Soaring through the clouds one can find many fearsome birds that have sports teams named after them. Hawks, Eagles and Falcons, to name a few, all share the athletic skies. And then we have the Cardinal family - Louisville, Arizona, St. Louis, and of course, Ball State.
Seems like the Cardinal family is a bit crowded, doesn't it? Not to mention confusing. When someone mentions the Boilermakers, that can only mean Purdue, or if someone rambles about the Hoosiers, we know that Indiana University must be the topic of conversation. But the Cardinals? That could be one of many teams.
This brings me to my point - Ball State should alter its nickname to create a unique identity. Ladies and gentleman, meet your Ball State University Fighting Cardinals.
Has a nice ring to it, huh? David Letterman did a good job coming up with this new persona. Fighting Cardinals not only is more unique than our current bland nickname, but there is great symbolic meaning behind the name change as well.
A Fighting Cardinal does not back down from any challenge and is capable of doing amazing things. In the athletic realm, this can be a football team pulling off a major homecoming upset or a basketball team stunning the world in Hawaii. A Fighting Cardinal does not back down from a challenge and never gives up. "Fighting" also carries a connotation of working for what's right and just. As Ball State strives to become a top-tier university, a name change to reflect the university's persistence and a rebirth would be appropriate.
Besides, the current nickname is kind of weak anyway. Let's be honest here. A cardinal is not exactly a fierce animal, or even a fierce bird. Heck, a cardinal is lucky to fly without smacking itself into a window. So, why not toughen up this redbird a bit? Sure, a Fighting Cardinal is a kind of humorous and self-deprecating name, but there is nothing wrong with a little bit of humor in our lives. At least we aren't the Fighting Squirrels - yes, that nickname really does exist.
Now, I do realize the university won't change our nickname on merit alone. After all, this is a business. Well, sports fans, this name change would be good for the bottom line indeed. It would cost very little to make the change - the nickname isn't so different that shops would have to pull Ball State Cardinals products off the shelves. But those products that would carry the new nickname would no doubt sell well on campus. Heck, with a nickname such as Fighting Cardinals, Ball State hats would most likely start popping up across the country.
Now, I'm not the only person who loves this name change. I remarked to Al Rent, director of university marketing, that the sign below the press box at the football stadium should be changed from Ball State Cardinals to Fighting Cardinals; he loved the idea and added that "Home of the Fighting Cardinals" should also appear on the back of the scoreboard facing Bethel Avenue. Rent explained in an e-mail, "The term 'Fighting Cardinals' indicates a spirit of aggressiveness, winning, a championship mentality - all the things associated with a 'winning' athletics program."
Of course, many students would love to be known as Fighting Cardinals as well. Besides, thanks to Letterman, most students I have talked with believe our nickname actually is the Fighting Cardinals anyway. And get this: Charlie Cardinal himself said changing our nickname to Fighting Cardinals "would be cool." That's a direct quote, folks.
Let's hope the university takes the step forward and agrees to evolve our beloved mascot into a fierce, hard-working machine. According to Rent, Athletic Director Andrea Seger and Vice President for University Advancement Don Park are the keys to making this change, so kindly and professionally make this suggestion to them.
Onward, thy Fighting Cardinals!
Write to Gerry at gappel@bsu.edu
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