Wishbone C

[TreedBear]

A friend of mine just got a new tattoo, the bears wishbone C. I was looking at it and it looked off. I felt like an asshole because I kept telling him something didn't look right. It finally hit me. The Bears "C" isn't symmetrical. I told my buddy he had gotten an orange Cincinatti Reds logo forever inked on his leg. He got upset and started googling. Having plenty of bad tattoos, I told him nobody would notice and its no big deal. What's funny, is now he's walking around pissed that the"C" isn't even and that he never noticed it before. He couldn't care less about having a fucked up bears tattoo.

Anyways. I found out about the "C" as a kid drawing Chicago sports logos. It used to bug me. It didn't make any sense. The more I've told this story, the more I'm finding out people have never noticed. My question is, does anybody know why the C is not symmetrical? I guessed it was to give the Bears distinction among other teams, but I don't know. If you have never noticed it, I'm sorry. You'll never not notice it again.

 

[Slacker]

I don't know why it's not symmetrical, but I learned decades ago when I painted the fridge in my bachelor pad. I split the front of it into 3 equal sections and themed them with the Bulls, Bears, & Blackhawks colors and logos. Being a perfectionist I made a symmetrical C logo and like you said, it just wasn't right although everyone else (not Bear fans) thought it looked great. This was before the internet so I couldn't just google it. I can't remember what showed me the correct C, but I corrected mine to be asymmetrical. It finally looked "right" but some people (not Bears fans) would point out that the C was off. I would be interested to know the story behind the non-mirrored C.

 

[ClydeLee]

Well didn't they copy it from U of C? Who took it from Cinnci.

They probably askwed it to be able to note it's not a identical copy.

Fucking A on Tapatalk

 

[TheWinman]

Thanks for ruining your buddy's feelings about his tattoo. Who really tells a buddy that just got a new tattoo that something does not look right? Some things are left better unsaid. IMO

 

[Globetrotter]

Write an email to the Bears. Id like to know myself.

 

[Schmidtaki]

My question is, does anybody know why the C is not symmetrical?

Because.

 

[TreedBear]

Thanks for ruining your buddy's feelings about his tattoo. Who really tells a buddy that just got a new tattoo that something does not look right? Some things are left better unsaid. IMO

Maybe because I'm not a pussy tiptoeing around my friends feelings. I didn't feel he or his "artist" deserved a gold ribbon for a well executed plan, design, and follow through. One is supposed to be a diehard Bears fan, the other a professional tattoo artist. If I have a booger, I want friends, strangers, hell everybody to let me know so I don't walk around looking stupid. He's my friend for a reason besides me telling him how awesome he's is. Also, like I said, I have many bad tattoos, it no big deal.

 

[Zion]

Well he got a tattoo so right away he deserves to feel like an idiot.

Good job OP, you did exactly what you should have done

 

[AuCN]

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/12724/the-uni-watch-history-of-the-wishbone-c

Of course, some wishbone-C designs are unique. Some are a little longer, some are a bit stubbier, and so on, although all of them are recognizably related to the University of Chicago's original design. But one variation in particular seems to have provoked a significant amount of agita in the uni-verse. That would be the Bears' logo, which, as many fans have noticed over the years, is badly asymmetrical. Here's a mock-up that highlights the flaws in the design, but be warned -- once you see it, you can't unsee it.

 

[TreedBear]

http://espn.go.com/blog/playbook/fandom/post/_/id/12724/the-uni-watch-history-of-the-wishbone-c

I saw this as well but it doesn't state why the Bears went rogue. Now I like the "C" how it is but it used to bug me. It's funny to me.

 

[AuCN]

I saw this as well but it doesn't state why the Bears went rogue. Now I like the "C" how it is but it used to bug me. It's funny to me.

Yeah. Sorry no further info on the decision to alter it. Just tossin' it out there for anyone who hadn't seen it before. I agree someone should write the org, or Larry Mayer!

 

[TheWinman]

Maybe because I'm not a pussy tiptoeing around my friends feelings. I didn't feel he or his "artist" deserved a gold ribbon for a well executed plan, design, and follow through. One is supposed to be a diehard Bears fan, the other a professional tattoo artist. If I have a booger, I want friends, strangers, hell everybody to let me know so I don't walk around looking stupid. He's my friend for a reason besides me telling him how awesome he's is. Also, like I said, I have many bad tattoos, it no big deal.

Big difference between a booger and a tattoo that sort of did not like right to you, something that many would not even noticed. He was happy and you ruined it for him, not the right call on this one.

