Ravens Design New Logo
The Baltimore Ravens have a new logo - no shield, just the bird.
When players take the field this year, they will wear helmets decorated with the profile of a raven's head as per the wishes of fans.
A total of 7,107 fans chose the new logo during a two-day poll conducted by The (Baltimore) Sun. A straight-on look of the bird's face was chosen by 6,256 respondents. In all, 18,708 people participated in the poll, which ended Friday.
"I am excited that the fans in Baltimore had the opportunity to speak, and it's obvious, with close to 20,000 calls coming in, that the fans were interested in being heard," David Modell, the team's president, told the newspaper for Sunday editions. "Their voice continues to shape the face of this organization."
Why a new logo? Because the team had to give up the old one - at least temporarily.
A federal jury ruled four months ago that the team's original primary logo - a shield featuring a "B" and wings - had been copied from Frederick Bouchat, an amateur Baltimore artist who had faxed a similar design to the team three years ago.
Bouchat sued for $10 million in damages and whatever profits the team made by putting the logo on T-shirts, hats and other souvenirs. A separate jury has to decide how much Bouchat should receive.
Meanwhile, the Ravens and the NFL are appealing the decision, saying the original logo was not copied from Bouchat's design.
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