We've seen some weird sports logos and branding over the years, but this one takes the biscuit... or the corn. Minor League Baseball team the Columbia Fireflies have decided to adopt an 'alternate identity' for six fixtures during the 2024 season, and it seems they were feeling hungry when they brainstormed ideas.
The team will rename itself the Carolina Grits (polenta to anyone not in the US). And the initiative comes complete with a new uniform design and a logo that depicts a baseball cap full of hominy porridge wielding a spoon as a bat (do we have a challenger for our pick of the best sports logos?).
Apparently two years in the making, the temporary rebranding of sorts was created with Confluence Design of Atlanta. Grits were chosen because of "strong historical and cultural ties". South Carolina is credited with having gifted shrimp and grits to the world, and 75 per cent of grits sold in the United States being sold in the south.
As such, the team decided that "it seemed only fitting for the Fireflies' first food identity to be the Grits." That statement suggests not only that we can expect more gastronomic invasions of the ball field in the future but also that it's completely normal, perhaps even obligatory, for any self-respecting sports team to have an alternate culinary identity for when they play in the GastroVerse. We look forward to seeing the Chicago Deep-Dish Pizzas and the Philly Cheesesteaks take to the field.
The new look will debut when the Columbia Fireflies – I mean , the Carolina Grits – play against the Augusta GreenJackets 26-28 April, and it will be reheated once a month for a series of Food Fight Games.
If you're concerned that fans may struggle to concentrate on the games rather than their stomachs, that seems to be part of the plan. A 'Grits, Y’all' food cart will be serving up a range of Adluh grit-based dishes throughout the season. Naturally, there will be an option to eat from a Carolina Grits mini-helmet (I take it all back, the Visa Cash App RB Formula One Team is starting to look less absurd).
Fireflies President Brad Shank said in a statement: "Food is such a big part of the ballpark experience and ultimately food, and namely grits, has brought people together at the breakfast, lunch and dinner table, so why not let grits bring people together at the ballpark, too?”
And why not? It's an interesting initiative: not so much a rebranding as a fun but savvy bolt-on brand identity that explores what could have been in an alternate universe while providing an opportunity to sell an entire additional range of merchandise (Carolina Grits gear is already on sale online).
The Columbia Fireflies have actually been pioneers in this strategy: they already play several times a year under the name Chicharrones de Columbia. They're now campaigning for grits to be declared the official state food of South Carolina.
For more sporting design news, don't miss the new Wimbledon 2024 poster with its many hidden references to spot
