Coaching Changes 2020 - Pitino Takes Iona Gaels Job...

[Wizard of Westroads]

Two days earlier, Iona beat Holy Cross and Villanova beat Marquette at the Dunk, but i don't think we went to Round One games. Syracuse i think i remember their mascot was some Roman dude running around with a sword (this was pre-Otto), though that might've been in 1979 vs UConn.

I believe the Orangeman was a Native American, and was dropped as inappropriate and racist. They kept the nickname, and just made the mascot a fruit instead.

Huh, and I always thought the Orangemen were Protestants.

[Bogg]

I believe the Orangeman was a Native American, and was dropped as inappropriate and racist. They kept the nickname, and just made the mascot a fruit instead.

This was such a no brainer solution that St. John's, and especially Marquette should have used. A warrior doesn't have to be a Native American. They could have easily just changed the mascot to resemble some ancient warrior, or even an army soldier. Redmen isn't quite as simple, but could have been changed to represent the color, as Redmen is not as specific as Redskin, which clearly indicates a Native American, and was indeed used by some as a slur.

Eh, without getting dramatic about it, it's for the best that "Redmen" went. St John's just being St John's aka The Johnnies with the "Red Storm" thing played down as a tertiary thing works just fine.

[gtmoBlue]

Good hire by Iona. And yes, DePaul missed an opportunity. Pitino Sr is a HoF coach. Yes, he has a bit of carry-on luggage, what elite coach doesn't?
Other than maybe Jay Wright (we Know that JW is as clean as the driven snow), show me an elite coach who's won the Natty in the last 19-20 years and "won the right way".
All of them, Izzo, Roy, K, Pitino, wild Bill Self, Miller (pick one), etc., have wrinkles, smears, smudges, stains, if not outright violations on their resumes. They either didn't
get caught or as in Roy's case they browbeat the NCAA into submission.

Pitino Sr. is a proven winner and I would have no qualms about hiring him. Who cares what the media pundits and the public thinks.
He will turn the Iona program around and into a winner. Is there a possibility of NCAA sanctions ahead? Perhaps. Is this hire worth the risks? Yes. Go Gaels!


...as for mascots. Marquette should have remained the Warriors and as said above, changed their image to another warrior class: Greek, Roman, Mongolian, Sumerian, or Zulu, etc..
I have always been fond of the "Lightning", "Tsunami", and "Breakers" monikers.



https://i.imgur.com/kGFOINH.mp4/




My fantasy league teams always carry one of those monikers...in the 90's my Guantanamo Bay FFL teams were the "Hutia-Lightning" (my current BE Fantasy League team uses the same name).
My former Basketball FL teams were the Melbourne Tsunami and the Perth Breakers.

just sayin'.

[billyjack]

Two days earlier, Iona beat Holy Cross and Villanova beat Marquette at the Dunk, but i don't think we went to Round One games. Syracuse i think i remember their mascot was some Roman dude running around with a sword (this was pre-Otto), though that might've been in 1979 vs UConn.

I believe the Orangeman was a Native American, and was dropped as inappropriate and racist. They kept the nickname, and just made the mascot a fruit instead.

Huh, and I always thought the Orangemen were Protestants.

I think Syracuse using the Roman gladiator guy in the late 70's was in reference to "Siracusa", the port city in SE Sicily. That's the only thing that makes sense.

And i think switching from the "Orangemen" to just "Orange" was like you said, maybe cuz of the Protestant thing? At some point 15 to 20 years ago, Rangers (the Glasgow soccer team associated with Protestants) weren't allowed to wear their orange alternate jerseys (their regular jerseys are blue) due to Catholic fans of rival Celtic (also from Glasgow) getting pissed. Maybe a Scottish football fan can weigh in on this a little more?

Of course, the origins of schools' colors is often random or arbitrary... Syracuse maybe bought some surplus shirts in 1897 that may have been orange and just rolled with it. The town high school that my son goes to was originally brown cuz back in the 50's they got jersey donations from Brown University.

[marquette]

Lightning would have been fine, Golden Eagles is whatever. "The Gold" was a travesty and I'm happy it didn't stick. As I understand it the "Warriors" nickname was doomed the moment "Willie Wampum" (1961-1971) was used as a mascot. It was a pretty racist caricature that caused a lot of problems with the Native American students. I have to imagine the kids on campus who felt their heritage was being disrespected were probably in the decision making circles of the Potawatomi tribe 20 years later when the Warrior was dropped. At the time the school wanted land adjacent to the campus that was owned by the Potawatomi tribe. There's no official record of anything but the speculation is that the tribe wouldn't sell as long as the Warrior was the mascot. That's the story I got, and as there was really no public outcry against the post-1971 "First Warrior" mascot I'm generally inclined to believe it.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Wasn't sure where to put this, but Iona (Pitino) is trying to secure MSG for a game against Kentucky as part of a home/home series with them. They would travel to Kentucky next year, hoping to get a return game at MSG in 2021.

Pitino trying to plant that Iona flag deep in the heart of NYC.

[Bogg]

Wasn't sure where to put this, but Iona (Pitino) is trying to secure MSG for a game against Kentucky as part of a home/home series with them. They would travel to Kentucky next year, hoping to get a return game at MSG in 2021.

Pitino trying to plant that Iona flag deep in the heart of NYC.

Correction: Pitino trying to get Iona a big check by keeping the gate for a Kentucky game at MSG. Getting run off the court by UK isn't going to plant a flag, but it might renovate your weight room.

[Django]

Lightning would have been fine, Golden Eagles is whatever. "The Gold" was a travesty and I'm happy it didn't stick. As I understand it the "Warriors" nickname was doomed the moment "Willie Wampum" (1961-1971) was used as a mascot. It was a pretty racist caricature that caused a lot of problems with the Native American students. I have to imagine the kids on campus who felt their heritage was being disrespected were probably in the decision making circles of the Potawatomi tribe 20 years later when the Warrior was dropped. At the time the school wanted land adjacent to the campus that was owned by the Potawatomi tribe. There's no official record of anything but the speculation is that the tribe wouldn't sell as long as the Warrior was the mascot. That's the story I got, and as there was really no public outcry against the post-1971 "First Warrior" mascot I'm generally inclined to believe it.

Thanks for the info on the adjacent land deal. That’s the first time the change made any sense.

Pitino is going to do well at Iona and everyone who passed on the 15 second man will regret it.

[Omaha1]

Danny Manning out at Wake Forest.

[ArmyVet]

Danny Manning out at Wake Forest.

Allegedly a $15 million buyout. I figured the current financial situation might preclude such moves, but maybe not.