Our School Is Forced To Drop Nickname

[Bigwoods]

They have argued this for years and now it is done. The University of North Dakota is forced by the NCAA to change it's name. It came down to having the two tribes vote. One was in favor by 67%, the other tribe could not get around to voting and the Board of Higher Education decided it was time to go.

At first I was bummed, but now I realize it opens door to new conferences since we went Div. 1. Some conferences want the University, but not the name. It's hard when you have been a Fighting Sioux for so long.

Also noted, we have one of the nicest hockey arenas in the country that has the use donated and is on UND property. It cost $115 million. It has the logo plastered all over the place and they said today none of the logos, statues, marbled floors or insignia will ever be changed.
I guess we will survive, it came as a shock anyway.

[dreadcptflint]

So what is the new name going to be?

[planovet]

Our local high school was the "Fightin' Coons" for a long time and recently had to change their mascot name to the "Fightin' Raccoons".



It's all about being "politically correct".

[Creamcracker]

Yep ...."The Fighting Irish" gotta go next........
Philip

[hiker chick]

I'm a Beaver.

Oregon State.

Fine with me if they change that name.

[planovet]

I'm a Beaver (Oregon State).

Fine with me if they change that name.

I wonder why?

[Danno]

Yep ...."The Fighting Irish" gotta go next........
Philip

As a person of Irish descent I am horribly offended by your sarcasm. Oh wait, no I'm not (offended, that is)...

Since when does any person of any descent not wished to be associated with the term "Fighting", especially when it's a reference to a sport?

It's not like they were the "Murdering Sioux" or the "Scalping Sioux" or anything else that has a negative, stereotypical and/or racist(?) connotation.


Whatever. I guess the Sioux wish to be seen as a people who sit on their laurels and hope they win games out of luck instead of drive, determination, and "fight" if you will....

[tonyj]

I'm a Beaver (Oregon State).

Fine with me if they change that name.

I wonder why?

Just great. Now I have to clean the coffee spray off my keyboard.

[Looneytoons]

It could be worse.

There is a town just west of Charleston WV by the name of Poca. Want to guess their nickname? OK, here it is, the Poca............Dots.

Poca High School, the home of the "Fighting Dots". I can hear the cheers now; Go Dots Go. Score Dots Score. Connect Dots Connect

And of course the cheers from the opposing team, "Erase the Dots"

[Danno]

I used to work near a school district that was the "Pretzels". Don't think they were the Fighting Pretzels, though. good thing, they'd probably have to change it because people would be mad that it gives you the impression that pretzels might cause indigestion or something.

[hiker chick]

I'm a Beaver (Oregon State).

Fine with me if they change that name.

I wonder why?

Just great. Now I have to clean the coffee spray off my keyboard.

I was oblivious to the non-Websters meaning until a game of Pictionary, well after I had graduated and moved east.

A women vs. men game of Pictionary.

We couldn't figure out how they won that round -- "Beaver" being the answer -- so fast. The picture they drew didn't make sense.

Until it was explained.

I subsequently purged my wardrobe of all "Beaver" emblazoned attire.

But Benny Beaver still reigns supreme in Corvallis.

[caseydog]

It's all about being "politically correct".

Cat, I live in Frisco, too. Home of the Fightin' Coons was on the water towers back when I moved here. I have an old Frisco Coons jersey. You've seen it.

Can you imagine a black player (Frisco is now 12% black in population) trotting out onto the field wearing a football jersey that says "Coons" on it? How embarrassing would that be? Imagine all the photos of black players in "Coons" Jerseys flying around the internet. Frisco would be the butt of redneck jokes all over the country.

It was beyond "politically correct" to change to Raccoons. If I were black, there's no way I'd wear "Fightin' Coons" on a shirt in public. Would you?

CD

[Arne]

with freedom of speech, you can call the team anything you want, even if the log is changed....

re the fighting coons, it's an intellectual matter of separating one from the other...

I've been called 'whitey' and you 'white mother f..ker' by blacks.. didn't bother me.. they were stupid people..

It wouldn't really bother me if an indian team was named "Custer's Killers'...

[Bigwoods]

I think the plan is to go without a name for 5 years anyway. The hardest part of this is that when the ruling came down on 12 schools, only UND was faced with the restrictions. The Seminoles. Utes, Indians and several others were exempt because it was thought the tribes wanted those names.

UND trains more Native Dr.s than any other schools on their InMed program. The give many scholarships to the reservation and provide medical care and studies.

The hardest part is what to do with the Ralph. It is one of the premier hockey arenas in the country. Donated with private money from one person and it is a truly amazing facility. Ralph wanted the logo plastered everywhere. It is in the marble floors, at the end of every row of seats and about 2800 times. We will see how that works out.

Some pix if you want to see it.

http://www.pbase.com/mmingo/grandforks_jan2007

Behind this building is the Betty (his wife). That is a volley ball and basketball arena that was added on.


Then he donated the Little Ralph to his high school team in Thief River Falls, Mn. Quite a guy.

[Mightydog]

I'm a Beaver.

Oregon State.

Fine with me if they change that name.

Hey! That was the main reason I went there!!!

OSU Class of 1980

My favorite game of the year is OSU vc USC!!