Friday, December 07, 2007

This Lawsuit is Brought to You by the Letter W

Washburn (Topeka, KS) University is getting sued by the University of Wisconsin. Wisconsin claims Washburn stole their "w." Seriously.

Wisconsin uses a big, red stylized w, called the "Motion W," on its football helmets. Washburn uses a similar (but not the same) blue w, which may or may not have its own groovy name. Wisconsin is asking Washburn to cease and desist and pay compensation for all the money the small Topeka school has made using the blue w.

Apparently there's great fear that tens of Kansans could see this "blue w" and mistakenly think, "What's this? The Division 1 Wisconsin Badgers, a school that has never ever played in Topeka in 118 years, has changed their colors from red to blue and moved to the Sunflower State!"

Wisconsin, a Big-10 school, has only ever played Kansas and Kansas State 8 times in football and 8 times in basketball combined and not at all since 1983. They've never played Emporia, Hays, or Wichita State that I can find though there is a record of an unidentified "Washburn" team losing a men's basketball game in Madison on New Year's Day 1936, but I'm not sure if that constitutes a rivalry. And there is a Washburn in Northern Wisconsin, so who knows.

No comments: