The Pecan Park Eagle

Delta State Fighting Okra

Staying on topic with yesterday’s foray into the inane, I have to tell you – all this ego-seed and big time greed that seems to underline today’s game of musical chairs with NCAA Division 1 schools and their various conference plans to bolt, or stay, and let the chips fall where they may, is getting pretty tiresome to me.

Less known is the fact that there are some college folks out there from smaller, more off-the mainstream-track schools that seem to be having some fun with their institutional nicknames too. In fact, here are few of my favorites. These say to me that some schools may have a greater chance of sending more people out into the world with a college education that includes the lesson of learning how to not to take your personal ego so dadgum seriously in the process.

What a bonus that turns out to be to the goal of happiness and personal growth.

Here are a few of my off-the-wall, out-of-the-box favorite college nicknames. Let’s just go ahead and put them all in the same conference:

The Odd Mascot Name Conference

UC Santa Clara Banana Slugs

Scottsdale Community College Artichokes

Delta State University Fighting Okra

UC Irvine Anteaters

St. Louis College of Pharmacy Eutectic

Evergreen State College Geoducks

I’m leaving one bizarre unofficial mascot off my odd list here because I couldn’t find a way to write about it and also keep this column a family friendly place at the same time – and the latter goal was more important to me than the shock-value weight of mentioning the former. I will also leave disclosure of the place and name I have in mind up to those of you whose prurient curiosities and Internet search skills are equivalently up to the task of an investigative chase with no further help from me.

Have a nice Thursday afternoon, everybody!