We're happy to announce that we've chosen a winner for our Bonnaroo ticket giveaway contest. There were a lot of great submissions. Some we had to eliminate due to excessive use of profanity. Some were nixed because it didn't seem at all clear what the person actually wished for us to put on the fan.

We received some nice pictures of one person singing onstage with Solomon Burke. We also got an offer from one fan--a business proposal really--to help him transfer $17.3 million from the Bank of China - Hong Kong to "your country." We thought that might make a nice winner, actually, but we weren't sure that Mr. Lee could arrange transportation to Bonnaroo.

One submission suggested that we tie-dye the paper fans and print "do you smell patchouli?" on it. I think it would have been even better if we could actually pour patchouli oil on them. But no one wants to take a 6 hour van ride with that.

Another of our favorite submissions was made by someone who got busted by their boss while photoshopping pictures of us together with the artist Prince. Here's what the boss had to say: "What would you do if you were me, and you found one of your new grad students avoiding work to look at pictures of Prince?"  We would say in earnest, "I'd give that man a promotion."

We chose our winner from one of the design-based submissions.  We really loved a lot of the slogans and the catchphrases that people suggested.  And there were several compelling designs.  But, when it came down to it, we all thought that our winner's was far and away the best.  That's why we're happy to announce that the winner of the 2009 American Princes Bonnaroo Ticket Giveaway is Henson Flye for his lovely "Playful American Horses" design.  Feast your eyes upon his fantastic submission: