[Mick]

We know why the Stanford mascot was originally the Indians, briefly the Cardinals, almost the Robber Barons and now the Cardinal.

Without looking it up, why is Notre Dame known as the Fighting Irish?

[Mick]

We know why the Stanford mascot was originally the Indians, briefly the Cardinals, almost the Robber Barons and now the Cardinal.

Without looking it up, why is Notre Dame known as the Fighting Irish?

[Phogge]

One of the first priests was a banty little guy named O'Hara. At the first Rose Bowl one of the Stanford yell leaders through his megaphone made a joke about the potato famine. O'Hara marched across the field and confronted the guy who was startled to see a five foot nothing pissed off leprechaun below him. That's the last thing he saw until the Stanford trainer revived him with smelling salts. Word got back to Palo Alto that Notre Dame brought along some belligerent clerics and a Mini Me sized reverend named O'Hara. The Daily called him a fighting Irishman.

BobbbbbbbbbbK read about it at breakfast on January 3, 1901.

[Phogge]

One of the first priests was a banty little guy named O'Hara. At the first Rose Bowl one of the Stanford yell leaders through his megaphone made a joke about the potato famine. O'Hara marched across the field and confronted the guy who was startled to see a five foot nothing pissed off leprechaun below him. That's the last thing he saw until the Stanford trainer revived him with smelling salts. Word got back to Palo Alto that Notre Dame brought along some belligerent clerics and a Mini Me sized reverend named O'Hara. The Daily called him a fighting Irishman.

BobbbbbbbbbbK read about it at breakfast on January 3, 1901.

[BobK]

Stanford doesn’t have a mascot the band does
Stanford was not originally the Indians

Abd Phogge is dead on right

[BobK]

Stanford doesn’t have a mascot the band does
Stanford was not originally the Indians

Abd Phogge is dead on right

[Mick]

We know why the Stanford mascotnickname was originally the Indians (dating from 1930, per the article below), briefly the Cardinals, almost the Robber Barons and now the Cardinal.
https://gostanford.com/sports/2013/4/17/...0is%20not.

Without looking it up, why is Notre Dame known as the Fighting Irish?

The University's official blah de blah reason:
https://und.com/the-fighting-irish/#:~:t...0tenacity.

Might have been Eamonn de Valera's visit in 1919.  But the earliest mention refers to the Irish immigrant soldiers who fought for the Union side.  The brigade's chaplain was the third president of Notre Dame.
https://www.nd.edu/stories/whats-in-a-na...%20Kilmer.

But the "Fighting Irish" moniker wasn't officially adopted until 1927, shortly after Notre Dame students fought the Klan.  Indiana was a hotbed of the Ku Klux Klan, founded in that state in 1922.  On May 17, 1924, the anti-Catholic Klan decided to visit Notre Dame:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/5037...-klux-klan

[Mick]

We know why the Stanford mascotnickname was originally the Indians (dating from 1930, per the article below), briefly the Cardinals, almost the Robber Barons and now the Cardinal.
https://gostanford.com/sports/2013/4/17/...0is%20not.

Without looking it up, why is Notre Dame known as the Fighting Irish?

The University's official blah de blah reason:
https://und.com/the-fighting-irish/#:~:t...0tenacity.

Might have been Eamonn de Valera's visit in 1919.  But the earliest mention refers to the Irish immigrant soldiers who fought for the Union side.  The brigade's chaplain was the third president of Notre Dame.
https://www.nd.edu/stories/whats-in-a-na...%20Kilmer.

But the "Fighting Irish" moniker wasn't officially adopted until 1927, shortly after Notre Dame students fought the Klan.  Indiana was a hotbed of the Ku Klux Klan, founded in that state in 1922.  On May 17, 1924, the anti-Catholic Klan decided to visit Notre Dame:
https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/5037...-klux-klan

[BobK]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925.

1. The scatter like Indians on offense
2. Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

[BobK]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925.

1. The scatter like Indians on offense
2. Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

[CowboyIndian]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925. 

1.  The scatter like Indians on offense
2.  Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

I thought it was "Cardinal".

[CowboyIndian]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925. 

1.  The scatter like Indians on offense
2.  Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

I thought it was "Cardinal".

[Mick]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925. 

1.  The scatter like Indians on offense
2.  Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

Apparently Indians could skin Bears.
https://stanfordmag.org/contents/decades-of-drama

[Mick]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925. 

1.  The scatter like Indians on offense
2.  Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

Apparently Indians could skin Bears.
https://stanfordmag.org/contents/decades-of-drama

[BobK]

Or from the Stanford sports bible “the color of life is Red “. The Cardinals

Of course that future president forgot the football for the first Big Game

[BobK]

Or from the Stanford sports bible “the color of life is Red “. The Cardinals

Of course that future president forgot the football for the first Big Game

[Mick]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925. 

