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Ugh. You can’t tell from the web version (from which photographs and drawings are conspicuously absent), but this week’s Thresher was mistakenly printed with 72-dpi placement-only preview artwork instead of full-resolution, camera-ready photography. The only exceptions are advertisements (which always undergo some kind of bizarre print-rescan-reprint cycle, making them all halftone-fuzzy in a completely different way), the editorial cartoon (better than usual this week), and the front cover’s Owls football photo. (Very important to get that one right.)

Update: I shouldn’t be too hard on this week’s paper. I have to say that the football preview (and accompanying strategy pieces: offense, defense) is a well-written and engaging piece that’s actually got me kind of excited about the season. I thought this was pretty interesting:

Armstrong is not the only player forced to play a new position. Even players listed at the same position as last season have had to learn a completely new set of techniques and responsibilities — like the wide receivers, who often serve more as blockers in an option offense. Expect to see a constant shuffle of jerseys at the receiving spots, as every receiver has a chance to see playing time. Four of the new recruits are wide receivers, and no redshirts have been declared.

“All four [freshmen wide receivers] have a chance to play,” Applewhite said.

While many teams redshirt most recruits to give them time to learn the playbook, all of Rice’s players are learning a new system at once, so that particular rationale does not necessarily apply.

Add to that an intervew with Brian O’Halloran and Jeff Anderson of Clerks II, and you have a pretty robust issue.

Notwithstanding the photos.

Update 2: Over on riceowls.com I see that we have a new athletic logo. Anyone out there have photos (or, preferably, line art) of the new design? (Aside: What’s with the “War Owls” thing? Weren’t we just “owls” before? And what exactly is a “war owl”? I’m basically imagining Hedwig with a leather battle helm.)