Ugh

So the new Big Ten conference logo, along with new divisions, trophies and such, have been unveiled, and boy, do they all stink.

That the "international design firm Pentagram" took money to dream up a logo that makes the "I" and "G" in "big" look like a "10" isn't shocking -- I would have taken money for the same thing if it had been offered. The wacky part is that the conference paid money for the logo, when I am reasonably certain that, amongst the now 12 schools which make it up there might be found one or two art students who could have been considerably more creative for quite a bit less money. Maybe even just some beer and pizza.

As a 12-team conference, the Big 10 (no math majors were harmed -- or consulted -- in this naming) will now have divisions. The former Big 12 Conference, before it got whittled down to 10 teams by the departures of Nebraska and Colorado, gave its divisions the accurate but uninspired names of "North," for the teams on the north end of its geographical area, and "South," for the teams on the south end.

Not so for the creativity-minded Big 10! One division, which contains Your Heroes in Purple, the Defenders of Truth, Justice and Cute Puppies and Kittens, the Northwestern University Wildcats, will be known as the "Legends" division. The other, which contains the vile University of Illinois Illini -- notice that you can't spell "vile" without an "IL," either -- will be known as the "Leaders" division. I will only note that these new logos and division titles, in which the Illini are considered "leaders," is connected with a design firm named Pentagram. I make no accusations, but the reader may draw his or her own conclusions about which spiritual being whose goal is the eternal torment of damned souls may have been at the core of these choices.

The new trophies for different achievements by football teams and individual athletes were also announced. They are all hyphenates, designed to honor Big Ten notables of the past as well as more modern times. The Championship Trophy is now the "Stagg-Paterno Championship Trophy," after University of Chicago coach Amos Stagg and Penn State coach Joe Paterno. OK, so the football trophy pays tribute to a coach at a school no longer in the Big 10 (or with any athletic teams whatsoever) and to the coach at the 11th school in the current Big 10. And I have to note that, in order to make Paterno the "modern" name on the trophy, they had to pick a guy who started his collegiate coaching career in the 19th century.

Man, come next season there's gonna be some mockin' for sure...