You Have Something On Your Face

We had a yard sale this past weekend, and I decided to blow out some of the replica uniforms I had been holding onto in the efforts of making my own zip-up jacket. Because I couldn’t find the jacket I wore, and because my better half didn’t want me holding onto clothes that I’ll “never wear again”, I tossed them into the yard sale. One of the items I sold was a replica Ottawa Senators jersey from their inaugural season. It’s classy in the black and red, but there was always something that struck me as odd about the logo they used in that, and subsequent, seasons.

I never really noticed it when I was younger, but my obsession over the oddity really started when the Senators introduced their alternate logo in 2007. What caught my eye, and was very noticeable on the replica jersey this weekend, was this black portion under the Roman legionnaire’s nose. What the heck is that? Is that his nostril? Is it a small moustache? Is it some other facial feature of which I’m not aware? If it is the outside edge of his nose, why is it defined like that?

If you look at the alternate logo, there’s clearly no moustache. Unless the legionnaire is shaving when the Senators are wearing this logo, the black, triangular piece must be his nostril. It just doesn’t seem right, though, that his nostril and his mouth are of the similar shape and size. Something just doesn’t fit in that equation and I’m pretty sure my biology background is still current when it comes to human anatomy and physiology.

My first reaction was to eliminate the "nostril". That left the legionnaire looking a little immature and presenting a lack of confidence, though. The clean-shaven/nostril-free centurion now looks like he’s going into battle for the first time as a soldier, and, if you know Roman history, those were normally the front-line men. The chances of survival were good if everyone held the line, but the immature legionnaires would often panic in the wake of an advancing Gaul mob or Carthaginian army. Needless to say, you don’t want a panic-stricken soldier representing your team.

What if he were a little angrier? Would that make him look more intimidating? The more I remove, the legionnaire begins to look less and less like an "Ottawa Senator". And that's the bot the purpose of this experiment.

I just can't get over that nose definition on the original logo. Maybe it's the way the definition is portrayed, but that makes the legionnaire's nostril look wrong to me. When they debuted their EDGE jerseys, they unveiled a slightly more cartoonish legionnaire logo, but that looks far better to me than their original logo.

I know I'm in the vast minority here, but does anyone else think that nose definition is a little off? No? Hmmm. Leave your thoughts in the comments telling me how crazy I actually am. Until then, I'm gonna purge this Senators logo stuff from my mind.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!