This weekend, I wore my team-issued jacket to the Colonial Relays in support of everyone running. Like most of my team issued stuff, the jacket had the feathered logo, since the feathers weren’t banned until my last year of eligibility. At the meet, plenty of my old teammates who were still competing wore the same jacket, but with a different logo over the breast. Apparently, those on the track team caught wearing the old jacket or logo would get in big trouble. I miss the feathers, for they gave our school logo character that it now lacks. For the first four years of my life at William and Mary, the feathered logo worked swimmingly.
Unfortunately, in 2006, the school president at the time decided not to protest the NCAA’s ruling that the feathered logo was offensive. Without any prior complaints, the NCAA decided on its own to review the logo and the use of the word “Tribe”. I recall the local media interviewing the state recognized Native American tribes, finding that none of the tribes found the feathers or “Tribe” offensive. While the NCAA permitted “Tribe” to remain, it threatened sanctions if the feathers were not removed. The school president could have chosen to stand and fight the NCAA, but caved to the demands instead, leading to the featherless interim logo, and finally, in 2007, the design of the “WordArt” logo. A weak design begotten from weak leadership.
Also this week, the college athletics department announced the new mascot, hopefully ending several years of controversy which began with the logo. For a few years, there was Colonel Ebirt, a caricature of colonial attire, but it was retired soon after the logo brouhaha began. ”Tribe” is pretty ambiguous, and neither my teammates nor I cared that we were without a true mascot. ”Tribe” by itself seemed more to symbolize the members of the school better than any mascot could. Screaming it before the start of a race reminded me that I wouldn’t be alone in the suffering to come.
The new mascot, a griffin, was narrowed down from a possible six, but I’m sure just about any of the choices would inflame much of the student body. I bet the pug was included as a strawman so that anyone complaining would say, “at least it’s better than the pug.” I’m not sure how a griffin will fit in with “Tribe.” A tribe of griffins? As with the logo controversy, it’s more about change for the sake of change instead of leaving well enough alone. It reminds me of a great quote from Calvin and Hobbes: “A good compromise leaves everyone mad.”
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