1.  The scatter like Indians on offense
2.  Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

I thought it was "Cardinal".

This link says from 1972 to 1981, it was the Cardinals, plural.
https://gostanford.com/sports/2013/4/17/...niversity.

[Mick]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925. 

1.  The scatter like Indians on offense
2.  Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

I thought it was "Cardinal".

This link says from 1972 to 1981, it was the Cardinals, plural.
https://gostanford.com/sports/2013/4/17/...niversity.

[BobK]

Yes plural. Of course most still said Indians. I don't remember Cradinals at all, until I became a Hall of Fame docent

[BobK]

Yes plural. Of course most still said Indians. I don't remember Cradinals at all, until I became a Hall of Fame docent

[Phogge]

You would think that Stanford would have a better nickname than a color.

Robberbarons was the cleverest but somebody will drag something sinister about Leland Sr. A safe choice would be a ferocious animal but Great White won’t work in the political climate. Grizzlies is a non starter because of the Golden Bears and the effete UCLA Bruins. You could do a deal with the shoe company but Antifa would attack the campus if Pumas was chosen.

I keep coming back to “Raptors.” Or “Velociraptors.” I would take “Harriers” but some anti-war guy would object because of the old British attack jet. “Red Tails” could be construed as war like, “Sharp Skinned” doesn’t work and “Bald Eagles” with a helmet decal of Ted Danson without his rug would be cool but obtuse. Anyone object to “Kestrals?”

Of course if your team is the Raptors you need a couple of head hunting safeties like Kenny Easley and at Stanford that has become a non-starter.

[Phogge]

You would think that Stanford would have a better nickname than a color.

Robberbarons was the cleverest but somebody will drag something sinister about Leland Sr. A safe choice would be a ferocious animal but Great White won’t work in the political climate. Grizzlies is a non starter because of the Golden Bears and the effete UCLA Bruins. You could do a deal with the shoe company but Antifa would attack the campus if Pumas was chosen.

I keep coming back to “Raptors.” Or “Velociraptors.” I would take “Harriers” but some anti-war guy would object because of the old British attack jet. “Red Tails” could be construed as war like, “Sharp Skinned” doesn’t work and “Bald Eagles” with a helmet decal of Ted Danson without his rug would be cool but obtuse. Anyone object to “Kestrals?”

Of course if your team is the Raptors you need a couple of head hunting safeties like Kenny Easley and at Stanford that has become a non-starter.

[Papa John]

I always liked the Stanford Sequoias, so the school's mascot could be one with the LSJUMB's mascot. Also, there's the fact that El Palo Alto is a coastal redwood (i.e. sequoia). But I guess Sequoia is too close to Indians, so scratch that.

Coming up with a mascot is kind of like coming up with a name for one's new garage band--it's tough to get folks to agree. When I was growing up in Kansas, I ended up in a band called... The Ocean Wizards. The Wizard part made sense (think about where Dorothy and Toto lived), but the nearest ocean was at least 1000 miles away.

[Papa John]

I always liked the Stanford Sequoias, so the school's mascot could be one with the LSJUMB's mascot. Also, there's the fact that El Palo Alto is a coastal redwood (i.e. sequoia). But I guess Sequoia is too close to Indians, so scratch that.

Coming up with a mascot is kind of like coming up with a name for one's new garage band--it's tough to get folks to agree. When I was growing up in Kansas, I ended up in a band called... The Ocean Wizards. The Wizard part made sense (think about where Dorothy and Toto lived), but the nearest ocean was at least 1000 miles away.

[teejers1]

You would think that Stanford would have a better nickname than a color.

Robberbarons was the cleverest but somebody will drag something sinister about Leland Sr. A safe choice would be a ferocious animal but Great White won’t work in the political climate. Grizzlies is a non starter because of the Golden Bears and the effete UCLA Bruins. You could do a deal with the shoe company but Antifa would attack the campus if Pumas was chosen.

I keep coming back to “Raptors.” Or “Velociraptors.” I would take “Harriers” but some anti-war guy would object because of the old British attack jet. “Red Tails” could be construed as war like, “Sharp Skinned” doesn’t work and “Bald Eagles” with a helmet decal of Ted Danson without his rug would be cool but obtuse. Anyone object to “Kestrals?”

Of course if your team is the Raptors you need a couple of head hunting safeties like Kenny Easley and at Stanford that has become a non-starter.

At one of the school votes, I voted for Robber Barons (think it won, too - but admin nixed it).
Next best:  Gryphons.

[teejers1]

You would think that Stanford would have a better nickname than a color.

Robberbarons was the cleverest but somebody will drag something sinister about Leland Sr. A safe choice would be a ferocious animal but Great White won’t work in the political climate. Grizzlies is a non starter because of the Golden Bears and the effete UCLA Bruins. You could do a deal with the shoe company but Antifa would attack the campus if Pumas was chosen.

