Today I am so
busy and a little sick and I only have 10 mins to post something so I looked
back at my post from around this date in 2011 when I started this blog and
funnily enough its about football.
Anyone paying attention to
politics knows about Trump and his bat-shit insane tweeting and calls for
firing of NFL players who are kneeling during the National Anthem as protest to
police violence against people of color in this country. Obviously I agree 100%
with the freedom of expression by these players and think Trump is shilling to
his racist base regarding this issue. I’d like to get deeper into this but I
literally have no time so here is what I posted back then. It’s fun and silly
but then as now, I like sports and it is something that does unite in a way that
most things, including art, can’t.
Are You Ready For Some Football?
September 25, 2011
Football, America’s game, is in full swing. I am not a
football-head, nor do I follow a particular team but football is truly
something fascinating to behold. This 9 billion dollar industry is the
most successfully marketed sports industry and this does matter, especially for
those who have any visual cultural wherewithal. Not only does it have the
most revenue of any US sport it also has the most eyeballs with 66,957
spectators in its meager 16 game season.Compare that to the 30,135 for
baseball’s 162 game season and basketball’s 17,149 visitors in their 82
games. The disparity of the length of the seasons for each respective
sport speaks volumes to this marketing blitz as well as the nature of the
game. Many critics of the sport think that football is no more then
mindless violence. Some think that it represents all that is wrong with
this country and with the shockingly base need for its citizens to see a form of
combat on the field. To be sure it’s a physically unforgiving game but
football, like all sports, has moments of spectacular form and bodily
accomplishment. Those that cannot see even a bit of wonderment in this
game lack poetic openness and basic admittance that human beings require many
things that this sport allows.
As previously admitted, I am a novice to football. I enjoy
watching all sports as it makes me giddy to see perfection of
form. Because I do not know much about the players or the rules of the
game, at many points of the game I linger on the uniforms, the colors, and the
formations before the ball is released. From this activity I will now list
some choice teams in the National Football League and reflect on their colors,
logos and also the history of their names in brief.In addition I will suggest
an artist who may function as a cultural mascot. People who think arts and
sports are un-mingleable need to just loosen up.
Baltimore Ravens – This most poetic of teams calls themselves the
Ravens after their most notable resident Edgar Allen Poe. They have a
ghastly designed logo as does so many of today's teams who seem to be using the
same horrid graphic designer who makes the mascots and logos look like a 7 year
olds lunch box, but I digress. Their colors are predominantly purple and
white with a few dashes of yellow. Although they have a perfect literary
reference, an additional cultural mascot could be Rirkrit Tiravanija, their
purple color makes me think of grape juice or jelly.
Cincinnati Bangles – They have fab uniforms, orange and black and
white and they have Tony the Tiger stripes on their helmet and pants. Very
sexy. They are named from a pervious team called the bangles and also from
one of its early couches previous gig at a high school with the same name.
Their art icon would be Kehinde Wiley, bangle wallpaper, grrr.
Cleveland Browns – They have no logo at all, they are just the
color orange and a strip here and there. Their name is from the couch Paul
Brown, totally boring back story in a way but one can appreciate the minimalism
of it all. Art coach would be Barnett Newman.
Pittsburgh Steelers – Now this is a team with good colors and a
logo. Black and yellow is the pride colors of all Pittsburgh teams, just
love that matchy match. The logo is the steel industries seal of red,
yellow and blue star form. Sadly, they don’t make logos like that
anymore. They have a fab ratio of black and yellow in their uniform and I
just love the yellow pants. Also love that they don’t have cheerleaders. Art
guru would be Chris Burden, sorry Warhol but your just too fey for this town.
Detroit Lions – Fab colors of a more saturated sky blue, white and
gray. The logo is just fantastic, a blue lion in full kill
mode. Detroit is a hard-knock, no frills city and there art guide should
be no different, I name Richard Serra.
Green Bay Packers – Obviously fab-tastic uniforms and
color. They are bold and bright in yellow and green and they leave little
room for white. The name derives for a wonderful little back story of one
of its founders, Earl Lambeau, getting funds for the uniforms from the Indian
Packing Company in 1919. I give you Kippenberg, if you’ll have him.
Minnesota Vikings – Their purple and yellow ratios are just
perfect. Love the mean looking mascot of the blonde braided
Viking. The horns on their helmet are just the best as well.Nodding to the
large Scandinavian population in Minnesota the Vikings posses that great
folkloric touch. Their patron would be Marina Abramovic, not sure why but
she seems like she could handle a horn.
Indianapolis Colts – Love the horseshoe. The blue and white
are nice to look at. They were the first NFL team to have
cheerleaders. Hmmm. A lot of teams have used the name colts in the
past, but with the horse culture in Indiana, it seems the best fit for this
team. Their art gal is Georgia O’Keeffe.
Buffalo Bills – The wild west in the cold east coast, what’s the
deal with that? Well anyways, the blue buffalo with the streak of red to
indicate its awesome fast charging is interesting symbology. Their
cheerleaders are called the Buffalo Jills, cute eh? Their art pal would be
Jasper Johns
Miami Dolphins – They have odd but delightful aqua and orange
colors. Their dolphin wears a helmet making the porpoise look lean and
mean. They are from the sunshine state that grows the oranges so the color
choice is apt. Their art avatar would be Elizabeth Murray.
Dallas Cowboys – A most fantastic uniform of silver and a blue
star, simple yet to the point.Being from the lone star state the team does two
at once with the star badge. Their cheerleaders are the best in town and
its hard not to like their guff. Their art star would be William de
Kooning.
New York Giants – Their stadium is in my home state so there is
always a bit of partiality there. They are the USA colors of red, white
and blue and they don’t need no stinkin logo besides NY in all caps. Silly
that they are actually in NJ but NJ is the type of state that will take that
slap in the face with pride. To them they get Robert Smithson.
New York Jets – This team too is fair-weather to its actual
location, sharing the Giants stadium but know one really cares. The green
and white is classic. The logo includes both NY and the name Jets in case
you don’t remember what team is playing at the meadowlands that night.Taking
its name from it closeness to the airports, the Jets are truly a Jersey beloved
team. Their artist would be Mark Di Suvero.
Philadelphia Eagles – From the constitution capital the Eagles
have a darker green and white and have a mad looking eagle as their logo and
eagle wings on their helms. This not New York City is burly and they are
serious as hell about their football. They used to even have a court
inside the stadium for unruly fans. Yikes. Their artist would be Vito
Acconi.
New England Patriots – This is the most patriotic of teams with a
colonial man as their mascot and a truly red, white and blue all over
attire. Being from the refined area of the North East there is a snowy
stodginess but the fans are resolutely, if not as boisterous, in their support
of this leading team. Their artist would be Matthew Barney
Oakland Raiders – This is the prisoner batch of the NFL. They
are rough and tough in black and silver and they have an old-timey,
patch-wearing pirate as their logo. Their artist is Carl Andre.
San Francisco 49ers – In 1849 there was an influx of those seeking
fortune in this area, becoming known as the gold rush. With gold and red
they are a uniquely colored team. The manifest destiny history of the team
is charming. Their artist would be Alexander Calder.