Second thoughts

— Florida not willing to share

A collegiate licensing company that represents the University of Florida has asked Vicksburg (Miss.) High School to stop using its trademarked gator-head logo.

Vicksburg-Warren School Superintendent Lisa-Durant Swinford said the school has agreed to comply with the Florida Gators’ request and has taken down some banners bearing the logo. She added that the school never used the logo to make money but as a way to promote their school and build school sprit.

Vicksburg High has used the Gators nickname since it opened in 1973. As far back as the 1970s, the school has used the script “Gators” on its football helmets, similar to Florida’s.

College Licensing Company, which handles marketing and licensing for Florida and nearly 200 other colleges anduniversities, sent a cease and desist letter to Vicksburg High Principal Derrick Reed.

Swinford said there are no plans to change the school’s nickname or alter other existing logos.

“Our identity is not going to change,” Swinford told the Vicksburg Post. “Vicksburg High will always be the Gators. We have different gators. We use different gators. We have a stand up gator, a full body gator. We’ll use one of those.”

The gator head logo at Vicksburg High will be phased out, but there are no plans to cover it up immediately.

“In five years, when we buy new uniforms, we’ll use a different logo,” Swinford said.

“We’re going to phase it out.

Immediate is too strong of a word. They asked for a timeline, and we do need a timeline because it does get expensive.

We just bought those uniforms.”

When Ole Miss comes to its senses in five years, Vicksburg High will be more than welcome to use the Rebel Black Bear logo. Exploding picks

Greg Cote of the Miami Herald on Monday night’s New York Giants-Dallas Cowboysmatchup at Cowboys Stadium:

“Tony Romo has enough weapons and the Cowboys have enough defensive talent to start winning in spite of Wade Phillips. And that better start here, or Jerry Jones may spontaneously combust.”Dressing down

Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times didn’t mince words when it came to UCLA’s embarrassing performance at BCS No. 2 Oregon on Thursday.

“This was the Bruins wearing their Halloween costume 10 days early. They went as a bye week.”

Oregon beat UCLA 60-13.

They said it

RJ Currie of sportsdeke.com on Cliff Lee’s performance for the Texas Rangersin Game 3 of the American League Championship Series: “The last time Lee made a bunch of Yankees look that bad, President Lincoln fired General McClellan.”

From the websitesportspickle.com: “Fredi Gonzalez gets his office fumigated to get rid of old-man smell.”

From the website theonion.

com: “NFL fines Monday Night Football for helmet-to-helmet hit.”Quote of the day “This one’s for the state.

We’re going to do it

for Coach P [Bobby Petrino] and we’re going to do it for ourselves, so

we’ve definitely got to get this win.” Arkansas cornerback Ramon Broadway on today’s game against Ole Miss, which is coached by former Razorbacks Coach Houston Nutt

Sports, Pages 22 on 10/23/2010

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