As Seminoles, tradition is something we don’t take lightly. There’s evidence of this all around us from the brick buildings that have been standing for decades to the “1851”, our founding year, on every FSU t-shirt. We have always equated phrases like “Legendary Spirit” to tradition, but what does tradition mean? Well, according to the “Ignition Tradition” promotional video, “Tradition doesn’t mean not changing”.
This teaser video promises a big announcement will be made on 4-11-14. This means that the official unveiling of the Seminole’s new logo was planned for the day before the spring football game happening on April 12.
TomahawkNation.com, “A Florida State Seminole Community”, reported that the new logo was found on a t-shirt being sold at a Walmart and went viral after one of their readers uploaded the picture to the internet.
TomahawkNation user Bud Elliott posted on April 2, “I’ve confirmed through a source involved in the redesign process that this is indeed Florida State’s new logo. This is grabbed from a shirt sold prematurely at Walmart.”
This may all have come as a surprise, but talk of the logo changing has been official for some time. Liz Maryanski, FSU’s Vice President for University Relations described the future changes as “very minor” in a statement to ESPN.com. She emphasized the effort to “get consistency in our colors” whatever that means, seeing as the colors are pretty much the same as the old design…awkward.
Whether this is the actual logo or not, the overall reaction from the public is underwhelming, to say the least. It’s safe to say Chief Osceola’s undesired makeover isn’t going over well with consumers. Online headlines read things like “Florida State Fans Furious with Leaked Seminole Logo Update”. Twitter users have expressed that they will never wear this new depiction, that it looks like a cartoon, and that it will take a lot of getting used to. Assuming we have to get used to it, seeing as it might not even be legit. But just in case it is…
Unsatisfied Seminole fans everywhere have decided to take a stand against this changed logo by signing an online petition via change.org – the online portal that enables users to create petitions and allows others to sign them. The petition is addressed to FSU Athletic Director Stan Wilcox and reads: “We the People of FSU, Fan Base, Alumni, Boosters, Students, etc. wholeheartedly disapprove of new logo design. We want action. Restore traditional classic design or we will not purchase.” Thousands of supporters signed the petition just hours after it was created.
What about the real Seminoles? Our school has a longstanding history and strong relationship with the Seminole tribe. Members of the tribe are present at nearly all FSU events and are known for being very supportive of our mascot. Apparently, a spokesperson representing the Seminole Tribe of Florida stated that FSU got approval from the tribe to make the changes. Whether or not the Seminole tribe is in support of the new logo, one thing is extremely clear (and will become increasingly clear in the days ahead). The large majority of the student body is anything but pleased. I mean, if it ain’t broke…
According to an unidentified source, “FSU is unhappy with Walmart for stealing some of the thunder of the spring game reveal.” However, FSU’s athletic department has yet to confirm or deny the legitimacy of this revamped version of our beloved logo. We shouldn’t expect to hear anything until the school officially announces the new logo on April 11th.