MBB: NESCAC

[nescac24]

Even from the Amherst trustees' statement, I'm unclear on whether it's only the mascot that's been expunged or the nickname, as well. And whether the college will be informing media that covers its games in all sports to cease the use of Lord Jeffs in referring to its teams. The trustees' statement that a mascot (or nickname) -- they're not always the same; as Amh63 points out, Stanford ``Cardinal'' is the nickname and the ubiquitous tree is the mascot -- is a unifying force for students and alumni alike at many colleges, is ever true. Oregon graduates think of themselves as `Ducks'' for life, USC grads as ``Trojans'' and Williams grads as ``Ephs.'' (Even those who never played a sport). This is more true at some colleges and universities than others. (I don't know if all Cal-Santa Cruz grads think of themselves as ``Banana Slugs'' for life). But in many, many cases, a nickname is embedded in the culture of the school, with meaning that goes far beyond its historical origins. You can take the nickname off the uniforms and stop using it in press releases on the sports website, but that won't kill it immediately. Not at Amherst or anywhere else.

[jumpshot]

So,nescac24, your point is that Lord Jeffery amHerst is immortal as a mascot? As are the Lord Jeffs as a nickname? At least by those not willing to let go ....?

I agree the chair's honors dissertation is not the least bit clear. Perhaps a former "Lord Jeff" (now an interim moose/blank/defector) can interpret what those people not burdened by blind loyalty are to understand.

[nescac24]

Jumpshot, I just think it's hard to kill off a nickname. Mascots are easier to lose.

I do agree that the chair's statement is on the cloudy side. Perhaps necessarily so.

[Old Guy]

I do agree that the chair's statement is on the cloudy side. Perhaps necessarily so.

Cloudy . . . and windy.

[WPI89]

I know Dave can bloody some noses sometimes and/or get bloodied himself on the CAC board - but until I hear better - I am going with his lead and simply thinking of Amherst as the purple team from central Massachusetts.......

[JEFFFAN]

It was pretty remarkable that the Chair of the Board spent so many words not telling everyone exactly what was going to happen.   I recommend a D3Boards slate to determine the new name!

[AmherstStudent05]

I'm pretty sure that's what they thought it would be in Salem in 2014, AmherstStudent, too ... Don't get too cocky lest you inspire more tweets from rival players!  But I forgive you given you are no doubt in mourning for the death of Lord Jeff .  (Clearly the right decision, imho).  Maybe Amherst can ditch purple while they are it and leave that to its rightful owner.  The Crimson Meese has a nice ring to it. 

On the scheduling front since Amherst, Williams and Midd have combined for four scrimmages vs Johnson State this year none of us can exactly claim the moral high ground.  Can we please stop scheduling them folks??

Still waiting for the Ephs to put two consistent halves together. They can look like world-beaters and totally discombobulated in the space of a single game.  The loss of Greenman has really been felt in tight games vs aggressive, veteran backcourts, missing that steady hand who has been through the fires.  Especially glaring late in the Catholic, Trinity, and Midd games, where late game TOs were killers in three winnable games (especially Trinity which is one the Ephs really should have won). On the plus side next year the Ephs will have four such guards on the roster.

As I have said before, I have absolutely no problem with Amherst opening the season with Johnson State.  Now playing them twice in one season is certainly overkill but I am sure that is not what Coach Brown ever intended.

Speaking of scheduling, have Midd, Trinity and Tufts ever thought about creating a "Little III" schedule of their own for basketball?  I am not sure if this has been discussed before but I think it would be beneficial all around as it would give each school a strong in-region, out of conference foundation. 

[amh63]

Another slow day I see.
Even D3hoops has got into the "action".....see front page.
So I will add several comments too...."sliding down the slippery slope" on a sled.  My grand child wants to bring her sled to school...why the school allows sleds to be used during school days is unknown..cloudy.
nescac24 mentions the "unifying" factor and it was clearly stated by the Chair that the unofficial mascot was dividing the Amherst community.  Now it is up to a committee to find a mascot.   It is interesting to note that I saw several middle age Stanford fans at a televised football game wearing warpaint stripes.
To add to mascot/nickname confusion.....I asked a UNC fan once about the Rams statue on campus and then about the "Tarheels" name....from the pine pitch.   Then the big one....the Un. of Alabama...the Crimson Tide?....with the unifying expression "Roll Tide".  Never can obtain a clear explanation from my Older brother....a Harvard grad with multi-`degrees and a big fan of Alabama where he now resides.   Now at the Un. of Va......called the Cavaliers but also the Wahoos.....need to ask Bucket for a possible explanation.

JEFFfan.....a D3hoops committee?  Seriously   Plus K  for a positive thought.

[Dave 'd-mac' McHugh]

By the way, two other D3 schools have had no nickname that I can recall.

McMurry (Texas) went without a nickname for a while when they gave up Indians and eventually replaced it with the War Hawks.

And Hollins University in the ODAC, which has only women's sports, has no mascot. Maybe there are others out there.

I petitioned pretty hard for my alma mater, Eastern Nazarene to go mascot-less when they decided to switch.  I was told it got some good traction, but was ultimately vetoed by the then-current athletes, who wanted a mascot.  Apparently my citation of McMurry as mascotless really helped the arugment.

My high school alma mater didn't have a mascot when I was there. We had a shortened, nickname of sorts we used for the sports teams and such that was pretty prevalent as a school word, but not a mascot. That changed the year after I left when they became the Knights... which I actually thought was a good idea, despite the fact I enjoyed the old-school nickname, Sarum.

I know Dave can bloody some noses sometimes and/or get bloodied himself on the CAC board - but until I hear better - I am going with his lead and simply thinking of Amherst as the purple team from central Massachusetts.......

I may start using that description on the show... because I get a kick out of it. LOL

[nescac24]

From the NYTimes story on Lord Jeffery:

But it left some alumni seething, frustrated by what they saw as an affront to tradition and a rush to judgment on the legacy of a man who lived more than 250 years ago at a time of war.

"We think of ourselves as Jeffs, and we always will," said Donald MacNaughton, a member of the class of 1965.

This makes perfect sense. Whether that is unifying or divisive is open to conjecture. I didn't go to Amherst, but I will miss the nickname and it will probably accidentally slip into my usage at various times, with no offense intended.

[nescac1]

I'd suggest the mascot formerly known as Jeff except, sadly, the reference would surely be lost on anyone attending college today ...

[maineman]

It was pretty remarkable that the Chair of the Board spent so many words not telling everyone exactly what was going to happen.   I recommend a D3Boards slate to determine the new name!

How about Purple People Eaters

[nescac1]

There is no shortage of alliterative quirky animal choices, per NESCAC convention: Aardvarks, Alligators, Anteaters, Antelopes, Armadillos, Ants ...

[WPI89]

It was pretty remarkable that the Chair of the Board spent so many words not telling everyone exactly what was going to happen.   I recommend a D3Boards slate to determine the new name!

How about Purple People Eaters

NESCAC1 - you are onto something - tying the "artist formerly know as" into Purple Rain.  Purple Rain would be a perfect knickname- or if they don't want to lose the "lordliness" - maybe Purple Reign"?

[nescac1]

Oh, man WPI89 -- if Amherst went with The Purple Rain (which would be frigging awesome), and adopted Prince as their mascot, I would have to stop hating Amherst.  So hopefully they will do no such thing.