My favorite subject - the nickname

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Just going over some of the old survey results while waiting for Saturday. I guess all the Fighting Illini talk has "rekindled" the flame
____

•   92% of alumni said they identify with the Marquette Warriors.

•   62% of students said that they identify with the Marquette Warriors.

•   Only 12% of alumni say they identify with the Marquette Golden Eagles.

•   Only 36% of students say they identify with the Marquette Golden Eagles. (This was 10 years after the name change!)

•   The words most often used to describe the Golden Eagles nickname are boring (57%), weak (55%) and common (52%).

•   Considering respondents as whole, the words most often chosen to describe the athletics nickname Marquette Warriors are strong (81%), competitive (75%), well known (74%) and winner (63%).

[mosarsour]

Yeah...But all these numbers don't mean crap when the university refuses to hear our cries to revert back to the Warrior name.

[muwarrior87]

The thing that really annoys me about it is that we dont have to be an American Indian warrior...keep the logo the same w/ the MU and not even have a mascot would be great w/ me. Or have any other kind of warrior...it's really sad that pretty soon FSU is going to be the only school w/ any Native American mascot, and that's cuz the Seminole nation won't let them change it. kinda weird how that situation varies so much from all others like it around the country.

[Avenue Commons]

Yawn.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

I seem to recall this being discussed about this time 2 years ago....

[AlumKCof93]

Its dead.  Let it go.

[MUtrain]

For one, I doubt we'd ever be able to separate ourselves from the Indian symbolism, even if the university did it "officially."  There would be plenty of the old logos in the crowd, and even now there are students who come in with feathers in their hair for MU games.

Though I do find it interesting that so many people claim the "Golden Eagle" mascot is weak.  Why is the Bald Eagle viewed as a symbol of strength?

Agreed.  It's not going to be changed, and further complaining only divides MU.  We are Marquette!, regardless of what our mascot is.

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

For one, I doubt we'd ever be able to separate ourselves from the Indian symbolism, even if the university did it "officially."  There would be plenty of the old logos in the crowd, and even now there are students who come in with feathers in their hair for MU games.

Do you really not understand that people wear old logos and headdresses as a protest against the nickname? Nobody supports rascist imagery. Get a new logo and people would wear it. It's not the Indian symbol people are upset about, it's the name. I never saw a single Willie Wampum until the name was changed.

[augoman]

interesting point, PRN, and I think you're right.  I don't recall seeing any willie wampums when the first warrior was our symbol.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

QUOTE:
Do you really not understand that people wear old logos and headdresses as a protest against the nickname? Nobody supports rascist imagery. Get a new logo and people would wear it. It's not the Indian symbol people are upset about, it's the name. I never saw a single Willie Wampum until the name was changed.



Interesting take... but I think you'd still see Willie Wampums around just because now it has some retro cache with people.

I also think that you didn't see many Willie Wampums before because the stuff just wasn't around... (back in 80's and early 90's). Now with the google, ebay, cafe express, etc. I can have something with the Willie Wampum logo before this weekend. It's just easier to get, and retro is different and cool.

I'm not thrilled with the choice on nickname that the school made back in 1994. They were trying to do the "right" thing (as they saw it), but it exploded in their face. Probably should have just changed the logo or changed the nickname back to "Hilltoppers" and moved on.

Flash forward to modern day and as it stands now, I like what they are doing with the marketing and logo and I think the Warrior argument is getting old.

The University has done so many other good things in the past 10 years that the Warrior thing just seems unimportant.

[mviale]

I have to explain our darn nickname at least once a month during the regular season.  It pains me that our area Pro bball team is called the warriors and MU cant do the same.

[muwarrior87]

For one, I doubt we'd ever be able to separate ourselves from the Indian symbolism, even if the university did it "officially."  There would be plenty of the old logos in the crowd, and even now there are students who come in with feathers in their hair for MU games.

Do you really not understand that people wear old logos and headdresses as a protest against the nickname? Nobody supports rascist imagery. Get a new logo and people would wear it. It's not the Indian symbol people are upset about, it's the name. I never saw a single Willie Wampum until the name was changed.

This is true, whenever old logos are put on signs/shirts, it's because ppl are showing what they truely are, not golden eagles, warriors. That's why we protest, I absolutely hate the eagle and if the name was changed back, yeah, there will still be old logos used, but I doubt that it would be quite as prevelant as now. We dont use the logo to descriminate against Native Americans, we use it to show pride in our school's history.

[4everwarriors]

to the choir. I say it's time to take the fight to the streets.

BTW, is there a more offensive and insensitive nickname in all of sports than the Washington Redskins?

[Marquette84]

Say, does anyone know the final impact the nickname had on fundraising and admissions? Many here assured us that the nickname issue would have a dramatic negative result in student admissions, fundraising and recruiting. 

We all know recruiting really sucks this year.  We'll be lucky to even qualify for the Big East tourney in a couple of years with stiffs like Mbwake and Chritopherson. 

I'm just hoping that MU can manage to attract enough marginal students to keep the doors open.  Aren't there only a couple hundred students in all still here?

[\sarcasm]

[Avenue Commons]

to the choir. I say when it's time to take the fight to the streets.

Yeah, you take that fight to the streets! You'll show those fools at Marquette what's important! Who cares if the athletic program is a success in the Big East, admissions and fundraising are at an all-time high, and the campus looks amazing with new buildings and developments? There's action that needs to be done and some guys on a message board are the ones to do it! Take the fight to the streets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[AlienWarrior]

Money,money,money .The University got their big donations and don't give a rats ass about the rest of us .

