Marquette Gold revisited

[TomW1365]

I ran across this Dwyane Wade link on Youtube today and got a kick out of it.  For all the things that Fr Wild and the board of trustees did right over the last 10-15 years, they sure did screw the pooch on this one.  I'm still in disbelief that they thought it was a good idea to change Marquette's mascot to Gold.  The only good that would have come of it was that we'd be an answer to a trivia question.  
What college division one schools have mascots that don't end in the letter s?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcrEl_r8xEE

There are so many things about this picture that make me laugh...

 

[MerrittsMustache]

I ran across this Dwyane Wade link on Youtube today and got a kick out of it.  For all the things that Fr Wild and the board of trustees did right over the last 10-15 years, they sure did screw the pooch on this one.  I'm still in disbelief that they thought it was a good idea to change Marquette's mascot to Gold.  The only good that would have come of it was that we'd be an answer to a trivia question.  
What college division one schools have mascots that don't end in the letter s?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcrEl_r8xEE

There are so many things about this picture that make me laugh...

 

The dude with the t-shirt tucked into his black dress pants is my favorite part of the picture.

Hopefully we can get some conspiracy theory posters on here who can tell us that they changed the name to Gold so that in the re-vote, Golden Eagles would seem so bad.

[TomW1365]

You would have thought that picture was taken in 1987!  A friend of mine is the guy in the backwards hat who is laughing in the background... I'm not sure if he's laughing at the nickname or the three dingle-berries who's lives were crushed by that announcement.
Dwyane Wade's reaction is priceless.... I think we all felt the same way.

[mu-rara]

The dude with the t-shirt tucked into his black dress pants is my favorite part of the picture.

Hopefully we can get some conspiracy theory posters on here who can tell us that they changed the name to Gold so that in the re-vote, Golden Eagles would seem so bad.

Or how the administration threw out all the votes for Warrior in '94.  ( Warrior was the clear winner)

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Gold was Crean's idea. It is an absolute, ironclad fact.

Even with that knowledge, I'd rather be Gold than Golden Eagles.

[Canadian Dimes]

is that Peter Brady?

[Canadian Dimes]

Some times people like Tom Crean are so advanced in their thinking and so revolutionary in their ideas that simple common folk cannot comprehend their brilliance.  Genius types, such as Galileo and Einstein, often faced ridicule and resentment until decades later when people began to understand their brilliance.

You, me, Shaq, DWade and the dorks in the photo have no comprehension for Tom Creans brilliance.

[TomW1365]

Gold was Crean's idea. It is an absolute, ironclad fact.

Even with that knowledge, I'd rather be Gold than Golden Eagles.

I didn't know that it was Crean's idea let alone an absolute, ironclad fact...
I for one am alright with keeping Golden Eagles over Gold.  

  

[Aughnanure]

I know no one will agree with me on this....but Id rather have Gold than Golden Eagles simply for the fact that we arent a copy of 20 other team's mascots. I think its a stupid nickname (Syracuse gets away with Orange btw), but renaming your mascot/nickname after other schools' is just as bad - is it really that hard to think of something different or orignal, especially when half of all colleges have the mascots bulldogs, wildcats, tigers and golden eagles?  At least they put effort into it, it was still a poor effort, but at least they tried to think outside of the box for once.

[bilsu]

I know no one will agree with me on this....but Id rather have Gold than Golden Eagles simply for the fact that we arent a copy of 20 other team's mascots. I think its a stupid nickname (Syracuse gets away with Orange btw), but renaming your mascot/nickname after other schools' is just as bad - is it really that hard to think of something different or orignal, especially when half of all colleges have the mascots bulldogs, wildcats, tigers and golden eagles?  At least they put effort into it, it was still a poor effort, but at least they tried to think outside of the box for once.

I would to. The problem with the whole thing was it was set up that you could vote for Warriors. Gold was such a let down compared to going back to Warriors that the back lash was tremendous. Then the administative said we would just stay with Golden Eagles. There is no question that we would prefer Warriors to anything. The question that was not answered was whether the fan base would prefer Gold to Golden Eagles. They totally screwed that one up. They should have let the fans vote between Golden Eagles, Gold and maybe one other choice, excluding Warriors instead of just defaulting back to Golden Eagles. All they did was waste the fans' time and piss them off.

