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Say What? The etymology of odd basketball team names |
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Written by AJ
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Sunday, 18 February 2007 |
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Banana Slugs, Gorloks and Battling Beavers? The endowment of a name & identity is a treaty and a brand between the people and the team. With that in mind, let's take a look at some of the more interesting treaties, errr, college basketball team names today.
| Webster University Gorlok It is a mythical creature that was designed by Webster staff and students through a school contest. It has the paws of a cheetah, the horns of a buffalo, and the face of a Saint Bernard dog. | | | UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs According to their site, the students'  adoption of such a lowly creature for a team mascot was their reaction to the fierce athletic competition fostered at most American universities Go Slugs! | | | Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops The team adopted their official nickname in 1925. During the same  year, Wesleyan's official mascot became the grumpy-looking bishop dressed in a red robe. Not sure why, but does someone really dress up like that? | | | Columbia College Fighting Koalas The Fighting Koalas mascots name is 'CiCi'. According to their  original coach, the Koala was selected because it was “cute and cuddly” yet “fierce if provoked.” | | | | | | | | Colby College Mules According to their site, the name  came about when an editor suggested that the Colby football team be symbolized by a "white mule." They were to no longer appear as the "dark horse" of college athletics, since they so often upset predictions made by local sports writers. | | UC Irvine Anteaters
inspired from the Johnny Hart comic strip "B.C.", two student-athletes organized an intense promotional effort prior to the  November 30, 1965 student election. By election time, only the Anteaters, Eagles, Unicorns, Golden Bears and Seahawks had obtained the required 100 signatures to be included on the ballot. The Anteater emerged victorious in the final tally with 55.9 percent of the vote. | |
| Technorati Tags: Battling Beavers, Gorloks, Banana Slugs, Fighting Koalas, Mules, HardRockers, Wesleyan, Battling Bishops, Pennsylvania Vulcans, Santa Cruz, Webster, Irvine, Anteaters
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Random Hoops
“The 1st inter-collegiate match took place in 1895, when Minnesota State School of Agriculture defeated the Porkers of Hamline College, nine to three. Factoid
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