Golden State, Pune or Bengal Warriors - Which Warriors logo is most warlike?

The Warriors – Golden State, Bengal and Pune

The three Warriors in question here are from three different spectrum of sports. The Golden State Warriors just won the NBA Championship. They are warriors in every sense of the word, fighting tenaciously and living up to their nickname. But we aren't here to consider their sporting acumen. The criteria they are being judged upon is worthiness of the Warrior logo.

Identifying oneself with a warrior does a good job of imbuing your allure with a touch of the mighty. A warrior is fierce, powerful, enduring, and tough as nails. There are three warriors being considered here, the Golden State Warriors of the NBA, the Pune Warriors of the IPL and the Bengal Warriors of the Pro Kabaddi League. We'll look at how they choose to visually represent their logos and ascertain which one does the most justice to it.

There are infinite ways to represent a warrior. And these three teams have taken their own different approaches towards it. Of the three teams, the Golden State Warriors have achieved the highest level of success recently as they've just won the NBA Championship. It would be prudent to assume that their logo would also similarly hold its own against the competition.

What would they choose to represent their legacy? A silhouette of a weapon reminiscent of mighty warriors of the past? Perhaps a headgear of a forgotten warrior looked up to with awe? Maybe a man soaked in sweat and blood, fighting against hordes of evil minions?

If the Golden State Warriors are to be believed, a warrior is best represented by a bridge. I get that a bridge signifies strength and durability, but when it comes to combat would you want a bridge by your side boasting about how many cars it can fit on its back? We can cut them some slack as the Golden Gate bridge depicted in their logo is an iconic piece of engineering.

The Golden State Warriors are based in Oakland and wherever you may glance at the bridge, it makes for an impressive sight. It's apparently the most photographed bridge in the world according to The Frommers travel guide. Nevertheless, it most definitely does not stand in contention when one is considering a logo to be warrior-like. There are others who feel that the logo is without its merits even when removing the criteria of warrior being a factor.

The Golden State Warriors logo

Let's take a look at the other two logos on the block, starting with the Pune Warriors.

Pune Warriors India logo

The Pune Warriors have done a masterful job here. Look at that dude! If a warrior holding a spear atop a galloping battle horse while streaking a trail of the Indian flag doesn't scream 'Warrior!" then I don't know what does. He also has a sword sheathed for close quarter combat if any were fortunate enough to escape the wrath of the spear. Judging by the angle with which he is leaning, he's looking to skewer someone with it rather than toss it at a far off target.

There is no slump of the shoulder, he isn't even using his off hand to brace himself. The dude is straight up just skewering away like there's no tomorrow. It's like an elegant dance of murderous righteousness. I can visualize the dance step he's performing.

He's basically doing the “It's Magic” step from Koi Mil Gaya over and over just stabbing and stabbing and skewering away to glory. The horse would also be right at home serving any of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. All in all, the Pune Warriors paint quite a potent portrayal of a warrior.

How does the last horse in the race stack up now?

Bengal Warriors logo

The Bengal Warriors face a tough act to follow up here. Not from lack of effort though. If there is any animal capable of swiftly toppling a warrior astride a horse, it's a tiger. Like the Golden State Warriors choosing to pay homage to the Golden Gate bridge, the Bengal Warriors chose to honour the Bengal Tiger rather than finding a unadulterated warrior.

Regardless, this tiger is one mean cookie. The claw marks behind the logo would attest to that. With the Golden State Warriors out of contention, we have to ascertain whether the warrior astride a horse would best the Bengal tiger in a straight contest. Here is some conjecture on how that contest would go.

Picture the two charging towards each other. The tiger galloping close to the ground and the horse cantering and thundering across the field. The rider aims a jab and the tiger ducks under it, clawing the horse's leg in the process. They brake hard and circle each other, the horse now visibly limping. The rider goes for the Hail Mary prayer and throws his spear at the tiger.

The tiger having reflexes of, well, a tiger, dodges the spear with ease. The rider having anticipated the doge, had proceeded to launch himself off the horse and followed the spear as soon as it had left his hands. Picture the rider in mid air, unsheathing his sword mid-flight and bearing down on the tiger as it re-establishes its footing and prepares to counter. Who do you think comes out on top? That warrior would have truly earned the right of being called the warrior.