I'm waiting for Josh's weekly "battle" video but until then here's some past mascot videos of the schools in one of this week's big game...









You name the school and I'll see if Josh has done it before...

I hope he does an episode on the University of North Dakota who where forced to retire the fighting Sioux nickname. (It was interesting how Illinois, Florida State, Utah, SDSU, and Central Michigan got to keep their native American related nicknames though, but I digress.) Anyways, in one of the biggest nickname fails of all time, they elected to go with the ultra generic Hawks name instead of following the lead of other Midwest Flagship U's who adopted their state's official and or unofficial nicknames. (Badgers, Gophers, Cornhuskers, Hawkeyes, Sooners, Jayhawkers, etc.) ND is the Roughrider state).

Faulkinberry's tenure brought about the change of Southwestern Louisiana's fight name from the "Bulldogs" to the "Raging Cajuns". One of his assistant coaches once remarked, "Go out there and rage like a bunch of Cajuns!" The phrase stuck both because a majority of the players were from south Louisiana and because fans, students, and alumni loved the phrase. Later on, the University of Southwestern Louisiana trademarked the phrase and, to this day, the sports teams are known as the "Ragin' Cajuns."

(09-22-2023 11:09 AM)Shox Wrote:  I hope he does an episode on the University of North Dakota who where forced to retire the fighting Sioux nickname. (It was interesting how Illinois, Florida State, Utah, SDSU, and Central Michigan got to keep their native American related nicknames though, but I digress.) Anyways, in one of the biggest nickname fails of all time, they elected to go with the ultra generic Hawks name instead of following the lead of other Midwest Flagship U's who adopted their state's official and or unofficial nicknames. (Badgers, Gophers, Cornhuskers, Hawkeyes, Sooners, Jayhawkers, etc.) ND is the Roughrider state).

Ugh, I can't stand the generic Hawks for them. The logo itself looks so cheap & generic too.

I have no doubt they picked it b/c the Blackhawks were really good at the time.

& don't worry, it's only a matter of time before the other schools cave, & I don't care how much their fans will say they won't.

Roughriders would've been good.

Michigan! Josh also put in a sign stealing joke!

Georgia...

(09-22-2023 11:09 AM)Shox Wrote:  I hope he does an episode on the University of North Dakota who where forced to retire the fighting Sioux nickname. (It was interesting how Illinois, Florida State, Utah, SDSU, and Central Michigan got to keep their native American related nicknames though, but I digress.) Anyways, in one of the biggest nickname fails of all time, they elected to go with the ultra generic Hawks name instead of following the lead of other Midwest Flagship U's who adopted their state's official and or unofficial nicknames. (Badgers, Gophers, Cornhuskers, Hawkeyes, Sooners, Jayhawkers, etc.) ND is the Roughrider state).

The difference in outcomes for schools is neither a digression nor especially interesting. Why can Rice wear uniforms in a colour combo Houston can't? Permission. It's a thing.

Good relations with one's neighbours go far.

I have my own opinion about the NCAA choosing to strongarm its member schools in that way when (as is now clear) the organisation had bigger fish to fry closer its own mission statement. But that would be a digression, and anyway time has solved the problem. Today's NCAA hasn't got that kind of muscle to flex.

I agree 100% that the necessity to rebrand entails no necessity to be bland. Every school president should have a file somewhere filled with creative Plan Bs for use in any identity emergency.

Regarding the decision to take a pass on 'Roughriders' as a nickname in particular: It may have made a difference to some that a general aversion exists now to using human figures in nicknames. The reasons are practical. And when you've been obliged to navigate a community through one expensive, polarising change, you certainly aren't eager to put that community at risk of needing to do it again.

A look at the names of expansion teams in pro leagues since the 1990s confirms the trend. Animal names are now the option of choice. Human beings come with cultures and histories. Yet human opinion has a way of not being unanimous and human history has a way of delivering unwelcome news. Animals, meanwhile, don't mind showing up in logos. They don't even know they're doing it. They inspire us free of opinion.

Purdue...