RE: Who has the Best Nickname in the Sunbelt Conference?
Georgia Southern, Georgia State, UALR sorry LR, Troy, USA, TXST go out automatically because they use such common names though done so earnestly. Just for the heck of it, I'll toss UTA in the pile because while not as common, Mavericks isn't that out there on the unique scale overall, it was a nice save from Rebels, just a shame that the NBA team took it on 8-9 years later, also a shame that whomever sold UTA it's current logo stayed up all night and then remembered they were supposed to turn something in first thing in the morning and basically modified Boise State's modification of the Denver Broncos logo.
Alphabetically by school name.
Mountaineers. Shared by WVU, still fitting. It's the right nickname for the school, it works, maybe doesn't win any glamour name contests but the real thing is creating an identity for the school, students, and alumni. How do you beat Mountaineers for the school?
Red Wolves. The right change. We were among the last to give up our NCAA scorned Indians name and by going slower (there were 13 subcommittees of the committee that made the change suggestion to the Board, Red Wolves was the only name that was blessed by each subcommittee, some sent only it in, some sent it along with others) I think we benefitted. Some college football preview website sneered that our schedule featured a Howl O Ween game. He ain't seen nothing with our wolf puns, used to be a billboard coming into Jonesboro that said Howl-O and of course Howl Yes, and the usual Wolves Up calling people to give the hand sign. Knew we had nailed it about two years after the change when I was in downtown Little Rock with an AState shirt on and guy comes riding by and yells Wolves Up and gives me the hand sign. Is it the best, great, awesome? Not really but it put us in a far better place than we were as Indians.
Ragin Cajuns. Cajuns in and of itself is a great name, honors the region, etc., The rhyming is the home run. Takes it next level.
Warhawks. Almost greatness. Issue one. School never can seem to make it its mind whether to emphasize the P40 and internationally recognized Nelson Chenault or some fightin' bird. Issue two. There is always some mumbly mouthed announcer who slurs it where it sounds like Wart Hogs. Issue one is fixable maybe fixable just by doing the imagery together as they did in the new logo rollout. That was well conceived. Issue two, I just gotta live with it.
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