[Farm93]

I agree with Enzo.  No nickname is better than "Cardinal."  Let a thousand flowers bloom and call them whatever you like on the day, be it Trees or Nerds or Robber Barons or even Cardinal or Indians.

BTW--re the comment above about FSU and their "chop cheer," do we still do the "Give them the axe, the axe, the axe" cheer when we play the 59ers?  As a matter of fact, do we still call it "The Big Game?"

Yes we do have the "axe" cheer, and it must seem odd to any casual fan.  Why would a school with a tree dancing on the field want to have a cheer that references the use of an axe?  Ironies...

FWIW - This was and will always be the problem with insensitive mascots.  No matter how the institution might view and use that symbol, the reality is the opponents will demonize it.  So for UCB when they copied the axe cheer they were figuratively claiming to kill Indians.  An image of an Indian looking doll tied to a fountain with some UCB band member chopping at it with an Axe would just be terrible.  The Axe thing is kind of funny with a stuffed teddy bear, less funny with a doll dressed like an Indian.

[Farm93]

I agree with Enzo.  No nickname is better than "Cardinal."  Let a thousand flowers bloom and call them whatever you like on the day, be it Trees or Nerds or Robber Barons or even Cardinal or Indians.

BTW--re the comment above about FSU and their "chop cheer," do we still do the "Give them the axe, the axe, the axe" cheer when we play the 59ers?  As a matter of fact, do we still call it "The Big Game?"

Yes we do have the "axe" cheer, and it must seem odd to any casual fan.  Why would a school with a tree dancing on the field want to have a cheer that references the use of an axe?  Ironies...

FWIW - This was and will always be the problem with insensitive mascots.  No matter how the institution might view and use that symbol, the reality is the opponents will demonize it.  So for UCB when they copied the axe cheer they were figuratively claiming to kill Indians.  An image of an Indian looking doll tied to a fountain with some UCB band member chopping at it with an Axe would just be terrible.  The Axe thing is kind of funny with a stuffed teddy bear, less funny with a doll dressed like an Indian.