# Unusual sports team names **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 9, 2011, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073 "2011-03-09T18:48:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![sitchensis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sitchensis/32/4892_2.png) [@sitchensis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sitchensis)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/81 "2011-03-11T04:44:02Z")
Orofino [Maniacs](http://www.examiner.com/sports-in-seattle/best-high-school-mascots) home of Idaho State Hospital North, the state mental institute ---
**Author:** ![Civil\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d78d45/32.png) [@Civil\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Civil_Guy)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/82 "2011-03-11T05:45:51Z")
University of California at Irvine, home of the Anteaters! Zott!! ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/83 "2011-03-11T06:19:20Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Wiki only lists three Beavers, and in this day and age I doubt any other team will use it: > > Portland Beavers, a minor league baseball team of the Pacific Coast League > Oregon State Beavers, the sports teams of Oregon State University > Bemidji State Beavers, the sports teams of Bemidji State University Add the Beaverton HS Beavers to that list. And doesn’t CalTech sometimes use Beavers as a nickname? ---
**Author:** ![Balance](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Balance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balance)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/84 "2011-03-11T07:24:07Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Add the Beaverton HS Beavers to that list. And doesn’t CalTech sometimes use Beavers as a nickname? Both CalTech and MIT use Beavers. CalTech [hacked the 1961 Rose Bowl](http://www.retrologic.com/jargon/meaning-of-hack.html) to make one of the card stunts (where people hold up cards to form a giant image) display a beaver instead of the intended husky. As a side note, the 1961 Rose Bowl was played between the Washington Huskies (a normal enough name) and the Minnesota Golden Gophers. I submit that gophers are not high on the list of critters that would readily occur to me as mascots. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/85 "2011-03-11T16:16:49Z")
The high school I graduated from has the Scottish Rebels. What Scots are doing in [a suburb of New Orleans](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Riverdale_High_School_(Jefferson_Parish,_Louisiana)), I have no idea. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/86 "2011-03-11T17:49:32Z")
This is a nice site for checking out team names: [http://www.mascotdb.com/search.php](http://www.mascotdb.com/search.php) ---
**Author:** ![Ichbin\_Dubist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/51bf81/32.png) [@Ichbin\_Dubist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ichbin_Dubist)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/87 "2011-03-11T21:13:12Z")
Wikipedia’s [list of professional baseball teams in Germany](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_German_baseball_teams) has some interesting ones. I like the Wild Farmers (!), and the Heidenheim Heideköpfe, whose name apparently means “Heathen’s Head.” ---
**Author:** ![bmoak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@bmoak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bmoak)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/88 "2011-03-12T04:55:49Z")
> [@TheFifthYear](#): > > I’ve always liked the Nippon Ham Fighters from the Japanese baseball league. The team name was the Fighters, not the Ham Fighters. They were owned by the Nippon Ham Company. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 5:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/89 "2011-03-12T05:02:35Z")
I’m playing a lot of FIFA '11 on PS3 these days. One of the teams (I presume a real one from … somewhere) playing in the EuroCup is called _ **BSC Young Boys** _. I’m assuming it’s some sort of Catholic organization. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/90 "2011-03-12T05:35:43Z")
> [@dtilque](#): > > Other color names are Dartmouth **Big Green** , Cornell **Big Red** , and Syracuse **Orangemen** Syracuse changed its team name to the Orange in 2004. Has anyone mentioned the Tulane Green Wave? ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/91 "2011-03-12T06:54:56Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > I don’t know if there are many teams named after colors these days, but the Harvard Crimson and Stanford Cardinal are still out there. The Alabama Crimson Tide and Penn State Nittany Lions are probably not common either. Stanford had a student vote to come up with a new name. The Robber Barons won. The administration over ruled them and decided on Cardinals. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/92 "2011-03-12T08:13:27Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Stanford had a student vote to come up with a new name. The Robber Barons won. The administration over ruled them and decided on Cardinals. Was it originally Cardinals (the bird) and then changed to just Cardinal (the color)? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/93 "2011-03-12T08:24:11Z")
> [@NDP](#): > > Was it originally Cardinals (the bird) and then changed to just Cardinal (the color)? Used to be the [Stanford Indians.](http://nacc.stanford.edu/mascot.html) ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/94 "2011-03-12T18:17:54Z")
> [@Civil\_Guy](#): > > University of California at Irvine, home of the Anteaters! Zott!! Rip 'em Eaters! ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/95 "2011-03-12T19:35:59Z")
It is hard to beat the Hoyas. ---
**Author:** ![imthjckaz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/imthjckaz/32/3223_2.png) [@imthjckaz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/imthjckaz)\ **Post date:** [March 12, 2011, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/96 "2011-03-12T21:24:29Z")
Minnesota [Wild](http://wild.nhl.com/). Pomona-Pitzer [Sagehens](http://www.pe.pomona.edu/landing/index). Whittier College [Poets](http://www.wcpoets.com/sports/fball/index). Coincidentally, the Sagehens and the Poets are in the same conference. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/97 "2011-03-13T00:40:21Z")
[College Nicknames](http://www.smargon.net/nicknames/) Here is a list including the Yale, Elis. ---
**Author:** ![davey77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 5:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/98 "2011-03-13T05:28:33Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Please tell me their basketball court is called The Crucible. Actually, it’s nicknamed “The Kiln.” Muskingum Fighting Muskies (muskellunge fish) Heidelberg Student Princes ---
**Author:** ![Musicat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/musicat/32/20189_2.png) [@Musicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Musicat)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/99 "2011-03-13T05:47:22Z")
> [@Skammer](#): > > The Lakers? I don’t think “laker” is even a real word, even among people who live their lives in lake country. Sure it is. A _laker_ is [a ship built for the US Great Lakes.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_freighter) ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [March 13, 2011, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073/100 "2011-03-13T11:55:45Z")
I think there is only 1 team named the Railhawks , they are minor league soccer > **[\- North Carolina FC](https://www.northcarolinafc.com/)** > > Official website of USL League One soccer club North Carolina FC. Home matches played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, NC. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unusual-sports-team-names/574073.md?page=6)