Miami always had the reputation as the most conservative college in Ohio. A symbolic test case (if relatively trivial) came in whether it could resist the ludicrous calls to change the school moniker. Honoring the Miami tribe was the original reason for the name, continued to be the reason while I was there, and was so after I left. Could the Left turn it into a slur? Yes. They are, of course, the language police. Behold the awesome power of the Left!
It took awhile though. It started with colleges and then moved to pro teams which makes sense given colleges are lib factories and they stand to lose less money than pro teams.
It all started with North Dakota’s little Dickinson State University in 1972 dropped their mascot.
It continued with (where else?) the Ivy League when in 1974, Dartmouth College football team discontinued its old mascot the Indians — which dated back to the 1920s — and now go by the The Big Green.
The Eastern Michigan Hurons also changed its name to the Eagles in 1991 after the Michigan Department of Civil Rights released a report suggesting that all state schools discontinue racially-insensitive logos.
In 1992 Oxford’s mayor said that it’s not if Miami will change its mascot but when. One could probably see the effect of lawsuit in Michigan and the potential of biting Ohio teams. Lawyers rule the world.
In 1994, St. John’s University in New York City changed its team name from the Redmen to The Red Storm, sporting a new horse logo. Other college teams followed.
In 1997 Miami caved.
And of course George Floyd died in 2020 and that meant the Cleveland Indians and Washington Redskins had to change their names.
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