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Post by valporun on Mar 7, 2007 7:31:54 GMT -5
Was the mascot change for PC purposes or was it really a confidential NCAA demand that they change their Viking mascot because no one really recalls there ever being real Viking in the land where Ohio sits? I don't know...I guess the need to change a mascot for PC or NCAA reasons is a bit dumb, especially if no organizations in the local or state community of the school are forcing the issue.
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Post by valpofan56 on Mar 7, 2007 8:54:58 GMT -5
The mascot was a VIKING Raider, but for some PC reason, they decided to replace the Viking with a dog/wolf. This was around the early 90's I believe. They kept the athletics name Raiders, though. I'm sure CigarBoy would be able to tell you much more. I was expecting that there was actually something that I just didn't get about a Raider being like a dog! Glad to hear that there's a good reason behind their team name
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Post by valpotx on Mar 7, 2007 9:59:12 GMT -5
That would be stupid, as Viking is not offensive at all. My lineage makes me 25% Norwegian, and I have no problem with the word (neither does my 50% mom, or 100% grandparents, etc).
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Post by cigarboy on Mar 7, 2007 22:28:12 GMT -5
The Wolf replaced the Viking in 1997. The former late President Harley Flack wanted to update the mascot and they came up with this generic monstrosity....a wolf. It is supposed to be a "raider" in the wild. It is quite a stretch. No one will admit it but I think that old lefty Harley wanted a PC mascot that was a little less Euro-centric and a little less gender-specific. A little aside. The first time I met Presient Flack was at a reception at a hotel in Cincy. I walked into the ballroom smoking a cigar, you should have see his face. You would have thought I farted in church He shook my hand and said, "you can't smoke that in here." I gently reminded him that we were on private property not the liberal fantasy land called a university and that smoking a cigar was perfectly legal. He shook his head, chatted with me for a few minutes and that was it. I guess times have chnaged a little in 10 years.
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Post by rlh on Mar 7, 2007 23:18:54 GMT -5
He was one of the people who were anti-Valpo during the six schools leaving....at least that's what was reported....
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Post by cigarboy on Mar 8, 2007 13:28:59 GMT -5
I don't think he was the president back them. That would have been Page Mullolland. If I am off by a year or so and Harly was the president I am not sure he was involved enough with athletics to really be anit-Valpo. I would think he would of been acting on advice of Mike Cusack the current and then AD. If Mike Cusack was anti-Valpo, he did an about face because he is chairman of the HL expansion committee.
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