So Illinois and Northwestern, fresh of the heels the NCAA's decision to purge Native American imagery from the American collegiate culture, have a proposal for you, the fan (H/T Rittenberg and Icerguy):
The Sweet Sioux Tomahawk Trophy, which went to the winner of the Illinois-Northwestern football game from 1945-2008, was retired following the 2008 contest and both schools have agreed to play for a new trophy beginning in 2009. Both institutions are asking their fans for feedback on the new trophy by participating in an online poll on each of the school's athletics web sites.
And the first option?
The Land of Lincoln Trophy - A replica of Lincoln's stove pipe hat mounted on a piece of White Oak (Illinois' state tree).
I've said it before and I'll say it again: college football teams haven't had an original idea since 1896.
I'm not sure copying one of the least fierce and most manufactured rivalry trophies is really getting off on the right foot, so to speak, but then again no one is going to care about this game anyway.
Feel free to vote yourself, of course, and for the record the BSD Editorial Staff officially endorses this stupid idea:
The Popcorn Bowl - Named after the Illinois state snack.
Artist rendition:
There is probably a more profound comment to be made here, one about how replacing a historical trophy with a cheap, corn derived, buttery snack is just so goshdarn American, but it's such an obvious point I'm sure you'll be able to read about in your home delivered paper in a couple of weeks.
For now I'm just going to concentrate on voting, deleting my cookies, and voting again. God bless Democracy!