RedlessWardrobe said:
Okay, so Cal adding the outline of the state is not "cookie cutting" because Cal already uses the same alphabet as the other schools to spell out their name? I have to admit, I have no reply for logic like that. My apologies for being so small minded and failing to want to pursue a bolder vision. I have seen the light.
We are California. A map of California is a pictorial representation of California. Other than spelling out California, how else do you emphasize that we are California?
It is just like Bears. You can spell it out or you can have a picture of a bear. Using pictures of things as representations of them is not "cookie cutter."
However, while there are many, many schools and pro teams that have bears as their mascot and can have pictures of bears, we are the only school that can use a pictorial representation of California. Thus a map of California is unique. Unique is by definition not "cookie cutter."
You have repeatedly stated and made it clear in your other arguments that you don't want Cal/California to represent the state of California. Only the school and campus located in Berkeley. Thus not wanting any representation of the state of California is consistent with that position because it only reinforces that "Cal" and "California" stands for the state of California, just like a picture of a bear reinforces that "Golden Bears" represents an animal. It is part of branding.
I want "Cal" and "California" to represent the state as much as the school, to reassert our flagship status, because that is our history and because it is the best way to grow our fanbase beyond our current small alumni base. We need to grow our fan base to survive. We need fans in the seats and eyeballs on our telecasts. If we don't, we might not survive the next 5 years or the next round of realignment.
However, we have a huge opportunity to rewrite our script. With no other teams in the East Bay we have an opportunity to be the East Bay's team. That is best as the California Golden Bears.
Moreover, now that we are competing against East Coast teams and not against the Southern California teams we have an opportunity to represent the entire state in the ACC. Not to be everyone's favorite team, although there will be some new fans, but as many people's second favorite team as possible. We want people to like us enough to watch our games and root for us (or people from places that hate California to stop and watch our games and root against us). All that is best accomplished as "California" representing the state in addition to the school and the picture of the state only reinforces that association. Just like you can spell out "Bears" and have a picture of a bear.
Now from an esthetic perspective, you can have bad pictural representations of bears and good pictorial representations of bears. And good pictorial representations of California and bad pictorial representations of California. I don't particularly care for the rendition of this one, but I very strongly believe that the state of California should be part of our branding.