[Villacats]

It was a shame, could have been the greatest college mascot ever...

[Benny B]

It was a shame, could have been the greatest college mascot ever...

Amen to that.  I was ready to pull out my old roller skates, paint them gold, and get a jersey customized with "Goldiewang" on the back.

But then, I probably wouldn't be married today if not for the failure (or genius) of the Golden Eagle-to-Gold campaign.

[🏀]

I totally would have been cool with Marquette Gold if we had some Warrior imagery.


So, I agree with Aughnanure.

[MerrittsMustache]

I would to. The problem with the whole thing was it was set up that you could vote for Warriors. Gold was such a let down compared to going back to Warriors that the back lash was tremendous. Then the administative said we would just stay with Golden Eagles. There is no question that we would prefer Warriors to anything. The question that was not answered was whether the fan base would prefer Gold to Golden Eagles. They totally screwed that one up. They should have let the fans vote between Golden Eagles, Gold and maybe one other choice, excluding Warriors instead of just defaulting back to Golden Eagles. All they did was waste the fans' time and piss them off.

They eventually did have a vote and Golden Eagles won. They also told voters than any write-ins for Warriors would not be counted...and then they counted the Warriors write-ins and told us that it finished well behind Golden Eagles. If Warriors actually was a choice, I have a feeling the results would have been very different.

My one and only "source" heard rumors that they toyed with the idea of becoming the Golden Warriors, obviously dropping any Native American imagery. However, some thought the imagery would still be there and others claimed it sounded too similar to Golden State Warriors.

[Henry Sugar]

Gold vs Golden Eagles is just a game of "would you rather"

At least with Gold we could have used Bricky the mascot.

[Litehouse]

I thought Gold wasn't that bad, and definitely would have preferred it to Golden Eagles, but that's not saying much since GE's sets the bar pretty low.  The problem was everyone was geared up for a glorious return to Warriors and then Gold came out of left-field.

[reinko]

Makes the eagle look like a bitch.  Sorry TT.

[MUfan12]

I thought Gold wasn't that bad, and definitely would have preferred it to Golden Eagles, but that's not saying much since GE's sets the bar pretty low.  The problem was everyone was geared up for a glorious return to Warriors and then Gold came out of left-field.

They shouldn't have publicly began the process if they were going to give the Indians veto power, like they did. It turned out to be a giant waste of time and created more bad feelings than it needed to.

[4everwarriors]

It was a shame, could have been the greatest college mascot ever...

Here are your Marquette Gold' n Showers.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I always thought going back to Hilltoppers would have been the least objectionable.

It has some historic connection to the school, and outside of Western Kentucky, I can't think of another school that uses it.

Oh well.

[Coleman]

What college division one schools have mascots that don't end in the letter s?

Harvard Crimson, Sycracuse Orange, Stanford Cardinal (color not bird)

Its not THAT common, but it happens. Not defending Gold, just stating fact.



The picture is hilarious. I was a sophomore that year. While most people were for warriors (including myself), we didn't really do the whole protest thing. The most vocal part of the Warrior crowd seemed like a bunch of dorks. They organized the rally and Students for Warriors organization and dressed like this. Sorry if I offended anyone in that crowd, I'm sure not all of you were like that. But that was the impression we all got.


Also, Hilltoppers would have been cool. Don't know why that wasn't seriously considered back in 1994...

[Blue Horseshoe]

Golden Eagles is relatively generic. It doesn't help that it looks like the same guy does the artwork for ALL the schools w/ that mascot. I refuse to buy anything MU affiliated that has a bird on it.

[MUBurrow]

I also prefer Gold just for the originality factor, but given how pissed everyone was at the administration, the chances of Gold making it through the vote in real time was about 0%. The most ironic thing about it all was that in some weird way, revoting for Golden Eagles was like sticking it to the man, because it was the administration that had given us Gold in the first place.  

Putting aside Warriors for a minute, one name that I was disappointed didn't get more attention was Golden Avalanche from the football days. I remember that it was what I voted for during the first vote (naturally hence my disappointment I guess). The only problem would be some sort of tasteful mascot/imagery.  Oh well.  And FWIW, there is a really cool Golden Avalanche faded T-shirt available in the spirit shop right now.  If I had a brain I would've bought more than one considering how much I wear it.

