Thursday, April 14, 2022

On Mascots

So Colorado is thinking about fining schools in the state $25,000 per month if they don't get rid of their Indian-based mascots and nicknames.

A commission that has worked for nearly a year to rid more than two dozen Colorado public schools of American Indian mascots is now targeting seven additional schools as the statewide compliance deadline nears.

All the schools are the Thunderbirds, named after a mythical bird that was important to several tribes.

The action could come on May 19, at the next quarterly meeting of the Colorado Commission of Indian Affairs, Executive Director Kathryn Redhorse said at a meeting on April 6. The commission is charged with enforcing Senate Bill 116, which passed last year and gave schools until June 1 to eliminate American Indian mascots or face fines of $25,000 a month. 

I absolutely love this. Someone on Twitter posted that ... well, you can see for yourself what we did with Land O' Lakes butter.

We got rid of the Indian, but kept the land.

It's hilarious! 

It's all stupid beyond belief. I mean, no one uses a mascot that symbolizes something they despise. It's always a compliment. There's no team named the Scrofulous, Disease-ridden Rats.

Well, there's the Trash Pandas, but that's pretty cool.

8 comments:

Ohioan@Heart said...

“Trash Pandas”!?!? Mental Exercise: Where are they located? [Try to guess before you read further.]

My guess… Has to be in New Jersey. Probably somewhere near Newark. [Looks it up.]. Wow! I wasn’t even close.

I claim the two worst mascots/names in the same city are 1) the University of Akron Zips (a female kangaroo and the completely unimaginative letter ‘Z’ - which is currently being ruined by the Russians) and 2) the minor league team the Akron Rubber Ducks (the classic little yellow rubber duck).

Any other candidates?

K T Cat said...

How about the Montgomery Biscuits?

K T Cat said...

You know, when you think about it, these days, you're actually celebrating the US Army troopers who drove those savages off of our land when you buy Land O' Lakes butter!

tim eisele said...

Our high school mascot is a "gremlin" He's in the upper right corner of the school web page

https://www.hpts.us/

My daughters say that pretty much all the kids consider him an embarrassment.

The school just recently made a version as a mascot suit to be worn at games, and the consensus is that this one is both embarrassing and creepy.

Still, we are better off than Watersmeet down by the Wisconsin border - "Home of the Nimrods!"

Ohioan@Heart said...

The “Biscuits”? Biscuits are awesome. Warm, buttery, and basic comfort food. I would be happy to support the Biscuits. Oh, Oh! I must go to Montgomery. They shoot biscuits into the crowd! They sell biscuits in the stadium. With ham or chicken on them. If they had sausage gravy, this would be a religious experience!

Tim, that is one creepy gremlin. I blame the graphics artist. Gremlins could be a great mascot. The “Nimrods”? At first blush that’s horrible. However look the meaning of nimrod. One is ‘a skillful hunter’.

But even if I accept all three of your offerings, what’s the second one from those cities? Seriously Akron has the duo of horrible…

tim eisele said...

Ohioan:

Oh, yes, the Watersmeet Nimrods make very sure that we are all aware of the origin of their name. But at this point, that is like telling a woman that her perfume stinks, and then when she gets offended pointing out that "stink" originally meant any odor, both pleasant and unpleasant. It might be true, but meanings of words do change, and whatever Nimrod meant originally, it is certainly an insult now[1].

They do kind of milk their notoriety now, though. I understand that "Nimrods" apparel sells unusually well compared to the logo gear for other schools. People from all over the country buy them as insulting gifts to give to friends.

And as for the Gremlins logo, I agree that Gremlins would be a perfectly good team name if they redrew the thing. But they've had this one for a long time (at least 40 years, and maybe since the 50s), so it's not like they haven't had the opportunity.


[1] The main theory on this is that it became an insult after Bugs Bunny mockingly called Elmer Fudd "Nimrod", and generations of little kids only ever heard the word in that context.

Ohioan@Heart said...

Tim, Concede all your points. I am glad I was a Black Tiger and not a Nimrod or that version of gremlin.

I obviously have some issue with Biscuits… I was thinking about some of the radio calls the Biscuits announcer could make.

For a relief pitcher getting ready… “There is a Biscuit warming in the oven.”
A home run… “Butter my Biscuit, that ball is gone.”
After a loss… “Well the Biscuits got burned today.”
During a rally… “The Biscuits are hot tonight.”
After a win… “The Biscuits rose to the top today.”
When listing the lineup… “The recipe tonight for the Biscuits…”
When the bases are loaded… “There’s a full order of Biscuits on the bases.”

Seriously, I need to go see a Biscuits game.

K T Cat said...

When listing the lineup… “The recipe tonight for the Biscuits…”

LOL!