Frank talk

Every true sports junkie knows about the high-school football rivalry between Massillon and Canton. It's been waged since 1894, the prep equivalent of Ohio State-Michigan.

Each of these northeast-Ohio cities has a blue-collar heritage -- rather like Pittsburgh and Green Bay, actually -- and historically the friendly friction has reached beyond the gridiron to factory floors, secretarial pools and advertising departments.

Today I'm remembering one corporate faceoff in particular.

Two local meat-packing operations vied for a share of my family's grocery budget in the '60s and '70s. Canton had Sugardale, founded in 1920; hometown Massillon had Superior's, tracing its roots to 1933.

The symbol of Sugardale was a cartoon pig named "Hamlet." Not to be outdone, Superior's countered with "Frankie," an animated hot dog.

As a kid, I loved hot dogs -- and what American kid doesn't? -- and I begged my mom to buy the Superior's brand. I had a preference not because Superior's was a Massillon company, but because I liked the mascot...well, that and the radio jingle:

Fun-to-eat treats from Superior's Meats;
Frankies -- the Keener Wiener!

On the playground, as you might imagine, we'd sing that jingle to any boy unlucky enough to have been named "Frank."

Superior's and Sugardale came together in 1976 under the Fresh Mark corporate banner. I don't know if the rivalry survived their meaty merger, but both venerable brands -- as well as Frankie and Hamlet, believe it or not -- are still around today.