What's in a nickname? Part II
Choosing a nickname for a sports franchise, or school team name is not always an easy process. Often naming contests are held, perhaps to add hype to the new team, but also to tap into the larger resource of public knowledge and creative opinion. There are also sensitive issues at various times. The stories of the Washington Redskins and University of Illinois Illinis are well known, but perhaps lesser known is the story of Rockway Mennonite Collegiate, my former employer. Being funded mostly by pacifist Mennonite Churches, the naming of their school's mascot was a complicated process. The issue was, that as a school created as a war time withdrawal from larger society and as pacifist Christians, it would be hypocritical to tout your pacifistic beliefs and then proudly wear the uniform and proudly cheer the mascot of something that implies violence. Certainly a battle related name, such as the Warriors of the nearby University of Waterloo, would be inappropriate. Even an nickname like Hawks or Falcons would imply an unhealthy level of aggression for a group of pacifist athletes. After much debate, the school finally settled on Flames, a name which is used in other sports circles, so is acceptable as a team nickname, but also symbolizes the historical martyrdom of Mennonite and Anabaptist believers. If it had been up to me at the time, other names could also be used. After much thought, my second favourite name would be the Rockway Pilgrams. A typo you say? No, Pilgram Marpeck was a very influential Anabaptist writer, who balanced a professional engineering post and Anabaptist beliefs, certainly a role model to many students within an academic Anabaptist setting. My personal favourite however, is the Rockway Radicals. Not only is it a clever alliteration, but it is historically relevant (the Anabaptist wing of the Reformation is often referred to as the Radical Reformation) and the name conveys a mental disposition that many youths find favourable. Too bad my job there was defined as Teaching Assistant rather than Mascot Naming Committee Chairman.

   [ posted by William @ 3:42 PM ]