I keep coming back to “Raptors.” Or “Velociraptors.” I would take “Harriers” but some anti-war guy would object because of the old British attack jet. “Red Tails” could be construed as war like, “Sharp Skinned” doesn’t work and “Bald Eagles” with a helmet decal of Ted Danson without his rug would be cool but obtuse. Anyone object to “Kestrals?”

Of course if your team is the Raptors you need a couple of head hunting safeties like Kenny Easley and at Stanford that has become a non-starter.

At one of the school votes, I voted for Robber Barons (think it won, too - but admin nixed it).
Next best:  Gryphons.

[Spiny_Norman]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925. 

1.  The scatter like Indians on offense
2.  Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

Wasn't it Cardinals (plural)?

I will note that Stanford has now been the Cardinal (singluar) for 39 years after being the Indians for 42 years.

And Cardinal was chosen by Donald Kennedy (in the tradition of the Harvard Crimson, Cornell Big Red and Dartmouth Big Green) after a campus-wide vote with official choices of Cardinals, Gryphons and Sequoias. Popular write ins for Robber Barons, Thunder Chickens and Steaming Manhole Covers. Kennedy did not tell us until afterward that the vote was only "advisory." Confused a lot of us at the time. Did he mean Cardinal the religious figure? Cardinal numbers? Cardinal sins? But it has grown on me over time.

More mascot trivia - what was Sonoma State's mascot before Seawolves?

[Spiny_Norman]

Actually sportswriters started calling them the Indians about 1925. 

1.  The scatter like Indians on offense
2.  Pop warner has coached at the Carlisle Scool of Indians.

The question could be what was the nickname before Indians ?

Wasn't it Cardinals (plural)?

I will note that Stanford has now been the Cardinal (singluar) for 39 years after being the Indians for 42 years.

And Cardinal was chosen by Donald Kennedy (in the tradition of the Harvard Crimson, Cornell Big Red and Dartmouth Big Green) after a campus-wide vote with official choices of Cardinals, Gryphons and Sequoias. Popular write ins for Robber Barons, Thunder Chickens and Steaming Manhole Covers. Kennedy did not tell us until afterward that the vote was only "advisory." Confused a lot of us at the time. Did he mean Cardinal the religious figure? Cardinal numbers? Cardinal sins? But it has grown on me over time.

More mascot trivia - what was Sonoma State's mascot before Seawolves?

[BobK]

The great Larry Allen was a Cossack
That’s the only reason I know

[BobK]

The great Larry Allen was a Cossack
That’s the only reason I know

[jonnyss]

if we want to sell recruits on our connection to silicon valley start-ups, we could be the unicorns.  ;  ^  )

[jonnyss]

if we want to sell recruits on our connection to silicon valley start-ups, we could be the unicorns.  ;  ^  )

[terry]

I'm OK with Cardinal at this point. There's some history behind it. If you go back to the pre-1920 era, there are many references in print to "the Cardinal." 

In 1975, the student body voted on the mascot issue. The results:

Return the Indian

855   Yes (31%)
1915  No (69%)

The voting for a replacement mascot used a point system (maybe 2 points for a 1st place vote and 1 point for 2nd?  I'm not sure). The results:

1664  Robber Barons
1598  Sequoias
1530  Trees
1309  Cardinals
317    Railroaders
250    Spikes
207    Huns

[terry]

I'm OK with Cardinal at this point. There's some history behind it. If you go back to the pre-1920 era, there are many references in print to "the Cardinal." 

In 1975, the student body voted on the mascot issue. The results:

Return the Indian

855   Yes (31%)
1915  No (69%)

The voting for a replacement mascot used a point system (maybe 2 points for a 1st place vote and 1 point for 2nd?  I'm not sure). The results:

1664  Robber Barons
1598  Sequoias
1530  Trees
1309  Cardinals
317    Railroaders
250    Spikes
207    Huns

[CompSci87]

1664  Robber Barons
1598  Sequoias
1530  Trees
1309  Cardinals
317    Railroaders
250    Spikes
207    Huns

It seems that Sequoias and Trees split the arboreal vote.

[CompSci87]

1664  Robber Barons
1598  Sequoias
1530  Trees
1309  Cardinals
317    Railroaders
250    Spikes
207    Huns

It seems that Sequoias and Trees split the arboreal vote.

[vataha]

Does anyone else remember "Bollards" getting votes?

[vataha]

Does anyone else remember "Bollards" getting votes?

[Papa John]

I was at Stanford 1980-85, and there was a mascot vote during that time, too (1983, maybe?). I can't remember the details, though, but maybe "Bollards" was somehow relevant for that vote?

[Papa John]

I was at Stanford 1980-85, and there was a mascot vote during that time, too (1983, maybe?). I can't remember the details, though, but maybe "Bollards" was somehow relevant for that vote?