[PJDunn]

Golden Avalanche or the Hilltoppers would have made everyone happy.  My 8 and 12 year old don't believe in Santa Claus, but they do still believe that our nickname is the Warriors. 

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Golden Avalanche or the Hilltoppers would have made everyone happy.  My 8 and 12 year old don't believe in Santa Claus, but they do still believe that our nickname is the Warriors. 

Golden Avalanche or Hilltoppers would have been much less controversial than the crap they gave us in 1994.

Incidentally, the administration has admitted that they didn't want an Avalanche nickname because of the bar!! (You think the student section "naming" was on the up and up?)

I mean, really? A bar named after one of our original mascots is too controversial? Absolute BUFFOONS are on our BOTs. Buffoons.

[JWags85]

Putting aside Warriors for a minute, one name that I was disappointed didn't get more attention was Golden Avalanche from the football days. I remember that it was what I voted for during the first vote (naturally hence my disappointment I guess). The only problem would be some sort of tasteful mascot/imagery.  Oh well.  And FWIW, there is a really cool Golden Avalanche faded T-shirt available in the spirit shop right now.  If I had a brain I would've bought more than one considering how much I wear it.

I have it, and living in Chicago, I get compliments/comments on it honestly about 75% of the time I wear it.  Its awesome.

[MerrittsMustache]

Golden Avalanche or the Hilltoppers would have made everyone happy.  My 8 and 12 year old don't believe in Santa Claus, but they do still believe that our nickname is the Warriors. 

Not true. There's a significant contingent of MU alums who would only be happy with Warriors. There would be another contingent of alums who would think that MU would have looked like a bunch of fools if they were on their third nickname in a 12-year span.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Not true. There's a significant contingent of MU alums who would only be happy with Warriors. There would be another contingent of alums who would think that MU would have looked like a bunch of fools if they were on their third nickname in a 12-year span.

You're right, but the easy defense for that is, "We're going back to the school's original nickname. We feel "Hilltoppers" is an important part of the MU history, and we are going to embrace and honor Marquette's ORIGINAL nickname."

[PJDunn]

That is why both those nicknames would of worked...they are part of our history.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

my vote was for no nickname.  just Marquette.  that would have been unique.

[🏀]

my vote was for no nickname.  just Marquette.  that would have been unique.

That would be have been awesome, but would potentially have marketing issues.

[Coleman]

We could have just had a large cartoon Fr. Marquette mascot. That would have been sweet.

[T-Bone]

I thought the '94 vote came down between the Golden Eagles and the Lightning.  Or at least that's what the administration said were the top 2 vote getters.

[MerrittsMustache]

my vote was for no nickname.  just Marquette.  that would have been unique.

It's good to know that Gold wasn't the worst idea out there.

[cheebs09]

I will say one of the positives to come out of the Gold fiasco was the new MU logo they came up with. I think it is a pretty cool logo. Now the new Golden Eagle, I'm not so high on, but the MU is pretty cool.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

It's good to know that Gold wasn't the worst idea out there.

why?  most people hate the GE, or at least are apathetic towards it.  use the monogram and just be Marquette.

plus, in the absence of a nickname, the warrior nickname would be used by announcers, etc.

[boyonthedock]

anything but boring overused golden eagles. the generic nickname is the number one reason IMO why announcers still slip up with warriors. who cares about a generic new name. I voted for avalanche in the first round, and hilltoppers in the second. just anything but golden eagles. i would have also accepted jesuits, jumping or no.

I was one of the few people that didn't hate gold, if only it was something different than everywhere else.

[Canadian Dimes]

I thought the '94 vote came down between the Golden Eagles and the Lightning.  Or at least that's what the administration said were the top 2 vote getters.

T-bone you are absolutely correct the 94 came down to those two...I beleive the admisitration wanted Golden Eagles all along and came up with Linghtning because it was so universally stupid that no one could vote for it.  my self and many others wanted golden avalanche back in 1994 but it was denied.  i spoke to cords afew years later and brought up the whole 1994 vote...i point balnk asked him why they were so adamnatly against the Avalanche.  I told him it was at least original and historic and something all MU alums could embrace, especially many of the older grads.  cord's response was they thought Avalanche would be a marketing and imaging and mascot issue...to which i stated  'so what the hell were you going to do with Lightning"...he had no answer.  Who needs logic when u have an agenda....

