FB: Liberty League

[Jonny Utah]

I think that's a polite way of saying a lot Union folks think the nickname is lame and dumb.  People feel no connection to "Dutchmen."  And that's not new - that was the view when I was there several decades ago.  That said, I presume this gets all caught up in the culture wars anyway. 

I never really got the name.  I mean, I get that Schenectady was founded by the Dutch, but a maritime empire that has been defunct for 300 years doesn't exactly incite passion.  And the fact that Union is located in said city is a thorn, not a rose, for the college.

Union folks think the name is dumb?  I've never heard that.  I get the pronouns thing, but that's a cool history there with the Dutch history in the Capital region (and NY/Hudson River)

[Caz Bombers]

I think much of the Union College community will be receptive to a nickname change; many of us alums think the name is stupid and meaningless. 

Most of us just think of this monstrosity:


I'd also be willing to bet we end up the Union College Garnet.

What am I missing here.  What's wrong with the name?  Or is this a gender issue with the names.....?

I think it's closer to the issue with George Washington and Western Connecticut dropping Colonials. Highlighting your connection to Indigenous oppression is rather outre these days.

[Bartman]

I'm betting on the Union College Unicorns. The Unicorns can wear clogs for a historical connection.  I can see the helmets now. FYI, Hobart College unofficially tried the Hobart College Hawks back in 1971 with our new football coach leading the way, but the military draft environment and the Vietnam War protests ended the Hawk idea pretty quickly.

[Ice Bear]

I think that's a polite way of saying a lot Union folks think the nickname is lame and dumb.  People feel no connection to "Dutchmen."  And that's not new - that was the view when I was there several decades ago.  That said, I presume this gets all caught up in the culture wars anyway. 

I never really got the name.  I mean, I get that Schenectady was founded by the Dutch, but a maritime empire that has been defunct for 300 years doesn't exactly incite passion.  And the fact that Union is located in said city is a thorn, not a rose, for the college.

Union folks think the name is dumb?  I've never heard that.  I get the pronouns thing, but that's a cool history there with the Dutch history in the Capital region (and NY/Hudson River)

Ice ****ing loves the Dutchmen/Dutchwomen nickname. Ice says while many may frown at the Shocktown/Union connection it is quite an old one and Ice thinks it very appropriate. Ice will say it again, anything other than Garnet will be mother****ing stupid.

[UfanBill]

Bob Ridings is rolling in his grave. 

[Bartman]

Bob Ridings is rolling in his grave. 

Tradition is going ,going ,gone. Bill, at least you still have that damn cannon.....there you go....... The Union Cannons!!!! If the Dutchmen name is in peril, so must the Shoes Game......How can Union not be the Dutchmen fighting for that Clogg trophy...the world makes no sense anymore.

[stlawus]

Once upon a time Skidmore were the Wombats.  Might be time to dust that one off.

[Jonny Utah]

I'm betting on the Union College Unicorns. The Unicorns can wear clogs for a historical connection.  I can see the helmets now. FYI, Hobart College unofficially tried the Hobart College Hawks back in 1971 with our new football coach leading the way, but the military draft environment and the Vietnam War protests ended the Hawk idea pretty quickly.

Like "warhawks"? I don't get that either.

Man I don't want to get too political here but this seems kinda silly.  Ok I get the colonial name now after thinking about it.  Colonization is bad, so colonials are bad (Of course George Washington isn't going change the name of the school right?).  But the dutch?  That whole area (from NY up the Hudson) has a rich history of Dutch settlers...or are they Colonials too?

They can't keep the shoes trophy then either I'm guessing right?   

[Ice Bear]

I'm betting on the Union College Unicorns. The Unicorns can wear clogs for a historical connection.  I can see the helmets now. FYI, Hobart College unofficially tried the Hobart College Hawks back in 1971 with our new football coach leading the way, but the military draft environment and the Vietnam War protests ended the Hawk idea pretty quickly.

Like "warhawks"? I don't get that either.

Man I don't want to get too political here but this seems kinda silly.  Ok I get the colonial name now after thinking about it.  Colonization is bad, so colonials are bad (Of course George Washington isn't going change the name of the school right?).  But the dutch?  That whole area (from NY up the Hudson) has a rich history of Dutch settlers...or are they Colonials too?

They can't keep the shoes trophy then either I'm guessing right?

