Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Earn Your Stripes


Without a shadow of a doubt, if you're here reading this post, you've watched NCAA Athletics at some point in your life; more likely than not, it was college football. One program that constantly finds itself at the top of the rankings is the Louisiana State University Tigers. 

Perhaps this author has a soft spot in his heart for the  "Bayou Bengals" due to Louisiana being his state of birth, but it is a logo/font set that seems to excel in the unique purple and gold color-way as good as, if not better than the Los Angeles Lakers of the NBA. Something that speaks louder to a monarchy than the deep purple of the teams uniforms, is their prestigious history on the field. 

Since the football programs inaugural season in 1893, the Tigers have accumulated an all time record of 733-390-47 , good for a winning percentage of .647%. The teams current head coach, Les Miles, has personally accounted for 81 victories over an 8 season career in the Bayou State. The team has captured 8 division titles (competing in the SEC West), eventually leading to 3 claimed national titles; the most recent of which was in 2007. 

The programs only Heisman Trophy winner came in the form of running back Billy Cannon, in the 1959 season. Cannon has had his number 20 retired by the Tigers since the conclusion of the '59 season, and was the only player to receive the honor until 2009 when former defensive back Timmy Casanova joined the exclusive club. 

Unfortunately, the most recent LSU star to draw national attention, was 2011 Heisman Trophy finalist,  cornerback Tyrann Mathieu. Following a stellar campaign, concluding with a 21-0 loss to Alabama in the national title game in '11, Mathieu was dismissed from the program for misconduct of team policies. Following multiple reports of said violations possibly being failed drug tests, the rumors were confirmed when the young star checked into a drug rehab center in Houston, Texas. 

Now that you have a brief history of one of the most presigious programs in the land, lets review the cap. The crown and top of the brim are both purple, while the underside of the brim is yellow. On the front, we see the "LSU" word-mark in purple, with the "Tiger Face" logo inlaid, while resisting an overflow of the letters. On the rear, the "Tiger Face" is centered across the back 2 panels. 

Overall, a great non on-field 59/50 cap. It's clean, not too busy, with an all time classic logo and color-way. What else could you really ask for? 

Until next time, hope you enjoyed.