Gold presented the same problems.....

Avalanche was so simple in my opinion

[Avenue Commons]

They should have let the fans vote between Golden Eagles, Gold and maybe one other choice, excluding Warriors instead of just defaulting back to Golden Eagles. All they did was waste the fans' time and piss them off.

This is close to what did happened. There were a number of other options besides Gold and Golden Eagles. That was the problem, though. The "other" options split up the dissenters' votes and left Golden Eagles standing alone as the "conservative" option. The voting was done online. I knew as soon as I logged on that this is what would happen.

Golden Eagles won because it was the most "familiar" and, believe it or not, many young alumni relate to it. It has been our mascot for 16 years after all.

BTW, we were never "the Gold." It was only a proposed nickname. It was never actually the nickname for MU athletics.

[Benny B]

plus, in the absence of a nickname, the warrior nickname would be used by announcers, etc.

anything but boring overused golden eagles. the generic nickname is the number one reason IMO why announcers still slip up with warriors.

There are some media & sportscasters - those considered "old-school" or those with "street cred" (or whatever the current jargon is) - that still refer to MU as the Warriors.  If they do "slip up," it's when they call them the Golden Eagles.  Some of the older guys, especially those who knew Al McGuire, seem to share the sentiment that changing the nickname was a disservice not only to Marquette, but to college hoops in general.  Honestly, I've never heard Dicks Enberg or Vitale refer to Marquette as the Golden Eagles - not to say that he hasn't, but these two are good examples of the rarest of offenders when it comes to not using the Warrior name.  Even the younger guys with respect for the game and tradition (Jay Bilas, for example) toss the "correct politically incorrect" nickname out there every once in a while - granted, some of them may be pandering to the MU crowd, but regardless of intent, it's welcome to know that those of us who still feel affected in some way by the Travesty of '94 do not stand alone in the college hoops world.

Nevertheless, I'll bet anyone a dollar that you hear "Warriors" at least twice on Big Monday this year.

[bork]

Don't blame me, I voted for Lightning.   

[mug644]

I understood why Golden Avalanche was not desirable to the administration and some alums--I was at MU during the 'Lanche's hey-day (well, maybe not all of it!)--but I never did understand why there didn't seem to be much energy towards Hilltoppers as the best alternative to Warriors. I would've, absolutely, voted Warriors, and saw Hilltoppers as head and shoulders better than either Golden Eagles or Gold, if only for the history.

[Litehouse]

why?  most people hate the GE, or at least are apathetic towards it.  use the monogram and just be Marquette.

plus, in the absence of a nickname, the warrior nickname would be used by announcers, etc.

Absolutely agree.  For all practical purposes, MU has no nickname right now.  It's used as little as possible, and it's difficult to even find a shirt with the GE name at the Warrior Shoppe.

I think it would have been cool to just drop it.  It could have been like the early baseball teams (Dodgers, Giants, Pirates, etc.) that received their nickname over time, mostly based on phrases coined by sports writers.

[MU B2002]

Stanford Cardinal (color not bird)

Tree, not color.

[MerrittsMustache]

Tree, not color.

The tree is the mascot but the nickname is Cardinal the color.

[MU B2002]

The tree is the mascot but the nickname is Cardinal the color.

Well then..I learned something new today

Thanks.

[mu-rara]

The tree is the mascot but the nickname is Cardinal the color.

Do they actually have a tree running around at their games?   That's almost as dumb as a brick of gold, or a golden chicken.

[reinko]

Do they actually have a tree running around at their games?   That's almost as dumb as a brick of gold, or a golden chicken.

It's an unofficial mascot, put on by a student organization.


Per wikipedia:

The Stanford Tree is the unofficial mascot of Stanford University. Stanford's team name is "The Cardinal," referring to the vivid red color (not the common song bird as at several other schools), and the University has never been able to come up with an official mascot which adequately conveys the fierceness and sporting prowess it had hoped to symbolize with that particular shade of sanguine. This fact creates a void not typically found at schools with less-abstract symbols for their sports teams, and into this unfulfilled void the Stanford Band has insistently thrust what is one of the United States' most bizarre and controversial college mascots.[1] The tree regularly appears at the top of internet 'worst mascot' lists.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

[Ari Gold]

Hilltoppers is not a good idea because MUHS is the Hilltoppers now. Not that there is a huge issue about sharing a nickname with any high school team because that happens all the time, its just that MUHS is 10 blocks away.  Their mascot is a ram.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Hilltoppers is not a good idea because MUHS is the Hilltoppers now. Not that there is a huge issue about sharing a nickname with any high school team because that happens all the time, its just that MUHS is 10 blocks away.  Their mascot is a ram.

