Running down the best sports-themed corn mazes in agricultural history

A look at some of the best sports-related corn mazes.

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What is it about corn mazes that makes them so captivating? Is it the sense of Americana – that little bit of weird woven into one of the country’s top cash crops? Perhaps it’s a feeling of childish wonderment – that you can (literally and figuratively) lose yourself in nature while letting the cares of the real world temporarily tumble away. Or, maybe, they just look cool.

Long around August and into early autumn near harvest time we tend to see a variety of goofy pictures of mazes (maizes?) crop up along the fringes of the Internet – many times they tend to have a sports theme. Back to the Americana motif: farmers working in the field and then taking a break to watch their favorite pastime. Our latest example is a stellar modeling of Rex Ryan’s face from an Upstate New York farm.

After seeing Sexy Rexy’s head woven into some beautiful stalks we decided to round up some of the better and more notable corn mazes pertaining to sports. With that said, getcha popcorn ready.

Boise State

Analysis: Smurf Turf and awesome corn mazes: that’s what Boise does. Love the Bronco head, as well as the quarterback dropping back. The clouds and strong Mountain West logo put it over.

John Calipari

Analysis: Look at that luscious mane. You could wander around in it for days and not ever have a care in the world. Even Coach Cal would agree that this is the best he’s ever looked. The heart after Kentucky was a lovely touch by the creators, Kelley Farms in Lexington.

LeBron James

Analysis: The swirls around the arms do well to create rippling biceps and triceps. Also love the partial view of Cleveland’s logo. This one was from 2009, aka Pre-Decision, so one wonders if it went up in a fireball after LBJ went to “college.” The radio plugs seem like hokey, albeit savvy ways to capitalize on viral potential.

Archie Griffin

Analysis: Let’s keep it in Ohio at the MAiZE at Little Darby Creek. Setting aside the oddity of Ohio State’s greatest player ever engrained in Maize (but no blue), this is wonderful. The heart, the stiff-arm, and that profile. Griffin looks so good that he could come out and run for a third Heisman.

12th Man

Analysis: This will probably upset some Aggies fans, but the Seattle 12th Man flag maze is pretty slick. The beak almost looks like a sand trap, and would be a treacherous place to get lost. Really, what sets this piece apart is the shape, and how it’s not symmetrical like most mazes out there. The script is a little thin, but the extra bit of pizzaz on the “12” is excellent.

White Sox

Analysis: Going with the old-school logo is never a bad idea, and Chicago’s lends itself perfectly to a maze. What’s most stunning is the font and crispness of the lines. This could’ve been done by a 3-D printer it’s so clean. Not sure how difficult of a maze it is, but it sure is pretty.

Blackhawks

Analysis: Keeping with Chicago, there are only about a billion awesome Blackhawks corn mazes out there. But what do you expect when the team is basically a dynasty that resides smack dab in the middle of America’s heartland? The second maze is from the Richardson Adventure Farm, who always brings the thunder. There’s so much detail that every time you look, you see something new. The puck sliding up towards the goalie and the background skyline are two nice details.

HBC and Dancing Dabo

Analysis: The only way this maze could get any better would be if, at various pockets, there were recorders playing Spurrier’s greatest press conference hits, Dabo taking jabs at the HBC, Spurrier’s workout video, Dancing Dabo, and maybe a palmetto bush at the finish line. Is it me or does Dabo look a little bit like Bobby Bowden here?

Twins

Analysis: As a longtime Braves fan this one pains me, but it’s just so well done. What card-carrying Twins fan wouldn’t want to wander around inside the Commissioner’s Trophy reliving, arguably, the greatest baseball game ever played – a Game 7 duel between a young John Smoltz and his boyhood idol Jack Morris. Sounds like a nice little Saturday.

Larry Munson

Analysis: It’s easy for a player or team or city to get some rub, but for an announcer, now there’s an accomplishment. The late Larry Munson was a fixture for the Georgia Bulldogs for more than 40 years and, for many UGA fans, the autumn voice of their childhoods. That a McDonough, GA farm made this maze of his likeness is absolutely wonderful. It also gives me an excuse to drop a clip of one of Munson’s greatest calls.

Derek Jeter

Analysis: Since this whole post was jumpstarted by New York, we might as well come full circle with The Captain. Five acres of Derek Jeter to walk through – one acre for every World Series title. Now that Jeets is in retirement, who’s for a corn maze depicting his all-star dating diamond? All in favor?