New PAC-12 Rivalry Trophies

Since the Little Brown Jug is the oldest rivalry trophy in college football, why not bring more ceramic awards to the big games?

Ceramics were good enough for the ancient Greeks and still tell their stories. Instead of wood or metal, ceramic trophies embody both the power and fragility of modern sports.

Games bring out the rugged nature of the contestants, and all of them know they are one bad step away from being average.

While they are still great, why not give west coast players more to play for than a Washington Apple Cup, an Arizona Territorial Cup, or the USC v UCLA Victory Bell. You see winning teams kiss the cups, but it’s a hunk of metal. When is that kissable?

Now imagine the winner holding a large vessel depicting the origins of their great institutions. Which is more kissable?

The first step in creating new ceramic trophies for PAC-12 football is finding the right artist. They need to be licensed by the schools and the conference. Familiarity with the programs is important.

The new trophies will be hand made and hand painted with a lean toward nature.

Instead of an artist in an urban studio studying Auduban bird prints, the new trophies should be inspired by lively peacocks, ravens, donkeys, goats, and horses.

An artist working closer to nature brings the sort of influence the PAC-12 needs.

Ordinarily a duck vs husky clash goes to the dog. In college football the same results held for years.

Then the Ducks grew a beak and talons and the game has never been the same.

Once the Huskies and Chris Petersen steady their dog sled, it’ll be time for a new rivalry trophy.

In state rivalries fuel the hottest fires, like the Alabama v Auburn Iron Bowl, but rivalry with another state school lets everyone pile on. What would an Oregon v UCLA trophy look like? Imagine an Oregon State v UCLA. Just keep that platypus out of the picture.

Will the tropbies be free standing? A plaque? A platter? UO or OSU v USC would be special.

As good as the Men of Troy were, and will be again, beating them is still a local thrill. The winners keep the trophy one year. Their next game decides who keeps it the next year.

Bringing the ceramic element to football trophies is a delicate move, but it shows the tender bond the game creates between teammates and coaches. What is more tender than a beautiful flower?

And what is more tender for fans than seeing their young crushers dominate a rival, yet be gentle enough after the game to treat the trophy right. Drop a metal cup or bowl and it’ll survive. Drop a beautiful ceramic trophy and no matter what the score at the end of the game, it’s a loss.

The works above were created in the studio of Lisa Van Nortwick. The staff at boomerpdx nominates her as the lead artist for new PAC-12 Rivalry Trophies.

Why do we like Lisa? Because her work is awesome. Who else has she stunned?

Ask Pete Carroll how he likes his new Super Bowl piece that shows him under the Gatorade victory shower.