[IAmMarquette]

Wait...

What's that...

That sound...

Sounds like...

Oh, right. It's the sound of a dead horse, being beaten mercilessly.

[mu_hilltopper]

Money,money,money .The University got their big donations and don't give a rats ass about the rest of us .

That was pretty much what John Bergstrom said during the "Gold" open session discussion.  Still remember my ears ringing.  "Q: Since people are pretty upset, do you think changing to Gold will have an effect on donations?  A: Did you see the news last week?  We got a $1m donation.  And I hear there's some other ones like that in the pipeline."

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Money,money,money .The University got their big donations and don't give a rats ass about the rest of us .

That was pretty much what John Bergstrom said during the "Gold" open session discussion.  Still remember my ears ringing.  "Q: Since people are pretty upset, do you think changing to Gold will have an effect on donations?  A: Did you see the news last week?  We got a $1m donation.  And I hear there's some other ones like that in the pipeline."

Well, there are 2 ways to look at this:

#1 All of the people with money, power and "pull" at MU are "pro-golden eagle" or at the very least they don't really care about the Warrior nickname

#2 The people with the money, power and "pull" are probably a reasonable representation of the actual MU community as a whole... and thus we are seeing that most people don't really care.

It reality it's probably a mix of both. Some people are pro-eagle (lets say 20%), some are pro Warrior (let's say 35%) and the majority probably don't really care too much, or are pleased with the other stuff MU has done and they just aren't worried about it (45%).

I know what the surveys said, but as a person who has worked with focus groups and surveys in my career, I can say that a lot of times answers on paper don't always transfer to real life. People say they want to eat healthier in every survey known to man, but McDonald's drive through is still packed everyday.

People "say" they like the Warrior better, but what are they really doing about it? Are they boycotting games? Are they witholding donations? Are they not sending their kids there? Let's face it, MU is a private institution, the quickest way to make an effect is to put a dent in MU's pocketbook.

I know we don't want to hear that, but it's the truth.

[bma725]

It reality it's probably a mix of both. Some people are pro-eagle (lets say 20%), some are pro Warrior (let's say 35%) and the majority probably don't really care too much, or are pleased with the other stuff MU has done and they just aren't worried about it (45%).

I think the percentage of those that don't care at all is probably a lot higher than you think, given that until very recently, a majority of students didn't go to games, didn't get season tickets, didn't support the teams etc.  It shocks people on these boards, but there are a heck of a lot of people who went to MU, love MU and don't care one way or the other about the sports teams.  They are really only concerned with MU the academic instituion. 

Of the smaller group of people that actually care about the MU sports and the nickname, the Warrior group far outweighs the Golden Eagle group and the (yes they do exist) Hilltopper group.  But there simply aren't enough of them and they don't have enough money to force MU to listen. 

[Nukem2]

I love the Warrior name and would love to have it back.  but, in the end, it makes no difference in my support in the stands of the basketball team nor does it have any effect on what I contribute to the university.  I think we all need to let this "issue" just go away and die of natural causes.

[mu_hilltopper]

I think it would also surprise people how a large a number of people graduate MU and then are just completely done with the school, besides thinking for 10 seconds about their 5/10/15/20 year reunion before deciding against going.

After 3 poorly attended reunions (5-15) it really surprised me.  Sure, a chunk of people have obligations .. but if you care, you care.

.. So I agree.  Of the people who care, who go to reunions, who go to sports events, who follow the teams .. I'd bet they are 70% pro-Warrior, at least.   Unfortunately, there's a giant percentage of folks who graduate and they're done with MU.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

It reality it's probably a mix of both. Some people are pro-eagle (lets say 20%), some are pro Warrior (let's say 35%) and the majority probably don't really care too much, or are pleased with the other stuff MU has done and they just aren't worried about it (45%).

I think the percentage of those that don't care at all is probably a lot higher than you think, given that until very recently, a majority of students didn't go to games, didn't get season tickets, didn't support the teams etc.  It shocks people on these boards, but there are a heck of a lot of people who went to MU, love MU and don't care one way or the other about the sports teams.  They are really only concerned with MU the academic instituion. 

Of the smaller group of people that actually care about the MU sports and the nickname, the Warrior group far outweighs the Golden Eagle group and the (yes they do exist) Hilltopper group.  But there simply aren't enough of them and they don't have enough money to force MU to listen. 

You are probably right... I was picking rough numbers for the sake of discussion. I agree that most people couldn't care less.

The point is, no matter what the surveys said, not too many people with or without big $ are concerned with the nickname.

I think that MU has made some great strides in the past 10 years (athletically, academically, architecturally) and I think the nickname thing is quickly moving towards the bottom of the list of things that people want MU to do.

I'd rather have a great campus, great hoops team, good/great academic reputation, an increased effort to link in with the Milwaukee community, etc. before I'd get too excited about the nickname.

I understand why people love the name and are linked to it (tradition, memories, pride, etc), but MU will continue to evolve and will never be what it was in 1977, 1987, 1997, or even 2007. It's always going to be changing. Most of the recent changes have been great. If you don't believe me, go walk around campus. I know we are all sad that the 'lanche is gone, and there is no more Louie D's, but if you look objectively, MU has done a great job with the campus facilities.