Hawkeyes instantly have Big Ten’s best midfield logo

This is the kind of essay that usually gets me a "Slow news day?" response from someone.

Which is not an original reply. It's on the same level as 'You mad, bro?' By writing that, I've guaranteed I'll get even more 'Slow news day?' replies than normal, with at least one 'You mad, bro?' thrown in for bad measure.

It's the 'bro' that sells it.

So that's the preamble. The 'amble' is that Iowa announced Monday it's putting a Tigerhawk logo at midfield of Kinnick Stadium. Yes, slow news day. Just saying that probably guaranteed something dramatic will drop before the fourth quarter of tonight's NBA Finals game.

But here's my spin to try to be semi-original: I had no idea there wasn't already a logo on the Kinnick field, nor that there hasn't been any midfield logo on the field since 1980.

I checked today to see what the other 13 Big Ten football stadiums have for midfield décor. I've been to each of them, most many times. For some reason, I did know Wisconsin had its distinctive Motion 'W.' Maybe it gave me motion sickness while I was in the Badgers' stadium press box. More likely, that was the 'Jump Around'' exercise in mass insanity between the third and fourth quarters.

But the other Big Ten fields? No clue.

Let me assure you I do watch the games, and I take notes. Detailed notes. Because you never know when you'll be speaking in front of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

Anyway, my research revealed this: The best midfield college football field logos aren't in the Big Ten. They're at LSU (the eye of a tiger), East Carolina (a pirate), North Carolina State (a wolf inside an outline of the state of North Carolina), Ole Miss (distinctive red font of 'Ole Miss), and Wyoming (a cowboy waving his hat while on his bucking horse).

In full pandering mode, I suggest Iowa's will immediately become one of the nation's best. Hey, it's a great logo. You either have one or you don't, and Iowa does.

Try going anywhere in Iowa without bumping into it, whether on someone's clothing, car or calves. That's a person's calves, not a cow's. Although ...

How the Tigerhawk never found its way between the 45-yard lines at Kinnick is unfathomable now that I've been forced to fathom it.

Here are the Big Ten's other midfield logos, for poor dopes like me who sometimes don't see what's right in front of our faces:

Illinois

: 'I'

Indiana:

The IU logo inside an outline of the state of Indiana

Maryland:

The word 'Maryland'

Michigan:

'M' (Nothing else but that block 'M' would suffice.)

Michigan State:

The spartan that's also on the players' helmets. Good logo.

Minnesota

: 'M'

Nebraska:

'N'

Northwestern

: 'N'

Ohio State:

'O'

Penn State:

None (like the team's helmets)

Purdue:

'P'

Rutgers

: 'R'

Wisconsin: '

W' (Barry Alvarez brought the Motion 'W' to Madison, which showed he was paying attention regarding the value of a good logo when he was Hayden Fry's assistant football coach at Iowa and Fry commissioned the Tigerhawk.)

My favorite of all college stadium midfield logos is the rose painted on the Rose Bowl's midfield for that bowl game. But Wyoming's showoff cowboy on a hyperactive horse is good, too.

Yeah. Slow news day.