GRINNELL COLLEGE FOOTBALL: Politics and Football?

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Politics and Football?

As I was watching the Packers - Redskins game (playoff football in our nation's capitol!) I was reminded of President Obama's recent comments on the Jerry Seinfeld show Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee. Seinfeld asked the President what sport he thought was most like politics. I think you'll appreciate his answer!

The Honor G

The Honor G, the official emblem of Grinnell College athletics, was first used at the Iowa state track championship in 1892. Designed by Earnest "Skip" Atherton, class of 1895, the original Honor G consisted of a scarlet maltese cross with a black "I and "C" (for Iowa College) superimposed on the cross. Two years later in 1894, the "I" and "C" were replaced by a black gothic "G", and the modern day Honor G was born. The gothic "G", which was also used on letter sweaters and is now used on letter jackets, was replaced by an Old English "G" in the mid-1930's. After some protest, it was quickly changed back to the gothic "G", and it has remained unchanged since that time.