 

[Staleydabear1938]

http://news.yahoo.com/evolution-chicago-bears-logo-171600048.html -- still doesn't say why it's asymetrical but it's a good read.

and only b/c i felt it funny, google put this one under "similar searches:"
Results for similar searches
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The evolution of the Chicago Bears logo

How would you feel if the Chicago Bears decided to modify or change their logo? As one of the NFL's founding teams, many changes have been made to the Bears' logo, but surprisingly, their current wishbone "C" has been one of the longest running logos, with over 40 years under its belt. What you may not know is that every so often new logos are drafted for the franchise in hopes of taking over the lead spot, but none have succeeded yet.

Chicago Bears logo fun facts

The Chicago Bears logo was partially derived from the Chicago Cubs. Back in the 1920s, the Bears used to play at Wrigley Field, and at the time, football teams would take on the same breed of animal as the local baseball teams, hence the bear/cub relationship. When the 1940s rolled around, the Bears owner, George Halas, decided they needed a logo, so the running black bear holding a football was created. The logo then morphed into a football with a black bear sprawled on top with its claws out in 1954.

With changes to football in the 1950s, helmets were introduced, which meant a new logo to go on the helmet needed to be made, so in 1962 the wishbone "C" was born. It was simply a white wishbone "C" with a thin black border. Making it unique is the fact that it is asymmetrical, with the top part of the "C" being larger. Eleven years later, the logo was morphed into what it is today, an orange "C" with a white border. Halas made the change after he gathered inspiration for the logo and uniform colors from his favorite team, the University of Illinois, copying the orange and blue colors, but in a darker shade of each.

While the wishbone "C" is the primary logo, the Chicago Bears have also rotated through several alternate logos that are still found on products today. The first is a roaring bear that has morphed into a brighter orange and more defined navy blue shading. Next is the thin, solid orange wishbone "C," and the last, which was only used from 1992-98, is a wishbone "C" with a screaming bear head in the middle of it.

Fan reactions

As evident by a 40-plus-year logo, the Chicago Bears fans have taken pride in their logo and deem it as a timeless creation. It's clean, classy, and takes fans back to the glory days when the Chicago Bears were winning. While it has become an icon celebrities, fans, and the fashion-forward have embraced, lifelong Bears fan Dan Ross, says, "The wishbone 'C' looks like a Cincinnati Reds knock-off."

Another Bears fan, Cynthia Bennett, says, however, "The 'C' is a reflection of the Bears/Cubs relationship and should remain unchanged."

 

[Bear Pride]

1 - Who cares?

2 - If anyone hasn't noticed that the Bears "C" is not round, then I suggest their stoopid.

3 - Why does there have to be a reason? It looks better! Why are there a ton of different fonts for the computer?

4 - The guy that got the tatoo deserves the shit. Didn't he have a Bears logo to copy? WTF?

 

[iBearsLX]

If I were to guess why it wasn't, I'd say it was designed and mainstreamed before they had something to make it perfectly symmetrical. Though, who knows?

 

[nvanprooyen]

This sounds like a perfect Larry question.

And BP, it's not about the C not being round. It's about the top part of the C and the bottom not perfectly lining up. And the top of the C being slightly wider than the bottom. Also the gap in the middle isn't even.

 

[nvanprooyen]

I didn't feel like I explained myself very well, so here it is visually:

 

[Globetrotter]

1 - Who cares?

2 - If anyone hasn't noticed that the Bears "C" is not round, then I suggest their stoopid.

3 - Why does there have to be a reason? It looks better! Why are there a ton of different fonts for the computer?

4 - The guy that got the tatoo deserves the shit. Didn't he have a Bears logo to copy? WTF?

Apparently more people than the OP care, dumbass.

 

[34_Payton]

Been a Bears fan for almost 40 years and never noticed it before. Unless you're looking for it no one would notice. My guess is the designer screwed it up and it went unnoticed for at least long enough that they just left it alone since too much money was already wrapped up in signage and merchandise. Maybe not.

 

[Bear Pride]

This sounds like a perfect Larry question.

And BP, it's not about the C not being round. It's about the top part of the C and the bottom not perfectly lining up. And the top of the C being slightly wider than the bottom. Also the gap in the middle isn't even.

I'm surprised that you, as a web designer, think there needs to be a reason for this. When one is designing a logo, usually one tries to make it somewhat unique. How else would one suspect they could make a "C" unique? I'm suggesting that it is as simple as this.