This video, aired by Hartford's ABC affiliate WFSB-TV, is not new, but the Hartford Whalers stopped existing in 1997 so nothing about them is new. That is part of what makes the Hartford Whalers good; as I like to say, they're undefeated since 1997.Through the magic of nostalgia, things can become better than they actually were while remaining exactly the same. The Whalers logo was always great and has only remained so throughout the years. (I am not at all biased on the subject.) But it's completely unexpected renaissance gives it a certain extra panache that merely remaining in Connecticut basements wouldn't have quite captured. Today, you can find it at the Hudson News stand at Bradley International Airport. Walk into any Lids in the Northeast and you can pick from an assortment of Whalers hats. The flagship NHL Store on Sixth Avenue sells more Whalers gear than most existing NHL teams, and sells better, too. In 2010, Meghan Fox wore a Whalers shirt (also in 2010, Meghan Fox was popular). So did Snoop Dogg, which is just hilarious when you consider everything Connecticut is.
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Anyways, I missed the video above because I was out of the country reporting on the World Cup at the time it aired, which is all my fault and I promise to never let you down again by missing such an important story for an obscure sport tournament. WFSB interviewed the creator of the Whalers logo, Peter Good, who explained the genesis of the iconic logo.Basically, Whalers owner Howard Baldwin liked the negative "H" in the final design at the bottom right. Good didn't want to have a trident in the same logo as a whale, since it seemed weird to have a mascot and the implement of its gruesome demise in the same design. After toying around with different aspects of a whale, he noticed the whale's tail fit perfectly with the W, and the rest is history.Watch the whole interview, again and again, and again and again and again, because there are only so many new facts that can emerge about a defunct franchise, and even fewer about the greatest logo in sports history. It may be years before we stumble upon something this exciting and novel again. Enjoy it. Savor every moment. And play this while you're doing so. I'll be in the corner listening to Brass Bonanza on repeat, crying until my body has no more liquid to release through my tear ducts. The world is a cruel place.(Editor's note: VICE Sports will provide Aaron Gordon with all the help he so clearly needs. We wish him the best in his recovery.)