Equipment Check

		Wiffle Logos in Words
		by Brandon Corbett

There is a trend in the NBA that is a joke on par with "that's what she said" at college parties. It almost seems to be mandatory that a team's primary logo feature a basketball, or in some cases be nothing but a basketball. You would think that a team at the pinnacle of the sport would be recognized as a basketball team, and thus render the inclusion of a basketball completely redundant. They keep showing up, though, and it humors design-geeks worldwide.

Now, it may be redundant for the biggest professional basketball league, but how about for a sport as grassroots and "up-and-coming" as Wiffleball? In our case, I think inclusion of a Wiffle ball or bat as a design element can actually be a good service to both the team and sport as a whole. Even with all the success a team like Freaky Franchise had in 2012, nobody outside of a Wiffleball circle will recognize that name as an NWLA Tournament champion. When they see the ball-headed logo, though, they will make the connection. Same for a storied team like the KWL's Industrials: "is that a labor union? Beer-league hockey? Oh, that's that plastic ball we played with in the backyard as kids!" Boom. Connected.

I thought it would be fun to look at exactly where Wiffleball leagues, in general, measure up in relation to the NBA and other sports leagues when it comes to using equipment in their team's primary designs. I included 14 Wiffleball leagues to get a decently varied sample. Also, note that the term "ball" includes the puck for NHL teams.

League	# Teams	# w/ Ball	% w/ Ball	# w/ Other Equip*	% w/ Any Equip
NBA	30	20	66.67	1	70.00
NFL	32	2	6.25	3	15.63
MLB	30	10	33.33	3	43.33
NHL	30	5	16.67	2	23.33
MLS	19	8	42.11	0	42.11
WIFFLE	160	105	65.63	19	77.50
Wiffle leagues used:  CWA, GSWL, HFWB, HRL, KWL, NWBL, OCWA, ORWBL, PWLSD, SWBL, WATL, WDSL, WSEM, WWL

As should be expected, the NFL takes a stand as a league of teams not needing to identify their sport. Only two teams feature a football: the Buccaneers and Jets. Three teams - Miami, Oakland, and Cleveland (duh) - also showcase a helmet. Still, this makes up only 15.63% of the league: by far the lowest proportion of all the professional leagues. The NHL is the next lowest with just 7 of 30 teams using a puck or stick in their design. The Hurricanes, Avalanche, Islanders, Flyers, and Capitals all have a puck, while the Penguins and Sharks both showcase a stick. This still amounts to only 23.33% of NHL teams does not exist.

MLB, a source of many Wiffle team logos, and MLS jump up a bit and come in at 42.33% and 42.11%, respectively. Very similar overall, but while all of the MLS teams feature a soccer ball only 10 of the 30 (33.33%) MLB teams use a baseball. The Pirates and Cardinals both feature a bat, and the Rays use the infield diamond to add to the total use of equipment, though.

I mentioned "mandatory" earlier in regard to NBA teams using equipment, and now we see just how close to accurate that is. Two-thirds of the league uses a basketball in their primary logo. When you add in the Rockets use of the rim, you end up with 70% of the league. Stout, and sure enough, Wiffleball stands toe-to-toe with the NBA numbers. 65.63% of the 160 teams sampled utilize a Wiffleball as part of their primary mark: just over 1% shy of the NBA. Since Wiffle has more vivid equipment to play with - bat, plate, etc. - we leapfrog the NBA in that category, though, bumping all the way up to 77.5%!

Breaking it down by individual Wiffle leagues, of the leagues sampled, we see that the HRL does the best job mimicking the NBA: two-thirds of their 18 teams feature a ball. Looking at the extremes, three leagues - GSWL, SWBL, and HFWB - have 100% of their teams showing a piece of equipment. SWBL and HFWB both have the Wiffle ball in 100% of their teams' primaries. On the other end, the WWL has the lowest percentage of teams with a ball, of leagues sampled, in their design at 12.5%. However, ORWBL has the least amount of equipment in general, just 25%.

Going to equipment seems extraneous and a bit cliche for professional teams, but in Wiffleball it seems less like a crutch and more like a sign of community and pride. It is true that the popularity of Wiffle has grown immensely over the past five years, however, the sport is still rarely recognized outside our circles. When teams promote the sport along with themselves by using a ball or bat it does not come off as a joke, rather as a vanguard for the game. In thirty years when Wiffle is dominating the programming on ESPN8 we can revisit the issue, but for now, keep flashing those balls!

