Worst nickname in college sports?

runr wrote:

As an alum, it hurts to admit. However, names don't get much worse than Cornell Big Red. WTF is a "big red?" Sounds like a nickname for a hemorrhoid.

Didn't it used to mean "big red indians"?

...before they changed their name:

Furman

University

Christian

Knights

Periwinkle

I was going to start a favorite nickname and mascot thread, but this will do.

Indiana has some fun ones:

Indiana U-Purdue U Fort Wayne Mastadons

Purdue Boilermakers

Indiana State Sycamores (named after a tree? Really?)

Indiana Hooisers (nobody knows the true origin of a hoosier)

My personal favorite: University of Evansville Purple Aces

No, you whiffed on the alliteration. It's 'Battling Bishops'.

Big Red is a stick of chewing gum. Never been to a Cornell lacrosse game?

A Big F U! wrote:

...before they changed their name:

Furman

University

Christian

Knights

Actually that's an urban legend - funny but untrue.

As someone else pointed out, the Dirtbags are LBSU's baseball (not basketball) team. Webster U is actually the Gorlocks, which comes from the intersection of the two major streets in front of the campus in Websters Grove. And I believe Stanford's mascot is based upon the ideal, not the color.

Personally, I think Wildcats is the worst mascot, because there are so damn many of them. Have some imagination, people!

BTW, Wichita State Shockers has to do with wheat, not electricity. I'm sure the guy who posted that one knows, but most are surprised.

I think the MAC, as a conference, has some pretty good ones. Akron Zips is cool.

You mean team nicknames or individual nicknames like "Lester the Molester" or "Mean Joe" Green?

The top of the list is the evergreen geoduck...you have to see it to believe it. \endthread

I was going to say the geoduck (pronounced "gooey duck") - it looks like a snail without a shell.

Dartmouth, "Big Green" was formerly the Indians, but Cornell was never anything else but "Big Red". They use a Bear as a "mascot".

I thought my sister's school nickname was bad -- South Carolina "Game Cocks" - as in "You can't beat our cocks!" seriously.

Geoduck is an official mascot for the Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington - which also has a (very appropriate) motto: "Let It All Hang Out".

http://www.flickr.com/photos/earball/1193889209/

The "fight" song is:

The Geoduck Fight Song

words and music by Malcolm Stilson, 1971

Go, Geoducks go,

Through the mud and the sand,

let's go.

Siphon high, squirt it out,

swivel all about,

let it all hang out.

Go, Geoducks go,

Stretch your necks when the tide

is low

Siphon high, squirt it out,

swivel all about,

let it all hang out.

RISD 'Nads yes it is what you think.

also, the NESCAC conference throws down some absolutely terrible/weird nicknames.

Trinity Bantams (scrawny chicken)

Connecticut Camels

Tufts Jumbos

Williams Ephs

Amherst Lord Jeffs (a man who tried to start a genocide)

Colby White Mules

only ones i could come up with outta the northeast.

not college, but once met a kid whose hs mascot was the fighting quakers.

Fight, rodents, fight! wrote:

The real winner, however, is the Scottsdale Community College Fighting Artichokes. Even a gopher can defeat an artichoke.

I was going to go with this one myself, but it's hard to argue against the previously mentioned Fighting Okra.

Washburn Ichabods

Wisdom of Vanilla Ice wrote:

My favorite college nicknames are the Wichita State (Shockers) and the UC Santa Cruz (Banana Slugs).

My least favorite is the Penn State University (Raping Nittany Lions).

My honorable mentions are:

New Mexico Tech (Pygmies).

Delta State University (Fighting Okra).

Long Beach State (Dirtbags - although only for the men's basketball team).

University of Arkansas-Monticello (Boll Weevils).

Blackburn College (Battlin’ Beavers).

Wabash College (Little Giants).

Whittier College (Poets).

Montana State University (Northern Skylights).

Arkansas Tech University (Wonder Boys).

Knox College (Prairie Fire).

Webster University (Gorloks).

Pacific Lutheran University (Lutes).

University of Alaska-Southeast (Humpback Whales).

Regarding the Knox College Prairie Fire in your honorable mention list: They used to be the Old Siwash, but it was apparently derogatory to some Canadian Indian tribe. When they changed to the Prairie Fire in the 90s they went to extremes in their political correctness.

My personal favorite: Carthage College in Kenosha WI used to be the Redmen. This was deemed unacceptable by the NCAA. They changed it to the Red Men. That was now acceptable by the NCAA.

What the f@ck is an eph?

Oooo---I am so scared!

yeppper wrote:

not college, but once met a kid whose hs mascot was the fighting quakers.

My roommate junior year's brother had a hat from his school with a Fighting Amish mascot on it. Wish I could remember which school. Although I guess it turned to be prescient what with the gang warfare that's been going on among the Amish recently.

Northern Virginia Community College Masterbators.