Hilltoppers was MU's first nickname. They don't have to be scared of going back to it because MUHS kept the nickname.

Hell, MU basically took BC's nickname. That should have been a bigger concern.

[redbirdwarrior]

Just so the history is correct, in '94 the university was set to announce the new nickname as the Lightning.  Shirts were designed and ordered.  The student body wanted to stick it to the BOT and administration and loud protests were heard.  As a face saving measure, the administration announced that a vote would be held between the Lightning and the runner-up recommended Golden Eagles.  Golden Eagles won in a landslide as students knew it was not the chosen thought.

So in some crazy way, Golden Eagles was twice the "stick it to the man" choice.  (I still wish that someone would just rename the damn chicken hawk Warrior, and return to the Warriors nickname without Indian imagery.  We could change the mascot later.)

[Lennys Tap]

Hilltoppers was MU's first nickname. They don't have to be scared of going back to it because MUHS kept the nickname.

Hell, MU basically took BC's nickname. That should have been a bigger concern.

Not to mention Southern Mississippi's.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Not to mention Southern Mississippi's.

Yes, I just think BC is the most shocking because BC and MU are pretty similar schools, so it's insane that GE was given as an option.

Do you think ND would ever change their name to be more similar to another major Catholic school?

[ATL MU Warrior]

Yes, I just think BC is the most shocking because BC and MU are pretty similar schools, so it's insane that GE was given as an option.

Do you think ND would ever change their name to be more similar to another major Catholic school?

Bad example...Irish people are proud of their drunken stupidity 

[MerrittsMustache]

Just so the history is correct, in '94 the university was set to announce the new nickname as the Lightning.  Shirts were designed and ordered.  The student body wanted to stick it to the BOT and administration and loud protests were heard.  As a face saving measure, the administration announced that a vote would be held between the Lightning and the runner-up recommended Golden Eagles.  Golden Eagles won in a landslide as students knew it was not the chosen thought.

So in some crazy way, Golden Eagles was twice the "stick it to the man" choice.  (I still wish that someone would just rename the damn chicken hawk Warrior, and return to the Warriors nickname without Indian imagery.  We could change the mascot later.)

Good info, redbird.

Interesting to know that the nickname so many people hate was actually voted to be the nickname on two different occasions. Sounds similar to George W. Bush* - a lot of people hate him but he was still elected twice, in part because the other options were even less desirable 


* - Please don't turn this into a political debate. I was merely pointing out what I thought to be an interesting comparison.

[Lennys Tap]

Yes, I just think BC is the most shocking because BC and MU are pretty similar schools, so it's insane that GE was given as an option.

Do you think ND would ever change their name to be more similar to another major Catholic school?

I guess I'd agree that choosing the same nickname as BC added to the insanity -  an insanity defined first and foremost by the idea that the nickname "Warriors" was in and of itself so insensitive (racist?) that it had to be dropped. It's no surprise to me that the very same people responsible for the death of the Warriors gave birth to the idea of the Golden Eagle.

[ChicosBailBonds]

I guess I'd agree that choosing the same nickname as BC added to the insanity -  an insanity defined first and foremost by the idea that the nickname "Warriors" was in and of itself so insensitive (racist?) that it had to be dropped. It's no surprise to me that the very same people responsible for the death of the Warriors gave birth to the idea of the Golden Eagle.

Since when is Boston College's nickname the Golden Eagles?   It's the Eagles, not Golden Eagles.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Since when is Boston College's nickname the Golden Eagles?   It's the Eagles, not Golden Eagles.

Oh, come on Donny, they were threatening castration! Are we gonna split hairs here?

[Lennys Tap]

Since when is Boston College's nickname the Golden Eagles?   It's the Eagles, not Golden Eagles.

You are correct, though BC's mascot has been a "golden eagle" since the nickname was adopted 90 years ago. Forty years of a stuffed "golden eagle" followed by 50 years of several live "golden eagles" suggests to me at least that they are those kind of eagles (golden ones). Anyway, thanks for setting me straight though I don't understand how it advances or even pertains to the discussion at hand.

