Twenty-two years the ‘Golden Eagles’

[Lennys Tap]

In general, why do you think folks that feel slapped in the face are going to be the ones to come through with more sizable contributions?  When an organization tells me that my opinion isn't worth consideration, I'm super motivated to donate to them.  For instance, I donate to political leaders that disrespect me all the time and in larger amounts the more disregard they have for me.

That's why I brought up the process issue because I think that many felt slighted by the process - both times from some of my discussion with older alumni.  I think that if the board & administration had handled it better, there would be less issue with it going forward.  I think that the Warrior group just wants the name and would be more than happy to separate it from the previous mascot.  But to say that's an impossibility is just nonsense.

Bingo.

The Jesuits love nothing better than feigning interest in alumni opinion when they've already made their decisions. When my high school was supposedly "considering the possibility" of going coed the jebbies put on an extensive dog and pony show. There were meetings with alumni, surveys of alumni and finally a "vote" of the alumni. They valued our opinion and wanted us as partners in the decision making process. UNTIL it became clear that what the alumni wanted was in conflict with what they had already decided. Then they patted us on the head and dismissed us. Same thing at MU. "We care about what you think. We'll put it to a vote! As long as we get to tell you what you can and can't vote for." What a crock of paternalistic BS.

[GGGG]

as a former student worker at the MU telethon, I'll say that nearly all lame "hard to support a univeristy that [insert something about the nickname] donated at most $25 at any time. All donations count, but the largest complainers were those who would make the least difference. Just say you don't like supporting your alma mater and take responsibility for your own choices.

Those who donate more likely have stronger feelings about the institution, and aren't going to get something like the change of an athletic nickname get in the way of those feelings.  This is why I oftentimes downplay controversies, such as the McAdams firing, because in my anecdotal experience, it costs you "fringe" donations like you mention - but *usually* don't have significant impact on those who write really big checks.

As keefe has mentioned however, repeated poor decisions can give large donors pause over the quality of leadership and governance, but single controversies rarely have significant impact.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

imagine if the Chicago Cubs organization sold the renaming rights to Wrigley Field.

Maybe it would be known as Ask Angie's Park.  Just a guess here, but the new name may not be accepted by all.  Some would even have the gall to still refer to it as Wrigley, which one may argue, hurts the Cubs new brand by referring to the old relic of a name.

After time has passed, one may even post that the days of using Wrigley should be over.  That fights been lost.   It's the "Big Ang".  Accept it.  Embrace it.

I understand the White Sox do not have the same following as the Cubs, but this exact scenario played out on the South Side.

People were pissed when Comiskey was changed to US Cellular.  Eventually, the new nickname, "The Cell," caught on, and now you hear close to no one still refer to it as Comiskey.  Everything worked out fine.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

I understand the White Sox do not have the same following as the Cubs, but this exact scenario played out on the South Side.

People were pissed when Comiskey was changed to US Cellular.  Eventually, the new nickname, "The Cell," caught on, and now you hear close to no one still refer to it as Comiskey.  Everything worked out fine.

You are correct, but I can provide another example where locals still refuse to acknowledge a renaming...the Waveland Avenue Golf Course. Politicians decided to name it after a politically connected judge (?) named Sydney Marovitz. Literally nobody calls it Sydney Marovitz...it's absurd. Everybody calls it Waveland and, last time I was there they sold Waveland Avenue caps.

Horribly conditioned course, by the way. It could be a real gem with a little work.

[keefe]

I remember that any name having any reference to "war" struck off the eligibility list.  My memory is foggy, but I remember the explanation was that war did not align with Jesuit values. 

Because St. Ignatius had nothing to do with war?

When I was at Georgetown Prep we called the Jesuits "Christ's Commandos"


There is a reason Himmler modeled the SS after the Society of Jesus

[dgies9156]

Bingo.

The Jesuits love nothing better than feigning interest in alumni opinion when they've already made their decisions. When my high school was supposedly "considering the possibility" of going coed the jebbies put on an extensive dog and pony show. There were meetings with alumni, surveys of alumni and finally a "vote" of the alumni. They valued our opinion and wanted us as partners in the decision making process. UNTIL it became clear that what the alumni wanted was in conflict with what they had already decided. Then they patted us on the head and dismissed us. Same thing at MU. "We care about what you think. We'll put it to a vote! As long as we get to tell you what you can and can't vote for." What a crock of paternalistic BS.

