lets get (graphically) classy, vols

I don't usually spend too much time thinking about the Vols- I watch their games and wish them well, but I don't fully immerse myself in Volunteer Mania. So it was strange that I was thinking about the image of Big Orange this weekend. What exactly are we? Back in college I mainly saw a big Disney Dog on the sidelines, but there was a real one too (usually with a little orange sweater) which was pretty cool. And every now and then I was a guy in a frontier garb.

Coming from a another part of Applalachia with a similar mascot, I was intrigued. Who was this guy with a musket getting upstaged by Goofy's backwoods cousin? What exactly are we volunteering for?

Learning more about the history of my adopted state, I found out it basically was all about this guy:


And all of of the other cool Tennesseans who went to war (1812, Spanish-American, Civil) back in the day. Even though we didn't start applying it to our sports until 1905.

I remember seeing a cool old logo around campus-


But it was going extinct quickly. UT's strong point has never been graphics (or architecture or campus design either) but it's getting worse:


I mean, unless they officially change us to the "Tennessee Hound Dogs," let's get back to our roots and celebrate the bad ass dudes who gave our state it's nickname. It's time to get back to the real Volunteer symbol... not his hunting dog.

While nothing will probably supplant the ubiquitous


I respectfully submit a new design that embraces our heritage:


Graphic Designers: Have a better idea than that piece of crap above? Enter CK's Unofficial VOLS Logo Contest! Post links in the comments section. It'd be cool to see what we could come up with.