* i.e. bat, stick, rim, helmet, playing surface. Not counted if ball also included
** roundels or ellipses alone not taken to represent ball or puck

A League of (Your) Own

		Wiffle Logos in Words
		by Brandon Corbett

Wiffler's Digest has had a poll up asking whether or not "you approve of Wiffleball leagues using MLB team names." I answered no, with a caveat: using the names is okay so long as you create your own look with some of your personality put into it; otherwise it is rather boring, which is the polar opposite of Wiffleball. Currently, "yes" is receiving 70% of the vote in that poll, though, so what do I know? I actually do understand why teams use pro's looks. An interview with Hess Field done in 2011 mentions, "giv(ing) up silly team names, like the Circumcisers, and switch(ing) to MLB team names, insisting it gave the league a more professional feel and made ordering uniforms easier." It is true, MLB logos have a lifetime of stock built up with us. When we put that on or by our name, we feel like part of that. And yeah, the fact they are ready to go probably helps in the decision, too.


For me, though, nothing beats having an identity that is uniquely your own. There are many Cardinals, Tigers, Pirates, and Sox playing all kinds of ball, but you can still make yourself stand out from the pack while taking a name with "professional feel." HRL: Twin Cities does a good job with this. Their teams use only MLB club names, aside from the Gothams, but many do an outstanding job going their own way with the look. A look at past team has these gems: Astros, Brewers, Mariners, Padres, and this fabulous take on Tigers. The current set of teams keeps bringing the fun, too. Whether it be the eXpos with their "The X" anti-logo, the Mets classy way to carry a beer can, the Pilots geared up to do the "YMCA", or the Pirates who I've fawned over before. Without a doubt, though, my favorite team to "make the name their own" are HRL's Reds.

The Reds take the communist connection of the term that scared the professional baseball club in the 1950s and run wild with it. Their current look, which has been used since 2010, brandishes the hammer and sickle in gold on a bright red star. This same logo was used in 2007 when they were founded. During 2007, they used this "Communist Party" design on their jerseys, making this theme that much more awesome! As if that is not enough, the Reds rocked a Sputnik design for two years from 2008 - 2009.

Pirate Marks

		Wiffle Logos in Words
		by Brandon Corbett

One thing I learned long ago, on a ship made of piled cushions with a blanket for a sail, is that every pirate needs a good mark for his flag. I have also learned something about myself while working on this site: I find pirate motifs make incredibly cool Wiffle logos. Wow. Did I really just learn that at nearly thirty I am still a giddy, seven-year-old boy when offered a jolly roger, swashbuckling, swordplay, booty and high seas fantasy? I am going to assume none of that is a problem, and offer you five of my favorite pirate-themed teams out there sailing the Wiffle seas.



Pirates    (HRL)
The HRL Pirates nail what I think works so well for the look in Wiffleball: bold, often bright colors and playful imagery that, even when it hints toward a bit of badass, stays jovial or a bit ridiculous (in a good way). The HRL crew's look is a simple, stark Wiffle-skull and cross bones. It pulls off "mean" in a 'cartoony villain you root for' way, which - along with the font used for the team name - fits the game of Wiffleball perfectly.



No Big Deal    (KWL)
No Big Deal's 2011 logo almost falls into '3 a.m., drunk in a tattoo parlor' design territory with their Wiffle-skull, but the silliness of what is going on saves it. The parrot takes this over the top (note the wing piercing). I really want to train a bird to speed up my swing; I am certain no league has a rule against this, and it guarantees not only an All-Star season but an Animal Planet TV series, as well.



Dead Eyes    (GSWL)
The Dead Eyes of Golden Stick elude the bright colors, but their drab browns work well for them. Any time you can work a term usually reserved for sniping into pirates you are onto something. When that involves the eye patch you are riding high. Throw a unique wiffleball* (5 holes!) into your cross bones mark on top of that and you are just showing off!

* Non-standard hole arrangements are always a welcome touch.



Pirates    (NLWL)
Westside Story and a pirate have a kid; does anyone really want to mess with their offspring? Awesome look. Sure, they use Pittsburgh's wordmark, but the style and color of everything else more than make up for it. The bandanna looks better than its Major League counterpart, while the bowler hat steals the show. At first glance you might miss the 'angry eye' in the details, but that fits this whole "Wiffle and pirates are always fun" theme nicely.



Triad Fighting French Toast     (WSWL)
Breakfast food + big pirate hat + cutlass and cape = swoon!
I am not sure what else you could possibly need me to say; it is a trifecta of hilarity and awesomeness for Triad.