On the Best Letters in Sports

I weaned this idea from ESPN's best numbers in sports (by person wearing it, not by aesthetics) piece they did about seven years ago. Because A) I enjoy looking at uniform design, and B) staying focused in art class is harder than painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, I worked on this during class periods. And, after much research using such exclusive tools as Google Image Search and Chris Creamer's sportslogos.net (thanks, Chris. Well-run site), I was able to determine what are, in my opinion, the best letters in sports. I only went so far as to choose one representative for each letter.

The rules were as follows:
1) If a team was awarded the top prize for a letter, it was ineligible for nominations in all other letters.
2) Standard, block lettering was not eligible.
3) My personal fan biases could not influence the choice (case in point: the Chicago Cubs didn't even make Honorable Mention for 'C').
4) Runners-up and Honorable Mentions are not ranked within themselves, but they are differentiations between the two groups.
5) This is not a list of the most iconic letters in sports. Though some iconic letters may make the final cut, that is merely coincidence. It is purely about aesthetics.
6) All logos must be currently used in any one of the following: NBA, MLB, NFL, NHL, NCAA Division I, World Baseball Classic, Arena Football League, WNBA, or Canadian Football League.

Without further ado, I present the best letters in sports:

A: Colorado Avalanche: According to some, this is sports' only perfect logo. While I don't necessarily agree with that, I did find it absolutely impossible to elevate any other logo over this one.
Runners-Up: Arizona Diamondbacks, Oakland Athletics, Australia (WBC)
Honorable Mentions: Atlanta Braves, Alabama Crimson Tide, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Arizona Wildcats

B: Milwaukee Brewers: I know that one person, in particular, is upset that I did not choose the classic Boston Red Sox 'B,' but I found the curls and rounded serifs, in addition to the wonderful color scheme, to be insurmountable.
Runner-Up: Boston Red Sox
Honorable Mentions: Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens

C: Montréal Canadiens: This was, without a doubt, the deepest, best letter category in the alphabet. To put it in perspective, the 'C' shared by the Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Reds and Minnersota Twins didn't even make the runners-up. For the longest time, I debated among the Calgary Flames, the Vancouver Canucks, and the Connecticut Huskies. Then, in an embarrassing realization/epiphany, I had forgotten the legendary Habs' 'C.' I had no choice.
Runners-Up: Calgary Flames, Connecticut Huskies, Vancouver Canucks
Honorable Mentions: Cal Golden Bears, Chicago Bears/Cincinnati Reds/Minnesota Twins

D: Detroit Tigers (cap): I was hesitant to award a team with two different logos a "best letter," but that white 'D' on that navy field is just gorgeous. It looks better with the away jersey (because there's no clash of the 'D's), and with a weak opposing field, this was a no-brainer.
Runners-Up: San Diego State Aztecs, Anaheim Ducks, Duke Blue Devils
Honorable Mentions: Miami Dolphins, San Diego Padres, Arizona Diamondbacks

E: Elon Phoenix: very, very weak field. There were a total of four entries, and only three were even worthy of consideration.
Runner-Up: Philadelphia Eagles
Honorable Mention: East Carolina Pirates

F: Atlanta Falcons: one standout in another weak field. I was surprised there weren't more 'F's.
Runner-Up: San Francisco Giants
Honorable Mentions: Florida Atlantic Owls, Florida Marlins, Cal State Fullerton Titans

G: Georgetown Hoyas: you may be surprised with this choice. I know what you're expecting. While I respect the history and legacy of that 'G,' I just found the circular symmetry (and the fact it wasn't copied by two other sports entities) more visually pleasing than the oval shape of the other set.
Runners-Up: Green Bay Packers/Georgia Bulldogs/Grambling State Tigers
Honorable Mentions: San Francisco Giants

H: Hawai'i Warriors: Enough said
Runner-Up: New Hampshire Wildcats
Honorable Mention: none

I: Iowa State Cyclones: If they hadn't changed their logo this year, this one would have been given (albeit somewhat sheepishly) to the Illinois State Redbirds. But the mitered 'I' with the subtle two-toned three-dimensionality is just perfect. Well done, Iowa. You've made your entire state worthy of being in the Union.
Runner-Up: Illinois State Redbirds
Honorable Mention: Illinois Fighting Illini

J: Utah Jazz: Up until this season, this logo hadn't been used in the NBA since the early 1990s. But, the Jazz have begun to sell it on powder blue t-shirts available through the team store. I will not apologize: this is the BEST 'J' EVER!
Runner-Up: New Jersey Devils
Honorable Mentions: Toronto Blue Jays, South Dakota State Jackrabbits

K: Kansas City Chiefs/Kentucky Wildcats: Surprisingly, this was an abysmal letter. There was nothing--nothing. I was amazed at how few decent 'K's there were. So, since something had to get the letter, I figure I'd give it to the letter that was used more than once.
Note: let it be known that had Korea not changed their World Baseball Classic logo from this to this between 2006 and 2009, they would have been the runaway victor. Stupid Korea...
Runner-Up: Sacramento Kings
Honorable Mentions: Kansas Jayhawks, Kent State Golden Flashes