[SacWarrior]

I never refer to Marquette as the Golden Eagles.

It's not even that I'm mad about the Warriors thing, I just think the goddamned thing looks like a chicken. You'll never see me wearing anything with the chicken on it.

I also laugh inside whenever I see that stupid "Mean chicken" logo

[Goatherder]

It's an unofficial mascot, put on by a student organization.


Per wikipedia:

The Stanford Tree is the unofficial mascot of Stanford University. Stanford's team name is "The Cardinal," referring to the vivid red color (not the common song bird as at several other schools), and the University has never been able to come up with an official mascot which adequately conveys the fierceness and sporting prowess it had hoped to symbolize with that particular shade of sanguine. This fact creates a void not typically found at schools with less-abstract symbols for their sports teams, and into this unfulfilled void the Stanford Band has insistently thrust what is one of the United States' most bizarre and controversial college mascots.[1] The tree regularly appears at the top of internet 'worst mascot' lists.[2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

There is a bit more history here.  When Stanford first dropped the nickname the Indians, they took up the temporary nickname, "Cardinals."  Some years later, there was a referendum on campus to choose a new nickname, and in typical irreverent Stanford style, the winner, in honor of the university's founder, was "Robber Barons."  Second was "Trees," which is not as crazy as it sounds, as the seal of Stanford university is an image of a California Sequoia.  Naturally, the administration did not get the joke, and the president declared that the university would stick with its temporary nickname, but drop the S at the end.  After all, Stanford is full of Ivy League types, and the Ivy League has a bunch of uninspiring nicknames and a couple of colors:  Harvard Crimson, Cornell Big Red, Dartmouth Big Green, (though they used to be Indians as well,) and Yale Elis.  So Stanford has a dumb nickname.  To their credit, the students and alumni are not whining about it two decades later.  They have just come up with a tree, just to make fun of the whole situation.  Maybe we can learn something from them. 

[ChicosBailBonds]

You are correct, though BC's mascot has been a "golden eagle" since the nickname was adopted 90 years ago. Forty years of a stuffed "golden eagle" followed by 50 years of several live "golden eagles" suggests to me at least that they are those kind of eagles (golden ones). Anyway, thanks for setting me straight though I don't understand how it advances or even pertains to the discussion at hand.

Fairly simple.  One, I was trying to understand why people were saying Golden Eagles for BC when it's simply not, it's the Eagles.  Here this thread was about what a nickname would be and it seemed the facts should be presented properly.  Second, what their "mascot" happens to be is of no consequence since that is not their nickname.  Was Marquette the Blue Blueteauxs because that was our mascot?  Were we the Willie Wampums? Of course not.

Maybe I'm just here to "sabotage" your argument Lenny.  

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

Fairly simple.  One, I was trying to understand why people were saying Golden Eagles for BC when it's simply not, it's the Eagles.  Here this thread was about what a nickname would be and it seemed the facts should be presented properly.  Second, what their "mascot" happens to be is of no consequence since that is not their nickname.  Was Marquette the Blue Blueteauxs because that was our mascot?  Were we the Willie Wampums? Of course not.

Maybe I'm just here to "sabotage" your argument Lenny.  

Ladies, ladies.

Let's not start with the Chico's vs Lenny's stuff again.

I was the one who said the nickname was similar to BC, because, let's face it, it is. Golden Eagles vs Eagles is almost the same frackin' name.

I hate the idea that MU chose something so close to BC's name. Sounds like a cheap knock-off.

It's bad to have the exact same nickname as Southern Miss, but I think it's just as bad to have a name that is almost the same as a school MU does actually have a lot in common with.

[JWags85]

There is a bit more history here.  When Stanford first dropped the nickname the Indians, they took up the temporary nickname, "Cardinals."  Some years later, there was a referendum on campus to choose a new nickname, and in typical irreverent Stanford style, the winner, in honor of the university's founder, was "Robber Barons."  Second was "Trees," which is not as crazy as it sounds, as the seal of Stanford university is an image of a California Sequoia.  

What an awesome nickname that would be.

Fun fact, Leland Stanford got his start practicing law in Port Washington.

