letters, but “R” is the largest) made in light-grey colors are printed against the background of grey mountains with snow-capped peaks. A styled italic sans-serif is used. “Colorado” is printed above the landscape. The symbols are arranged in a semi-circle arching over the rocks. The main elements are circled with black and white lines.
2000 – 2006
In 2000 the team made a reshuffle: the secondary logo made in 1996 became the main one, and the picture of the mountain river took second place. The main emblem consists of concentrated circles with a soccer ball inside a 16-point green star. The rifled geometrical shape contrasts with the white background. The elements in the middles are circled in three rings – blue, white, and golden. “Colorado Rapids” is printed inside. The golden letters are outlined with a white contour.
2007 – present
In 2007 a new era began for the club: it moved to Dick’s Sporting Goods Park Stadium and changed its symbols to keep up with other teams at Kroenke Sports & Entertainment. A rhombic heraldic shield became the central symbol. It has slightly curved lower faces, and its upper faces are at a right angle. Another heraldic shield of similar shape is placed inside. The team name in capital letters is printed there – upper line – “Colorado,” lower line – “Rapids.”
The peaks of the Rocky Mountains are placed under the letters. The styled version of the soccer ball contrasts with the background of the blue-grey Rocky Mountains. The number “96” is printed in the lower corner. It symbolizes the franchise debut as part of MLS. The main insignia colors are celestial-blue and burgundy.