Quote:
Originally Posted by Rain Man
I'm of very similar mind. I just put up a big post in the Siouxsports site about it.
My thoughts on your semifinalists:
Ermines - Meets every criteria by far. It's a powerhouse.
Aviators - No. Too common
Badlanders - No. Too South Dakota.
Flames - No. Too Calgary and too common.
Frost Giants - This is a very good suggestion. It meets every criterion. It's a little esoteric, but very strong.
Green Machine - I don't even understand this one. No.
Kodiaks - You'll win a lot of games when the visiting team flies to Alaska and can't find the arena. No.
Mallards - Not a bad name. Doesn't strike fear, but not bad. Meets the criteria.
Meadowlarks - See Mallard. I actually like it better than Mallards because it's more distinctive.
Nighthawks - Is this a real animal? I just thought it was a Hopper painting? I think it's not well known enough.
Rattlers - Good name, but way too common.
Reapers - Too Blue Oyster Cult. Too close to rapist.
Snowy Owls (or perhaps Barn Owls, which are a far more common species found in ND) - It's a good name. I think ND won't want the word 'snow', though.
Sodbusters - While I don't think it'll win because it's not going to sell well, it's a pretty good and unique name and should move to the next round.
Stallions - Too common.
Sundogs - This name is actually clever. I had to look it up, but I like it. I think it shouldn't win because it's not going to be understood at all outside the state, but it's worthy of consideration.
Trappers - The modern public doesn't like envisioning animals chewing off their paw on blood-stained snow.
Yeti - Wrong continent
What did you think about Northern Lights? It's a hard one to make a mascot for, but I kind of like it. I also like Pronghorns a lot.
If I'm on the committee, the finalists are:
Ermines - Meets every criterion perfectly.
Frost Giants - Meets every criterion perfectly.
Sodbusters - Might not sell well, but meets criteria.
Northern Lights - Hard to make a mascot, but creative.
It should be an Ermine/Frost Giant battle for the championship.
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Here's the thing about "Flames." Yes, it's common and generic, but I believe it's unique to most universities. I don't know any other Flames at other schools. Also, North Dakota has this thing/tradition/culture revolving around an eternal flame of knowledge. I don't know where it's from, but it's been embedded into the university's identity since pre-1900. It's even in the official UND logo-- the little flame spark in the D of UND. I don't think Flames will win, but they might try to marry color into it and become Green Flames. Ermines will beat this.
Northern Lights to me is too cumbersome. University of North Dakota Northern Lights. North north north. That's very Northy. It's also complicated, because it's a mascot that ends in an S like any reasonably good nickname should do to indicate plurality, but it sounds weird to call individual UND athletes a "Northern Light." Because the Northern Lights are a visual phenomenon-- a stretch of light. You may as well make them a non-corporeal mascot. But that's just my personal opinion. In any case, Ermines will take this out.