[Canadian Dimes]

Just so the history is correct, in '94 the university was set to announce the new nickname as the Lightning.  Shirts were designed and ordered.  The student body wanted to stick it to the BOT and administration and loud protests were heard.  As a face saving measure, the administration announced that a vote would be held between the Lightning and the runner-up recommended Golden Eagles.  Golden Eagles won in a landslide as students knew it was not the chosen thought.

So in some crazy way, Golden Eagles was twice the "stick it to the man" choice.  (I still wish that someone would just rename the damn chicken hawk Warrior, and return to the Warriors nickname without Indian imagery.  We could change the mascot later.)

Sorry that you remeber it that way redbird but you are absolutely 100% incorrect in what you beleive.  First of all "the student body wanted to stick it to the BOT"  are you serious>? this was primarily an alumni issue.  Second of all the vote went to Golden eagles becuase Lightning was so incredibly stupid.  Now a revionist historian might want to rewrite it as the "students sticking it to the man"  but it was actually much simpler than that. 

[mu-rara]

First of all "the student body wanted to stick it to the BOT"  are you serious>? this was primarily an alumni issue. 

The students were overwhelmingly Warrior supporters in '94.  My understanding is that Warrior won the vote by a mile, but the votes were not counted.

[redbirdwarrior]

Dimes:

Sorry, no revisionist history here.  Go to the Warrior Shop and ask anyone who was around when the vote happened.  They had Lighting stuff ordered.  As one of the students on campus at the time, we were all peeved that Warriors was going away.  It was the first time I ever swore about a priest.  Word leaked about the Lightning.  We weren't going to let the same people who took away the history of our beloved Warriors win.  We got the chance to vote and we did exactly opposite of what the administration wanted and voted for Golden Eagles.  Yes, many still voted Warriors, but those weren't counted.  Hence the statement that a name we all hated was a vote to stick it to those in power. 

Others may have had other reasons for their votes, but I know that that was the reason for the votes of everyone to whom I spoke.  I would love to have the Warriors back and still only wear Warriors Marquette shirts after the dumb survey and re-vote, but would love to have another Final 4 and Title more.  My last word on this.  Discuss amongst yourselves.  Enjoy...

[PuertoRicanNightmare]

Go to the Warrior Shop and ask anyone who was around when the vote happened.  They had Lighting stuff ordered.

They have people at the shop that have been there for 16 years?

[dgies9156]

I still like my idea of the Marquette Inquisition.

Our Islamic friends might find it insensitive, but it was a part of Catholic tradition and I believe the Jesuits had a lot to do with it. I like the idea of "Go Inquirers"

Or the Marquette Flames, in honor of Joan of Arc Chapel. Guess what we could do to a cheerleader at halftime????

[T-Bone]

Jumpin' Jesuits would have been perfect. 

[4everwarriors]

They have people at the shop that have been there for 16 years?

They probably have tenure.

[🏀]

They probably have tenure.

The Local Gift Shoppers 164 is a tough union.

[chapman]

They have people at the shop that have been there for 16 years?

They have people at the shop that have been there for 16 weeks?

[Benny B]

The Local Gift Shoppers 164 is a tough union.

Yeah... but they talk too much, especially in bars... to strangers.

[ChicosBailBonds]

They have people at the shop that have been there for 16 years?

Jim Graebert I believe has run it since day one.

[Jay Bee]

I was in school when the vote happened.. as best as I can remember (which probably isn't very good), we got to pick between two names.  Golden Eagles was the only reasonable choice, although I think we discussed the concern with having the same name as about 12 other schools with D1 or 2 athletics. 

I recall a lot of us wanting Hilltoppers and not understanding why that couldn't be an option.  I definitely do not recall a move to 'stick it to 'em' by voting for the GEs... rather Lightning was so goofy, GEs was the only choice.  I think* Tampa Bay had just started as a hockey team... maybe a year or two before.

Anyway, we are the Warriors. 

[Ahoya06]

The dude with the t-shirt tucked into his black dress pants is my favorite part of the picture.

To throw the thread back to it's original photo, that dude would be me, in probably the worst photo ever taken. The shirt's tucked in 'cause my new-warriors.com shirt ran a couple sizes too long, so I was damned either way as far as looking ridiculous goes.

There were few moments in my life that I was as confused as I was when I saw "Gold"...