L: Loyola (Marymount) Lions: Last time I checked, "mediocrity" started with an 'm.' Apparently, that is no longer the case. I could have chose from among 6 different average 'L's. I ended up picking the one you probably have not seen before. Cardinals' fans, don't be mad. It's not fan bias (scroll down for verification of such).
Runners-Up: Saint Louis Cardinals, Loyola (Maryland) Greyhounds
Honorable Mentions: Louisville Cardinals, Los Angeles Galaxy, Long Beach State 49ers

M: New York Mets: When I thought of 'M,' this was the first and only logo that came to mind. Even though the other people I polled all said Minnesota Golden Gophers, I stuck with my instincts. Meet the Mets, meet the Mets! Step right up and greet the Mets!
Runners-Up: Minnesota Golden Gophers, Minnesota Twins
Honorable Mentions: Florida Marlins, Morehead State Eagles, Marshall Thundering Herd

N: Northwestern Wildcats (another view): This letter had quite a few good entries, but no particular one stood out head and shoulders above the rest. Thus, I went with the Wildcats of the crappiest university in Illinois, Northwestern.
Runners-Up: North Carolina Tar Heels
Honorable Mentions: New York Yankees (hat, not jersey), Nebraska Cornhuskers (helmet)

O: Oregon Ducks: PHENOMENAL. What a fantastic 'O.' This couldn't be any better (the uniforms on the other hand...look away!). To be honest, I was surprised how many good entries there were. Still, it was Oregon from start to finish.
Runners-Up: Oregon State Beavers, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Baltimore Orioles
Honorable Mention: Ohio State Buckeyes

P: Indiana Pacers: 'P,' like 'C,' was absolutely loaded. I mean, the PowerPoint slide for the letter was absolutely filled from corner to corner. Even so, there were so many great 'P's that the decision was grueling. From the beginning, I had my sights set on the Pirates. But, after much deliberation, I just couldn't turn away from this ABA classic.
Runners-Up: Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, Philadelphia Flyers
Honorable Mentions: Portland Pilots (NCAA), Puerto Rico (WBC), Penn Quakers, Cal Poly Mustangs

Q: Quinnipiac Bobcats: It's simple: there just aren't that many 'Q's in sports.
Runner-Up: San Jose Earthquakes
Honorable Mention: Duquesne Dukes

R: Saint Louis Rams: Wow, that is just a fantastic 'R.' A) the color scheme (just like the Brewers') is a wonder to look at, and B) paying homage to the old Los Angeles Rams, who used to have rams' horns on the shoulder, the 'R' takes the shape of a ram's horn. I know it's self-explanatory, but it's still a benchmark in sports logos.
Note: The only logo that had a chance at challenging the Rams' was the old Rutgers logo. That thing is sharp. However, somewhere shortly after the turn of the century, they switched to this. Speechless.
Runners-Up: Arizona Rattlers (AFL), Chicago Rush (AFL)
Honorable Mentions: Puerto Rico (WBC), New York Rangers (alternate), California-Riverside Highlanders

S: Chicago White Sox: This was the most disappointing letter in the entire alphabet. Here I was, thinking that the most used consonant in the alphabet would be chock full of good examples. Instead, one letter and bupkus.
Runners-Up: Washington State Cougars, Sacramento State Hornets, San Diego State Aztecs
Honorable Mention: San Jose State Spartans, Oregon State Beavers, Saint Louis Cardinals

T: Tennessee Volunteers: Very, very few legitimate entries. So few, in fact, that the Titans had three to themselves. All in all, it was the shape of the 'T' for the Vols that took the prize.
Runner-Up: Tennessee Titans (sword)
Honorable Mentions: Toronto FC (MLS), Texas Rangers

U: Miami Hurricanes: This was the last letter I chose. It came down to two VERY, VERY good letters. For the life of me, I just couldn't come a decision. At long last, I went with the one that was rounder, solely because it looks more like a traditional 'U.' And, so, 'U' goes to the 'Canes.
Runner-Up: San Antonio Spurs
Honorable Mention: South Florida Bulls

V: Villanova Wildcats: Two words: color scheme. Quite a few respectable 'V's, but the blue-on-blue of 'Nova is what swayed this writer...and chooser.
Runner-Up: Virginia Cavaliers
Honorable Mention: Virginia Tech Hokies

W: Washington Capitals: I don't care what you Big Ten (eleven) enthusiasts say. This alternate logo is incredible. It has a 'W,' it has an eagle, and it has the silhouette of the U.S. Capitol Building. AND, it's red, white, and blue. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT?
Runner-Up: Wisconsin Badgers
Honorable Mentions: Washington State Cougars, West Virginia Mountaineers

X: Xavier Musketeers: Um, yeah, there was only one.
Runner-Up: none
Honorable Mention: none
Last place: The XFL

Y: New York Giants: There were only three choices, and none of them really deserved a title. Both Brigham Young and the Yankees have two sets of logos. And, unlike 'D' where Detroit's gothic logo was far and away the best, as a result of the process of elimination, I gave it to the New York Football Giants.
Runner-Up: New York Yankees (hat)
Honorable Mention: Brigham Young Cougars (helmet)

Z: Akron Zips: (see 'X')
Runner-Up: none
Honorable Mention: none

In case you had any questions, I started to look for the best numbers in sports, but I don't have proper access to see all the pictures necessary to determine what the best jersey numbers truly are. If you would like to work on that your own, by all means go for it. Also, as always, comments are always welcome. Thanks for reading. And Hooter, sorry you couldn't see the colors.