July 10, 2005
Miami Orange Blossoms? LSU Pelicans? Mascots that almost were
The Times-Picayune has a great story on the history of team mascots and some names that almost graced a few of the country's top programs.
Some highlights:
Miami: Orange Blossoms
LSU: Pelicans
Arkansas: Cardinals (UA actually played as the Cardinals until 1909)
Nebraska: Bugeaters
Texas: Varsity
Comments:
Jeff said:
posted on July 11, 2005 11:12 PM — 24.197.126.228 — link — abuse?
South Carolina was originally the Jaguars.
Georgetown (I-AA Hoyas now)'s early teams were the Hilltoppers and the Stonewalls.
Duke had a name change at some point too I think.
Furman had a separate team name for every sport (sort of like what LBSU does for baseball now.)
I'll look up some other ones I've seen before and make another comment.
posted on July 13, 2005 4:21 PM — link — abuse?Kevin Donahue said:
Not to be a complete and total @ss, but how exactly was LSU "granted" the nickname of 'Death Valley'?? What figure or body grants these monikers??
Jeff said:
posted on July 14, 2005 9:48 AM — 70.150.177.5 — link — abuse?
The which Death Valley was first argument has come up from time to time between Clemson and LSU fans. Clemson was named Death Valley by an opposing coach during the Howard era (40s or 50s) and LSU called theirs "Deaf Valley" (just like the Maravich Center has been called the Deafdome) and it morphed into Death Valley over the years.
A book about LSU (forget the title or author) points out that Clemson was first from what I recall. It also points out the above history for LSU.
Jamie said:
posted on July 14, 2005 11:59 PM — 198.51.179.254 — link — abuse?
LSU took the name tigers after the regiment called the "Louisiana Tigers" in the Army of Northern Virginia during the civil war. The Auburn tigers took the name after a line in a poem. And the Clemson tigers probably took it because they're unoriginal. There claim to fame is to being the "Auburn of the east." And I'm still willing to argue who had the nickname "death valley" but its preety clear to me that LSU lives up to it better than Clemson. And when I typed "granted" I guess i should have put took.
Jeff said:
posted on July 15, 2005 9:58 AM — 70.150.177.5 — link — abuse?
The Auburn-UGA series has been going since 1892 so it would appear they have LSU beat if they were known as Tigers from the beginning. Clemson was playing in 1896 and LSU was known as the Pelicans that year (article link: http://www.nola.com/sports/t-p/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/1121055932240980.xml). I'll dig out more on when Clemson started using Tigers as their mascot but if they were using it in 1896 it definitely wasn't copying LSU and the Alabama ties of several early coaches at Clemson probably rules out taking it from Auburn.
Nice of you to take ad hominem pot shots on the Death Valley thing when you get corrected on the facts Jamie. If being ranked up there with Georgia as worst places to visit in the SEC because of the way drunk LSU fans treat opposing fans and their property is what you based your jibe about the name being more fitting for LSU, then you can have it.
posted on July 15, 2005 10:43 AM — link — abuse?
Have we succumbed to debate the meanest drunks? There are a couple other SEC schools that could take a run at that distinction!
Jamie said:
posted on July 16, 2005 2:41 AM — 198.51.179.254 — link — abuse?
Hey!!! Wait just a minute, there has been a lot tulane fans urinated on at tiger stadium. Georgia can have as many seats as they want but when your fans show up after kick off and start leaving during the fourth quarter it can't be the toughest place to play in the SEC. An opposing venue isn't suppose to be nice with sugar plums and ferries. The opposing team should dred going on the road to the venue. I still think the two toughest places to play on the road in the SEC is Florida and LSU. The most overrated has to be Georgia and Tennessee.
Jamie said:
posted on July 16, 2005 2:48 AM — 198.51.179.254 — link — abuse?
And further more my point that I was trying to make at the time that if Clemson did take the "death valley" name first that's fine but LSU does a lot better job leaving up to the name. And Auburn might just have taken the nickname tigers but it was taken on somebody's affection for a random poem. With LSU there's some significance to do with the area and the history. Just like the colors, even though Mardi Gras is now a boobie fest.
Kerry said:
posted on July 17, 2005 3:22 PM — 24.148.218.187 — link — abuse?
A little further information on Auburn's use of "Tigers". From the official AU Athletics website ( http://www.auburntigers.com/traditions/page.cfm?doc_id=430 ):
'The nickname "Tigers" comes from a line in Oliver Goldsmith's poem, "The Deserted Village," published in May 1770, "where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey..."'
As far as I've been able to discover, that is all it has ever been (at least since 1892).
Jeremy said:
posted on July 19, 2005 1:57 PM — 64.34.168.29 — link — abuse?
Well to be honest with you, from my stand-point it sounds like Jamie is just a LSU fan-boy that would say anything just to get the other fans fired up about anything. Especially when it is involving a 'my team is bigger, badder and better than your team' scenario.
Hollis Venable said:
posted on August 5, 2005 1:19 AM — 65.0.24.134 — link — abuse?
Ole Miss was known as the Flood before changing there name to the Rebels.
Mississippi State as the Maroons is hilarious to me. It reminds me of Bugs Bunny calling Yosemite Sam, "What a Maroon"...I guess they were so desparate to change their mascot that they didn't take the time to be original about it and copied the Georgia mascot. Of course their version of originality yeilded the "maroons" so I guess they figured they better copy somebody else. Too Funny.
schmed said:
posted on August 5, 2005 12:14 PM — 208.248.231.58 — link — abuse?
Based on the announcement this morning by the NCAA banning the use of so-called Indian masocots in post season play, this list might get much longer. Or not. Given the power of revenues involved, the NCAA may be jeopardizing their monopoly with these sorts of PC dictates. Possible?
tigercpa said:
posted on August 31, 2005 1:22 PM — 161.107.1.141 — link — abuse?
Jamie - Clemson's stadium was named DV in the late 40's by an opposing coach who was frequently beaten there. LSU (per their website) named their stadium DV in 1953.
As far as living up to it, Clemson has a higher all-time winning percentage at home compared to LSU.
At the turn of the century it was common to name your sports team after ferocious animals.
CASEY said:
posted on March 22, 2006 7:24 PM — 68.58.235.189 — link — abuse?
LSU called there stadium DEAF VALLEY and some reporter miss interpreted it and wrote death valley it stuck!!!! AND everyone knows who the real tigers are LSU LSU come on they got a real tiger as a mascot REAL!!!! LIVE!!! MIKE THE TIGER !!!!!!
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dave frey said:
posted on July 10, 2005 5:38 PM — 206.124.221.226 — link — abuse?TCU: Horned Frogs. Bwahahahahahahah! Horned Frogs! That would've been hysterical!!!
Oh wait... nevermind.