Dearest Commonwealth of Virginia,

Hello, old friend. It hath been a while since we've last talk'd. While we share a border, and our county of Jefferson (where Louisville is) is nam'd for one of thy most honor'd citizens, now that we're joining the Atlantic Coast Conference, the heavens hast proclaim'd that thy state flagship, the University of Virginia is our new "permanent" rival. (Ok, we know that we really just took Maryland’s place and this rivalry is new, but lets not let a lack of history spoil things... hopefully we’re a good replacement because I hear Maryland is only interested in sports named Lacrosse anyways). Therefore, be it in the interest of this new permanency I feel 'tis best that we develop a game 'r match trophy that suits the magnitude of our meetings. This trophy shouldst be award'd team that is victorious on the gridiron in a match of football.

However prior to selecting the option, we shall review some notable history on the behalf of our fine institutions and Commonwealths:

The History

The Commonwealth of Virginia was a wide and vast land, establish'd as the Virginia Company of London, it later became the Virginia Colony following the Jamestown massacre. Disney’s Pocahontas is largely bas'd around ye olde massacre, so I’m assuming most of the fighting was done in synchronicity with thy Oscar winning score. The Virginia Colony prosper'd and in 1734, Virginia claim'd all of the land south of the Ohio Riv'r and east of the Mississippi Riv'r.

Look how big Virginia was!

Jefferson county (which Louisville is currently situat'd in) was creat'd in 1780, and Louisville (nam'd f'r some silly French guy) was and eventually Kentucky was allow'd to separate from Virginia. In the time since we’ve separat'd from thou, we have been doing things: distilling bourbon, breeding horses, gambling, drinking bourbon, not letting lawyers and judges mortal arbitrament in duels, fighting in duels, learning to play a dram of shooty-hoops, winning football games against teams in the Southeastern Conference and changing football coaches almost as frequently as our brother, University of Kentucky, wins games.

We’ve also established a premier urban university. Recently we’ve been improving (a lot) and are now in the Top 50 for research universities. We hold the University of Virginia in high esteem, as our university’s main building, Grawameyer Hall, is a replicla of your Rotunda. We still call ourselves a Commonwealth (unlike the other blasphemous state-separatists to your west and our east), and we really enjoy intercollegiate sporting contests (not lacrosse, but maybe soon). Our facilities are nonpareil and we provide useful diversions when you’re visiting us, like drinking, gambling and reading Hunter S. Thompson.

Or living like Hunter S. Thompson... The Highlands of Louisville embody his spirit nicely.

The Sporting Match

On to the meat of the discussion though: what should we name our newly permanent trophy and match?The gentleman/ladies here on Ye Olde Card Chronicle have a few ideas:

Rumble in the Rotunda:

The Rotunda is a building locat'd on the original grounds of the university of Virginia and was design'd by Thomas Jefferson. Grawemeyer hall at the university of Louisville was model'd after Jefferson’s rotunda. The Trophy would be a golden replica of the rotunda with replicas of the Louisville cardinal and Virginia cavalier boxing out in front of it. (per UofLgrad07)



Jefferson-Clark Trophy/Cup:

Thomas Jefferson plann'd and establish'd the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, virginal. Louisville was found'd in 1778 by George Rogers Clark who betid to be a native of Charlottesville. Ye trophy would depict statues of Thomas Jefferson and George Rogers Clark shaking hands. Each statue would be dress'd in the colors of the respective school (Jefferson in orange and navy blue; Clark in red and black). Or, ye trophy could be a julep cup as we hast heard how much thou like bourbon! (per UofLgrad07)



Battle of the Villes:

The University of Virginia is in Charlottesville. The University of Louisville is in Louisville. they art the only two schools in the ACC to be locat'd in a city/town that ends in "ville". Ye Trophy would favour a bombard of bourbon, a pair of link'd horse shoes, and a copy of the condition. The bourbon and condition would symbolize the cities of Louisville (famous f'r bourbon) and Charlottesville (famous f'r founding fathers Jefferson and Madison) respectively. The pair of link'd horse shoes would represent the new ties between schools in the ACC and would be symbolic of the commonality between both climatures as both areas art known f'r their horse industries. (per UofLgrad07)



The Tobacco Pouch and Julep Cup:

Since both of our universities art locat'd in the heart of tobacco country (although we gave it up a while ago), wherefore not symbolically link to our past and light up a good old’e fashion'd cigar 'r pipe? Nothing will forge new brotherly ACC bonds like a good smoke and a nightcap. I suggest the winning team be given a leather pouch, with the score inscribed, and a julep cup with the year on it. The winning team holds on to the pouch f'r the following year, and then keeps the cup. (per Kegs N' Eggs, centre_card and UofLgrad07)



Melee in the Motherland/Battle of the Commonwealths:

We art the state creat'd from thy state. 'Tis only fair that we duel on the gridiron (as mention'd 'ere: our lawyers and judges art not allowed) and declare the winner. The trophy should be the whole former state of Virginia and Kentucky. It would be the widest trophy known to the collegiate sporting ordinary, and thus very prestigious. It would also be awkwardly shaped! (per freedom_cards)



Others that didn’t quite make the "well thought out cut," but deserve’d an honorable mentione.

Daniel Boones Rifle

The Cumberland Gap Bowl

Thoroughbred Saddle

We hope that you can peruse these options and report back via the poll and comments sections of this ye olde internet bloge.

Goodluck, and Godspeed.

The University of Louisville.