Giannini laughs at Hawkeyes' threats
By By Will Bardwell / sports writer
July 1, 2004
It's apparently been a slow summer at the University of Iowa.
I've only been to Iowa once, and even then I was only passing through. I was inside the state lines for maybe 45 minutes.
Still, I quickly figured out how boring a place Iowa can be. Those 45 minutes were killer. An entire summer would be absolutely unbearable.
Some folks at the University of Iowa have figured out how to beat the boredom, though. A couple of weeks ago, university officials sent a letter to the University of Southern Mississippi and demanded that the Golden Eagles change their logo. Southern Miss' logo is too similar to ours, Iowa officials said. They've even gone so far as to threaten with a lawsuit.
Say what?
It's a notion that understandably amuses Southern Miss athletic director Richard Giannini.
Southern Miss unveiled its new logo, an eagle head, about a year and a half ago. It's a sharply-drawn rendition of an angry-looking eagle that looks like he's about to tear into something.
Iowa's logo, on the other hand, looks like it was thrown together with black and gold Dippin' Dots. If you look at it the right way, it's a dead ringer for one of those monsters from the "Alien" movies sitting on top of a lobster claw.
Giannini is right, of course. And while Giannini is normally a mild-mannered guy, this mascot flap has definitely sorry, I can't resist ruffled his feathers.
Most irritating of all is Iowa's ridiculous threat to sue. Can you imagine the look on a judge's face if Iowa takes this to court? The Hawkeyes would be laughed out of court.
I can't imagine that it would. I'm no expert in mascot law, but there are just too many differences between the two designs. Sure, they're birds, they're both yellow, and they're both looking to the right. That much we agree on. But USM's logo is far more detailed and vivid. It just looks better.
Besides, lots of logos bear closer resemblances to each other than the Hawkeyes and Golden Eagles. The University of Georgia, Grambling University and the Green Bay Packers all have the same logo an oval-shaped "G." The University of Alabama's baseball cap looks almost identical to the Atlanta Braves logo. You don't see them suing each other.
Heck, Georgia and Mississippi State share the same mascot, and they're in the same conference. Southern Miss and Iowa, meanwhile, are separated by nearly 1,000 miles.
But still, Parrott rigorously defends Iowa's position and hints at possible legal action.
Giannini can't help but laugh. Neither can I.
