Looking like Losers in Louisville

It recently was Fashion Week in New York City, designers, models, and retailers all over the place. I know this because my wife, who dresses very well, follows this sort of thing. I follow college football and I declare this Fashion Week on Sunday Morning Quarterbacks.

Last Friday night, our on-screen DirecTV guide indicated the University of Pittsburgh football team was visiting the largest city in Kentucky to take on Big East rival University of Louisville Cardinals. But the images offered by our properly-aimed-at-the-southern-sky dish indicated something quite different. Apparently, the Panthers were visiting some odd place called “The Ville.”

Emblazoned in white on black on every Louisville jersey was this crass, in-crowd slogan of "The Ville." Many miles away, I reasoned this has become a really cool nickname perpetrated by Louisville students to make their locale feel really cool and special. I’ll begrudgingly refer to the wide-receiving-artist-formerly-known as Chad Johnson of the Cincy (See how much fun this is?) Bengals as Chad Ochocinco, because he legally changed his name. But, for crying out loud, how far can this go, this juvenile trend of placing an official stamp on some common, not cool, not special silliness?

Should Penn State paste lots of yellow smiley faces on their shoulder pads to commemorate "Happy Valley"? Can’t you just see UCLA and USC battling it out to see who can create a pant-leg display of a three-dimensional “Hollywood” sign, lit up especially for night games? If Pete Carroll gets there first, will Rick Neuheisel opt for "Welcome to La-La-land" in UCLA gold?

This could go on and on. The neighborhood around the University of Minnesota is referred to as “Dinkytown.” Charlottesville, the home of the Virginia Cavaliers, is often shortened to “C-ville.” Speaking of the Pittsburgh Panthers, how about letters wrapping around their helmet logos: "Be sure to eat a great Capacola and Cheese Sandwich at famous Primanti Bros. in the Strip District when you next visit…PITT"?

Stop it right now, Louisville Cardinals. You are only bringing attention to your recent losing ways. It could be just as easy to emblazon “Loserville” on your chests.

Perhaps “Sunday Morning Quarterbacks Fashion Week” is here as an annual event. There is so much to poke fun at.

--Bob Boyles