The KKK was alive and well and very active in Iowa during the 1920s. It wasn't just a southern thing.
I think this is the right take honestly…and fully agree with Kagavi’s take above. I think you want to be really careful about how you carry Jack’s legacy forward…and making him into something he wasn’t. Realistically Jack did very little on the football field (from a performance standpoint that is worth remembering or celebrating). It’s Jack’s character that stands out. He had an opportunity to do something others weren’t/didn’t and he full embraced it with courage. Then he was basically murdered…fully realizing the worst possible outcome of his courage. His courage should be fully celebrated and embraced by our school…and everyone really. We don’t want to turn it into what we did…or celebrate with a VEISHA type celebration (sorry Chris), because then it just hits the wrong note.
This is why I feel what Iowa has done my monetizing “The Wave” is so tragically stupid. The wave should be about kids who are sick (and sometimes dying)…taking a moment to honor them and the journey they’re on. It’s not about how awesome a fanbase is for waving.
Black scheme is pretty cool and would like to see those, but the white unis look even better with the stripes!I did this in 10 minutes, so it's relatively crude. You get the idea though.
That may not have been completely fair on my part. I guess I don’t know who benefits from that merchandise. I mostly think the way they brag about the wave is dumb…and that includes having shirts, but if the money goes to the kids, that’s obviously way better.I did not know this. Really? If Iowa isn't donating 100% of proceeds back to the kids, that's ridiculous. That's somewhat the same slight concern I have with the Trice logo. Is there a point when it becomes performative?
I believe it's part of the vintage logo package, which means it has a higher royalty rate than the standard collection. IMO there's room there to do something there beyond gathering revenue. BUT! I don't know what ISU's plans or internal discussions are. Maybe this is all moot.
To be clear, ISU has done just fine with the logo so far. My suggestion with the slight pullback is to ensure the messaging doesn't get lost. I'm not saying ban it. We just need to remember:
A wonderful person died.
This is just me speaking - if someone is wearing that logo, I would hope they completely align with Jack's ideals as I explained in a post above. Just my opinion.
Thanks to everyone for a great discussion. Love hearing all kinds of opinions.
Not sure if this has been discussed in other threads, but these tweets are bizarre.