Comparing JJ Watt's new logo to other players' designs

Jay Busbee
· Senior writer

Add J.J. Watt to the long, long, LONG list of players wanting to be the Jumpman.

Watt has unveiled his new logo, to be used in Reebok branding efforts, and it's supposed to be a combination of "JJ," "W," and "99," if you look at it the right way:

ESPN.com says the logo is meant to evoke the idea of a building constructed "from the bottom up," much like Watt's career. (It's apparently a contrast to skyscrapers which start construction 400 feet up in the air and build downward, or something.) Anyway, you'll see it on shirts and shoes and whatnot soon enough, even though it's not one percent as iconic as the Michael Jordan silhouette.

Here's the real question, though: how does Watt's logo measure up to other recent NFL player logos? Let's consider, starting with Tom Brady:

Here's Cam Newton:

The recently-retired Calvin Johnson:

And, uh, Robert Griffin III:

Look, this isn't the Yahoo Sports Logo Design blog, but we can all agree that those logos are all pretty hideous. They're all trying too hard to wrestle initials and numbers and flash and flourish into something "cool," and the end result is like your dad trying to freestyle. Simpler is always better; it's why Jumpman still soars above these and every other logo.

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Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.