COLUMN: New logo dos and don’ts
Oh, how times, they be a-changing here in the land of the Aggies.
Alright, so maybe those changes are just new athletic logo and revamped uniforms, but trust me when I say these things do matter.
We become fans of a team once they form an identity to us. We gather up symbols that we decide a customary and special to our squad and those symbols have their way of naturally imbuing us with collective energy and support that, heck, this, and every year, is our year. It is one of the things that make sports the best thing going around in society, bar none – take that, modern arts.
Just imagine if the University of Alabama swiped player numbers from their helmets, or if the Indiana basketball team retired their doo-wop striped warm up pants. Dallas Mavericks fans were up in a panic for one game because – I’m not joking about this, comment boards off the charts – Jason Terry didn’t wear his trademark headband for a game. Every memorable team has a good set of symbols.
As for the Aggies, we carry our share of the load. We have Big Blue descending from the scoreboard, thousands of college students jumping and down, or point from one bench to the other all in unison. We have Preston Medlin’s after three pointer scream session, Robert Turbin’s brontosaurus-sized calf muscles and dark visor. We have “Aggie blue and fighting white.”
Tomorrow afternoon those symbols will be shifted in a way. We take on a new logo, and we take on a new identity. Now, as hard as it is for me to predict something as superficial as a uniform, I couldn’t call myself a supporter of USU athletics if I didn’t at least give it a try. Before we officially unveil the new look of the Aggies, here is a quick Do and Don’t before the unveiling comes to pass.
Do: Change from the U-style logo – I may be causing controversy when I say this, but I am sticking with it. I just don’t find the logo that motivating. The school’s relationship with the logo has become more separate over time, which is proven by how quick to praise the block “A” logo because it carries a sense of nostalgia for people who care about Old Main, block letters or platonically kissing in public.
I will say this: I wouldn’t be as against the logo we commonly called ourselves “U-State.” I’ve heard it in bits in pieces, but maybe it would warm me up if it was more of mainstay.
Don’t: Throw generic road colors in the mix: Many a team has made their mark with road, or home colored uniforms by using generic colors as a background to school colors.
In 2001 Duke Basketball had black road uniforms. Several teams last year switched to a grey style look. I have one word in reference to this: gag.
Did anyone go to the USU basketball against Kent State? That grey-on-yellow ensemble was hideous – like trying to watch the comic pages of a newspaper attempting a layup. We need to see to it our colors stand out.
Of course, I do know we need to find a way to separate ourselves from the fact that BYU share colors with us, but we can’t back down from that. Besides, they stole those from us, so they’ll have theirs in the eternities anyway.
I am always in favor of rebranding a team and forming a new identity. We are talking about a football program that is steadily climbing their way to relevance and success, a basketball team ready to take on young talent and prove something to the nation, a collage of successful soccer, gymnastics, volleyball and several other teams who are looking for attention, and this new identity starts all of that now.
Be ready, be excited. Starting tomorrow our new persona will spawn, and we will no longer be anyone’s little brother.
Believe it.
– Steve Schwartzman is a junior majoring in speech communication. He has had many jobs in sports writing, including blogs, analysis, statistics and fantasy football tips, but he especially loves making bold picks. Think you can out-pick Steve? Let him know: steve.schwartzman@aggiemail.usu.edu.