In 1950, Brazil lost to Uruguay in the final game of the World Cup in front of a crowd numbering at least 200,000 at the Maracanã in Rio de Janeiro, a result that shocked a nation expecting its first world championship title to be claimed that day. The shock was so profound that a word, Maracanaço, was invented to describe the sense of desolation that enveloped Brazil as a result.

Brazil needed a scapegoat. It was easy to find one: the team’s colors. Brazil wore white jerseys with a blue collar and white shorts that day, a combination they have never worn since. Deeming those colors forever cursed, in 1953 Brazil changed its uniform to canary yellow jerseys with green trim, blue shorts and white socks, colors drawn from the nation’s flag colors. It was a combination that has come to define the team’s sparkling identity with five World Cup titles claimed since (incidentally also inspiring the colors of the New York Cosmos, one of Indy’s future NASL opponents).

That’s a long way of saying: choosing a team’s colors should not be taken lightly. This is why Indy Pro Soccer has been asking for your feedback on team colors in the Name the Team survey, and is now offering an open advisory poll of various options to spark some helpful debate and feedback as well - please vote below on the choices listed or suggest your own and leave your thoughts in the comments.

Why were the options below chosen, you might ask? Bear in mind they are not the only colors under consideration, but here’s the logic behind each:

City of Indianapolis flag colors: Red, white and blue

State of Indiana flag: Blue and gold

Auto racing colors: Black and white with checkers

IU and Purdue colors: Black, crimson, gold and white

Brickyard Battalion colors: Black, green and white

Fill out my online form.
Photo: emarquetti on Flickr via a Creative Commons license

  • SoccerJohn

    The Blue and Gold with the nod to the state flag on the crest just has to go together. These should be our colors. Nicely done

  • http://www.facebook.com/william.stark.9003 William Stark

    I did this in blue and gold, but I can change it to any other color I want.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504940666 Marques Johnson

    LITERALLY every single other team in the NASL has some red, yellow, or blue except tampa. So why would we want to follow in those foot steps? I DO NOT want my heart to bleed the same colors as other teams, lets be indie like our state. “LIKE NO OTHER”. should go with the color of royalty purple and green.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=574311981 James Cormack

    Black, Green and White please, GO BRICKERS!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001000667147 Mary Wichmanowski Karnstedt

    I’m from Merrillville, so I’m excited to see your team as NASL. We’ll be up to visit when the 2012 NASL CHAMPION ROWDIES come up to play in 2014.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001000667147 Mary Wichmanowski Karnstedt

    HELLO!!   NASL ROWDIES have been GREEN AND GOLD  since original conception in 1975, and again since rebirth in 2010. Can’t Believe you didn’t mention us, but did mention the not-playing-yet Cosmos! 

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=574311981 James Cormack

       Sorry we thought this was about Indy’s team

  • willow_ve

    Please do not mix the IU and Purdue colors while leaving out many of the other great state schools in Indiana.  If we’re choosing colors based on collegiate teams in the state you could make the argument that we should base our team around Notre Dame (and no one wants that either).

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=574311981 James Cormack

       That is a good point, but I still think they are intent on the name of the team being Indianapolis and not Indiana, so they probably are trying to make an IUPUI “why not both” connection, not sure on that one? Crimson and gold are not bad colors though.

  • Bricker UP!

    this team has to connect with this community. This state has a very traditional, very loyal fan base. Please don’t pick some crazy colors or outfits that are trendy today and we’ll regret tomorrow. Both are overdone in soccer.
    Personally I like the state’s blue and gold color scheme.

  • http://twitter.com/hoosierschafer Brian Schafer

    There is no reason that we have to identify with Racing, Purdue, Indiana, Colts, Pacers, flags, or anything like that.  This team and its identity needs to be unique, period.  Trying to identify with other organizations in this town is not going to miraculously make this a success.  This needs to be unique….I implore everyone to look at Sporting KC, Seattle Sounders, Real Salt Lake, DC United and others as perfect examples of franchises that have built their own identity. 

  • Moses Kristopher

    You should use black and orange with checkers, I think that would be a different and unique color choice. You don’t have to be limited to the colors of Indy, Indiana or Purdue/Indiana. You should also find a different name for your club. Indianapolis Brickyard Battalion doesn’t sound like a football clubs name. You also have to think of the future, if you want to do well in merchandising you should pick a name and color, people are going to want to wear.

    • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1314713477 Daniel Eccles

      Brickyard Battalion is the supporters group, not the team

  • Greg Williams

    Black and White like Juventus or Newcastle with some checkered design incorporated as well and maybe add some gold or blue highlights too.

  • http://profile.yahoo.com/3ITMT2ENXELLGXDDIR4GWLJHH4 Scott

    I like sticking with the Blue theme, yet not the exact same colors of any other local team. Colts: Blue & White, Pacers: Blue & Gold, Ice: Blue & Gray. The Indians however are Red & Black. So a combination of all of these would consequently be, Blue & Red…& White. This also ties in nicely with the City Flag which could be used in the team crest. You could use a Yellow or Black accent as well. Maybe a third Yellow kit such as Arsenal or a Black fading to Black and White checkers in the middle would look amazing. Similar to Barcelona’s home kit.

  • http://twitter.com/mwmiller20 Mike Miller

    Home kit: white/black checkered shirts with black shorts and white socks.
    Change kit: green shirts, shorts and socks with black trim.

  • gwukeeperdad

    Please choose a team name and colors that will promote a distinct, and hopefully proud, identity that does not need a reference to the track for people to identify it with Indianapolis and Indiana. Something that reflects what the organization and we excited fans hope it will become.

  • SoccerJohn

    The slogan is “the world’s game, INDIANA’s team”
    So lets make it Indiana’s colors. Blue and Gold.�
    I also would respect the Indy colors as well.�
    As long as the Indiana Blue uniform tradition is carried on.
    As for the checkers, I actually really think they would look sharp and very distinct, but since we can’t use racing Indy as a name then they may not make since per the name chosen  I would like to see them as an alternative uniform at least tho.

  • http://twitter.com/gjpeters Gabe Peters

    No matter the colors I’ll be there front row screaming my head off!

  • http://twitter.com/thejoshbaker Josh Baker

    Blue and White checkers. Like the Croatia national team, but with blue. http://totallycoolpix.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/14062012_euro2012_italy_croatia/euro2012_001.jpg

    And if it can’t be that, city flag colors. This is Indy’s team, it should have Indy’s colors.

  • http://twitter.com/ThisisIrbe Kalvis

    With the Colts and Pacers already sporting blue as their base identifying color, I believe Indy’s Pro Soccer team should do the same.
    Ben Phillippe, an Indianapolis native and longtime Indiana Pacers fan has proposed a new design for the Pacers (see attatched).  I think he would be a great person to contact about an Indy Pro Soccer design.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=858410393 Ryan Carrell

    I think the black and green is unique to the city but I would also add the checkers because that combination really connects well to the racing history of the city. The history is important because the newness of the team will need to get a heritage from somewhere.