The new logo for FAU is obvious — we should have a surfing Owl riding a wave.
Sound a little ridiculous? Well it should, because most of the talk that we have already heard about the logo and/or mascot change is just that — ridiculous.
A couple of weeks ago, Vanessa Frost looked into the issue of changing the mascot and logo of FAU, [“Identity Crisis,” Issue 11, Nov. 6]. She found numerous people to talk to and received a lot of input on the issue. Most of it, though, was a little misconstrued.
Frost was just the reporter and frankly is not too big on athletics in general. The problem I have is with some of the insight given by other people in her story.
Let’s try and clear up some of the myths about our logo and logos in general.
First, tradition can be thrown out the window. Until FAU wins a few national titles in any sport, tradition can still be formed.
The Blue Wave baseball team is the highest ranked team out of all the sports that participate at FAU. They are known everywhere they go as the Blue Wave. They picked a nickname that is older than any other at FAU. Created in 1965, the Blue Wave is six years older than the Owls.
Does this mean we should be the Blue Wave?
Not exactly.
As nice as it would be to have everyone be called the Blue Wave, it would take a little something away from the name. Part of the mystique is that the name is synonymous with baseball, and it should stay that way.
One of the most disturbing comments in the article was made by Boca Student Body Governor Michael Moore.
Moore was quoted as saying that “there’s nothing intimidating about a bird the size of the pigeon.”
He also mentioned that we should look at Notre Dame and its logo. He says it is a powerful image.
The real powerful image at Notre Dame is Touchdown Jesus. Their stadium is intimidating and their tradition echoes like ghosts watching for the bowels of the stadium.
Notre Dame does not need a logo because they are Notre Dame. The same way Penn State does not need names on their jerseys (“you don’t need to know who just ran you over, just that he was from Penn State,” is their motto).
The intimidation factor of the FAU Owl needs to go no further than Pro Player Stadium to be defended. That is where the Dolphins play.
You know the Dolphins, the only team that ever went undefeated. Oh yeah, they did that with Flipper jumping through the sun on their helmets.
The point with these two things is that FAU is neither the 1972 Dolphins, nor Notre Dame. They are barely Rutgers. If you want to be intimidating, you have to do it on the field.
Do not get me wrong, what the football team is doing this year and the baseball and basketball teams did two years ago has been working. That is winning. A regional win for the baseball team, an NCAA berth for the basketball team, and a possible playoff berth for this year’s football team all help in building that tradition, history and intimidation.
The real problem is that it is hard to be intimidating when no one comes to watch you.
This brings me to the next issue, “Real fans wear red.” Are you serious?
Do they were red because they are rooting for the other team?
I ask because the game at which this motto was introduced was last year’s football home game against Youngstown State. If you didn’t notice, the Penguins had an alumni booth outside the Stadium selling paraphernalia to their fans. Yep, you guessed it — the shirts were all red.
As FAU battled the Penguins, all the fans in the stadium wore red, and so did the Penguins. FAU, on the other hand, was in blue. Do you think they felt supported?
Let’s not forget that six of FAU’s 11 opponents this season also wear red in their uniforms. FAU still wears a predominantly blue uniform.
Lastly, I would like to comment on having two names.
First and foremost this would probably confuse a lot of people in the Boca area. FAU is growing and people will not know who you are talking about if you continue to use two names.
Most of the schools that use two names or symbols have a pretty good reason to do so.
Miami, the Hurricanes, use the Ibis as their mascot. Well, did you know that the ibis is the last bird to leave and the first bird to come back when a hurricane hits? Significance and toughness all rolled into one story.
Alabama are the Crimson Tide with an Elephant as a mascot. The elephant was designed to represent the size of the ‘Bama football team. The Crimson Tide came about when Alabama was driving for a touchdown in a rainy game and the announcers said they looked like a Crimson Tide storming across the field, referring to their red jerseys.
The best story of two nicknames working for a University is not even accurate. The Auburn Tigers are sometimes referred to as the War Eagles. The Auburn web site shuts down this myth by saying that War Eagle is a battle cry and never should be used with an ‘s’ at the end to serve as a mascot.
Honestly, I do not care what FAU uses as a logo and mascot. If they change it, then I have to buy a new hat, no big deal.
President Brogan is going about this in the proper way. Change it before FAU gets too popular or leave it alone. Be careful, though. Landrey Morrow designed Oregon’s new uniforms.
Have you seen the Ducks’ new bright yellow digs?