Is it time for the Maple Leafs to update their famous logo? Some fans think they do, and they've started a web site and petition to make their case.
To be clear, the idea isn't to create a new logo. Instead, the petition is calling for the Leafs to go back to the 1930's style Maple Leaf currently found on their alternate jerseys, and drop the "modern" version that's based on the Canadian flag.
The basic argument seems to go like this:
- The modern version is associated with the Ballard era, the darkest period in Leafs history.
- The old version has as much (or more) tradition behind it, and was worn for 10 of the Leafs' 11 Cups.
- Everyone seems to like the alternate jerseys better these days, so why not make them permanent?
The more I think about it, the more I'm leaning towards keeping the current leaf. Here's why:
It's simple - There's something to be said for simplicity in a logo. These days, every team seems to want to create some overly-complicated monstrosity, full of hidden symbolism and influences (as no doubt explained to team executives in a powerpoint presentation delivered by some guy wearing horn-rimmed glasses and outrageously complex facial hair).
I've always thought that a good logo should be able to pass this test: can a little kid draw it on his pencil case? The modern 11-point leaf can, with a little practice. The 1930s version? Not so much.
(Do kids today even have pencil cases? Do they still know how to use pencils? Do I need to update my rule to something like "does it look good as a small icon for an app on a five-year-old's iphone"? Get off my lawn.)
I have about 8,000 items with the old logo in my house - Seriously, it's everywhere. Bottle openers, salt and pepper shakers, pillows... Apparently when you're Christmas shopping for a Leafs fan, you just buy the first thing you see with a logo on it and move on.
What I'm trying to say is that I don't feel like replacing every item in my house. And I think my personal convenience needs to be a priority for everyone on this one.
It's all about the flag - Have you ever stopped to really think about the fact that the Maple Leafs' logo is a direct ripoff of our national flag? That, my friends, takes some serious grapefruits. Even the Yankees and Cowboys don't go stealing national symbols.
And as a Leaf fan living in hostile territory, I can tell you that the flag thing drives non-Leaf fans crazy. And if you can convincingly pretend that you think the Canadian flag is actually based on the Maple Leafs logo and not the other way around, there's a 50% chance the other fan will have a stroke on the spot. That has to be worth something, right?
So that's my argument: the current logo is better because it's simple, it's all over my house, and it annoys people. I think I'm on pretty solid ground here, but I'm open to being swayed.
What do you think?