Ice Bear says from everything he has read thus far he seems to think the change is based mostly on generating some excitement around the school with students, faculty, and Alum. Ice says thank goodness, because if you are offended by nicknames of the Dutchmen and the Dutchwomen, IIBHO you are ****ing hopeless in all of life.

[Caz Bombers]

I'm betting on the Union College Unicorns. The Unicorns can wear clogs for a historical connection.  I can see the helmets now. FYI, Hobart College unofficially tried the Hobart College Hawks back in 1971 with our new football coach leading the way, but the military draft environment and the Vietnam War protests ended the Hawk idea pretty quickly.

Like "warhawks"? I don't get that either.

Man I don't want to get too political here but this seems kinda silly.  Ok I get the colonial name now after thinking about it.  Colonization is bad, so colonials are bad (Of course George Washington isn't going change the name of the school right?).  But the dutch?  That whole area (from NY up the Hudson) has a rich history of Dutch settlers...or are they Colonials too?

They can't keep the shoes trophy then either I'm guessing right?

Ice Bear says from everything he has read thus far he seems to think the change is based mostly on generating some excitement around the school with students, faculty, and Alum. Ice says thank goodness, because if you are offended by nicknames of the Dutchmen and the Dutchwomen, IIBHO you are ****ing hopeless in all of life.

Nobody has said they're offensive terms, they're just not good ideas anymore.

[Ice Bear]

Ice says they are good ideas and very relevant to the history of the school and city...so they're caz.

[Bartman]

Ice says they are good ideas and very relevant to the history of the school and city...so they're caz.

Here, I sympathize with Ice Bear. If you want to become a history teacher these days, at some point in your Masters program you are encouraged to not only teach history , but to re-write history. While I totally support a school that wants to change their mascot/symbol when they feel it is time, many of the current changes are in the spirit of "rewriting history". This is understandable when there is evidence that Lord Jeff Amherst passed on blankets to native Americans with small pox resulting in Amherst selecting the ever scary Mastodons that roamed Western Massachusetts 11,000 years ago.In the case of the Colonials that actually rebelled and defeated  their English oppressors in armed conflict and rejected being "colonized", I ,for one, thank those original Colonials and would have no problem representing them in an athletic contest.
Now, as far as the Dutchmen/Dutchwomen, other than the limited binary choice and the difficulty of the nonbinary students needing to choose a male or female mascot, I think the reference to the rich history of the Dutch in the New York Capital region is totally relevant and appropriate for a regional institution of higher education ( although the mascot versions I've seen on these posts are not very inspiring). I leave it to the Union Community to sort this out, however, somewhere in the Berkshire hills the ghosts of the Dutch will surely feel betrayed and become fans of the Engineers, and put a curse on the Shoes Trophy in favor of the Slide-rulers forever more. 

[Bartman]

All that talk of Mascots and tradition made me nostalgic for the 200th anniversary of Hobart . Keep the Statesman .... Hip Hobart....refrain sung by the Hobart Football team at the end of every victory !


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC6DMh-Sxls

[Caz Bombers]

Union Fun'yuns has a nice ring to it, and a sponsorship opportunity.

Union Fighting Environmental Disasters, brought to you by General Electric.

[Bartman]

Just read that IC will be losing both the DC and OC to FCS programs. Has this been confirmed ?

source?

I have to check with my son, who got it from a college football blog as a rumor, however, it was very specific with coaches going to UPenn and Stony Brook. I'll recheck.

Jan.26 article on footballscoop.com.

Ha I was trying to look there.  Football Scoop has become tough to find old pages because of the ads on that page.

I couldn't copy and paste, but here is a portion of the post from football scoop on 1/26:


In addition to Reeder's exit to Penn, sources tell FootballScoop that Trevor Warner has accepted the position of safeties coach at Football Championship Subdivision program Stony Brook, which competes in the 13-team Colonial Athletic Association.

Warner had most recently served as Ithaca's defensive coordinator, spearheading a unit that ranked among the top 20 in numerous NCAA DIII categories during the program's record-setting 2022 season.

Reeder has been announced by UPENN , so this "rumor" was correct. I'm assuming Warner will be announced shortly.

Warner announced on 2/11 to join Stonybrook coaching staff as safeties coach. Some nice jobs to fill at Ithaca.