Team Names

This post borders on the ridiculous but is an indication of how my solitary mind works, sometimes.

I was having an online conversation with my daughter last evening when she mentioned that one of the local high schools where she lives was playing in a football championship game.  And this is where my brain train left the track.

At their inception, schools will adopt a name/mascot for their teams, especially for football, that implies something fierce, courageous, and strong as a representative of their teams' competitive might.  Last night's game in Washington took place between the Bothell Cougars and the Camas Papermakers.  Wait...what???  I understand Cougars as a team name, since there are still sightings of cougars (mountain lions) on a regular basis in the Bothell, WA, area.  Picture the head of a predatory cougar as their avatar. But Papermakers?  Yes, yes, I understand that the logging industry in Washington is likely a major contributor of paper for the nation, but what do they use as a symbol for their team?  And what do the cheerleaders yell?  How does their Fight Song sound?  It's amusing to speculate.  (The Papermakers won the championship game, by the way.)

My own high school's team (in Oak Park, IL) was the Huskies.  Picture the head of a Siberian Husky with a strong look in its eye.  Go, Huskies!

The high school where I taught for many years (Monrovia, IN) had the Bulldogs.  Picture the head of a bulldog, always gray in color, with a spike-studded collar to make it look tougher.  Fight, Bulldogs!

My alma mater, Illinois State University, was represented by the Red Birds.  Not Cardinals--Red Birds.  Picture the head of a cardinal with a hawk-like look in its black-outlined eyes.  Win, Birds!

I mean, you can see it, can't you?  The University of Illinois has the Fighting Illini (unless they recently changed it for politically correct reasons).  Picture the head of an Illini warrior, with complete "Indian" headdress.  Purdue University here in Indiana has the Boilermakers, with their symbol as a big, black, steam-powered train engine with a huge cow-catcher on the front, coming at you head-on.  They all work, yes?

And then there are others that are a bit more humorous to contemplate, with no disrespect intended:

*Cloverdale (Indiana) has the Clovers.  Clovers are plants.

*Indiana State University has the Sycamores.  Sycamores are trees.  

*Indiana University has the Hoosiers.  Hoosiers is the nickname for people who reside in Indiana, but no one can tell you from whence the name came.

*Plainfield (Indiana), where I live, has the Quakers.  This one tickles me the most.  The reference isn't to earthquakes but rather a religious denomination, The Society of Friends, nicknamed Quakers.  Indiana in general, and Hendricks County in particular, has a large number of Friends churches.  Some Quaker people were instrumental in the Underground Railroad, helping enslaved people reach freedom.  The Friends Annual Western Meeting House is in Plainfield; hence, the team name.  The team picture is of a man in traditional Quaker garb, top-heavy with broad shoulders and Popeye-like biceps, and a tough look on his face--the "Fighting Quaker".  HOWEVER, by practice and tradition, Quakers are pacifists.  Somehow, it seems contradictory to be yelling, "Kill 'em, Quakers!" to encourage the football team.

Hey...they didn't ask me!  I didn't make this stuff up.  Were I better informed on team names, I could probably come up with more.  For the moment, it's enough for my mind to wander into the possibilities:
Stomp 'em, Clovers!
Sic 'em, trees!
Hoo-hoo-hoo, Hoosiers!
Kill 'em with kindness, Quakers!

I'll let myself out.