What do you expect?

We're Catholic.

Democracy and the Catholic Church have been at odds since July 4, 1776. Some things never change!

[caltruda]

Was a senior when DiUlio made the unilateral decision to change the name. The vote between Lightning and Golden Eagles was farcical at best and I still have the senior year t-shirt mocking it.

As for donating, I simply choose to earmark specifically to my college and/or student organizations I participated in (MUTV/Trib/WMUR). I have a Warrior tattoo with no regrets.

I don't buy things that have the Golden Eagles logo. I'm good with a simple "We Are Marquette" chant. I will not give the "back in my day" speech to the new kids and young alums.

I hope the nickname doesn't change at any point in the rest of my lifetime because I would prefer not to see another legendary "Gold" screw-up (as a sportswriter, I got a sufficient amount of good-natured crap among my media brethren). The current graphic they use for the sports teams for television purposes is about as good as it gets because it has no tie-in to "Golden Eagles."

Thus, simply keeping the status quo is fine.

[Galway Eagle]

I say this every single time that this argument comes up.  In the movie Miracle Herb yells the name on the front of the jersey is a heck of a lot more important than the one on the back.  Our jersies say Marquette, not warriors or golden eagles or Hilltoppers or golden avalanche or just gold so what does it matter?  We have a good tradition as Golden Eagles, a better one as Warriors but a great one overall. 

[MU82]

You are correct, but I can provide another example where locals still refuse to acknowledge a renaming...the Waveland Avenue Golf Course. Politicians decided to name it after a politically connected judge (?) named Sydney Marovitz. Literally nobody calls it Sydney Marovitz...it's absurd. Everybody calls it Waveland and, last time I was there they sold Waveland Avenue caps.

Horribly conditioned course, by the way. It could be a real gem with a little work.

Hell, I refuse to call Rivers "Doc." I knew him as Glenn in college!

[ShootinOutWallsofHeartach]

Hell, I refuse to call Rivers "Doc." I knew him as Glenn in college!

Talked to a cousin of mine who attended MU during Doc's era. My cuz tended bar at Major Goolsby's and manned the podium at McCormick Hall. He said that Glenn was an even better guy than he is portrayed as. He said that Doc was about as true a student-athlete as there can be. Doc would often close the library and then chat with my cousin at that same "Beer Can" podium for over an hour. Didn't have any sense of Athletic entitlement, just wanted to be a regular student, albeit one with some hoops skills. And so intelligent that my cousin, who went on to be a Bay Area Fox Sports executive producer, felt he couldn't keep up with Doc's conversations.

[MU82]

Talked to a cousin of mine who attended MU during Doc's era. My cuz tended bar at Major Goolsby's and manned the podium at McCormick Hall. He said that Glenn was an even better guy than he is portrayed as. He said that Doc was about as true a student-athlete as there can be. Doc would often close the library and then chat with my cousin at that same "Beer Can" podium for over an hour. Didn't have any sense of Athletic entitlement, just wanted to be a regular student, albeit one with some hoops skills. And so intelligent that my cousin, who went on to be a Bay Area Fox Sports executive producer, felt he couldn't keep up with Doc's conversations.

Glenn always will be my favorite MU hoopster because I knew him well as a person. Just a class act.

I am rooting for his Clippers to win it all. And though I've never liked the Celtics, I was very happy for him a few years ago when he won the title.

Rivers was a very good college player and would have been great had his coaches known how to take advantage of his talent better. Neither Raymonds nor Majerus let him do his thing often enough.

His half-courter against ND is my all-time favorite in-person MU memory and I cannot imagine it ever being topped.

Surprising fact: Glenn and I took Charlie Nader's team sports class together ... and he was an amazingly bad volleyball player. Though he could jump through the stratosphere and was a superior athlete in every way, for some reason he couldn't get the hang of volleyball. It was pretty funny that I was better than him at an athletic endeavor -- and believe me, I never let him forget it!