Can Syracuse University end the charade that is the 'Orange' nickname?

[orangenirvana]

First I want to clarify that I'm one of the few that actually kind of like the new uniforms.

That said, can we just end the "Orange" already?

Orangemen was pretty cool, especially back when it meant something.
Orange was stupid but we collectively kind of shrugged our shoulders because what's the point in getting upset about it.

Now not only does SU have a stupid nickname but it doesn't even make sense considering the uniforms our football team wears.

I just wish Syracuse University would drop the 'Orange' nickname already and come up with a new one. Just change it to something else, add blue and possibly gray as the official colors (along with orange for traditional purposes), and be done with it.

Lawrinson - please make a photoshop of a navy blue Otto. It's only a matter of time anyway.

 

[OrangeCrush22]

The Syracuse Blues. It fits the uniforms and the fans.

 

[Doctor44]

How about the SU Warriors? A tribute to the saltine warrior and to the Fort Drum soldiers?

 

[NineOneSeven]

Syracuse Snowmen.

Dead serious. Get it done.

 

[midloviking]

Lawrinson - please make a photoshop of a navy blue Otto. It's only a matter of time anyway.

Hmmm...navy blue Otto...we could change the name to the Blue Balls

 

[Toga]

The Snowy Owls

 

[orangenirvana]

Surprised there's so few responses to this thread.

I'm not joking. Does anyone really like the nickname 'Orange'? Especially when the football team wears blue and white and gray? Is there a legitimate gender-neutral nickname the school could change to that would possibly capture the history and tradition of the school?

 

[rrlbees]

Surprised there's so few responses to this thread. I'm not joking. Does anyone really like the nickname 'Orange'? Especially when the football team wears blue and white and gray? Is there a legitimate gender-neutral nickname the school could change to that would possibly capture the history and tradition of the school?

I suggests dropping the nickname in another thread. Why have orange or even Orangemen if someone is up on the hill is embarrassed by the name and are phasing out our orange brand?

How about the Syracuse Saltine Warriors? Then we can bring back our mascot.

 

[crales44]

The Syracuse Blue White Grays has a certain je ne sais quoi.

 

[Whitey23]

Ask Nike

 

[orangenirvana]

I suggests dropping the nickname in another thread. Why have orange or even Orangemen if someone is up on the hill is embarrassed by the name and are phasing out our orange brand?

How about the Syracuse Saltine Warriors? Then we can bring back our mascot.

I would like Saltine Warriors but they would never allow such a politically-incorrect nickname and mascot in this day and age. Anything associated with war or violence is a no-no to any university or professional sports organization now.

 

[Libero2]

Surprised there's so few responses to this thread.

I'm not joking. Does anyone really like the nickname 'Orange'? Especially when the football team wears blue and white and gray? Is there a legitimate gender-neutral nickname the school could change to that would possibly capture the history and tradition of the school?

There is more than one athletic team at SU you know, and plenty of them wear orange uniforms. Just because the football team isn't rolling out with all the cool combinations at the mall yesterday doesn't mean they don't have some nice ones. I think the all one color ones are fairly ugly, but the combos have some real potential.

No need to give up the nickname, it's who we are and if you went to college there, I seriously doubt you want to change the name. The university is more than just the football team. If you don't like the Uniforms, I'm sorry, but no need to change the nickname over them, not even close.

 

[KaiserUEO]

I would like Saltine Warriors but they would never allow such a politically-incorrect nickname and mascot in this day and age. Anything associated with war or violence is a no-no to any university or professional sports organization now.

then why dont we have the warrior throwing dice or a casino chip instead of a spear??

 

[Alsacs]

No joke my Freshman year I remember the talk about Buzz Shaw and Jake Crouthamel meeting and discussing a new nickname. If I remember correctly the nickname(s) discussed most were Wolfpack and Wolves. However, I heard Crouthamel hated both of those and we just listened to Nike and went to Orange.

 

[xc84]

Surprised there's so few responses to this thread.

I'm not joking. Does anyone really like the nickname 'Orange'? Especially when the football team wears blue and white and gray? Is there a legitimate gender-neutral nickname the school could change to that would possibly capture the history and tradition of the school?

Yes, I like it. The reason they dropped Orangemen was due to womens sports and awkwardness of the name having "men" in it. I personally transitioned to "Orange" just fine. And way before it became just "Orange", the cheer "Let's go Orange" was very popular. I never heard anyone complain that it should be "Let's go Orangemen".

As for always having to be an Orange uniform, I'd rather have the variety. The official school colors have always included white and blue (at least after they dropped pink & pea green).

 

[Scooch]

I suggests dropping the nickname in another thread. Why have orange or even Orangemen if someone is up on the hill is embarrassed by the name and are phasing out our orange brand? How about the Syracuse Saltine Warriors? Then we can bring back our mascot.

Jake C hated "Orangemen" from the day he started at SU.

Self-loathing our nickname is not a new phenomena.

I preferred Orangemen but changing it would be silly. It'd end up being either goofy (Chargers, like one of their options with Wolfpack back in the 90s) or bland. Marquette Eagles, anyone?

 

[KaiserUEO]

No joke my Freshman year I remember the talk about Buzz Shaw and Jake Crouthamel meeting and discussing a new nickname. If I remember correctly the nickname(s) discussed most were Wolfpack and Wolves. However, I heard Crouthamel hated both of those and we just listened to Nike and went to Orange.

absolutly, it was during the graves era. i remember getting the schedule poster with a bunch of wolves on it, either free with my season tickets or they were handing them out on M Street when you bought something.

shortly after that, Otto became legit, was taken away from that fraternity who originated him and given to the cheerleaders.

 

[orangenirvana]

As for always having to be an Orange uniform, I'd rather have the variety. The official school colors have always included white and blue (at least after they dropped pink & pea green).

That's not true. Orange is Syracuse's only official color. I believe it's the only school in the country with one single official color. Making the uniforms all the more ridiculous. Edit: Kansas State (Royal Purple), Harvard (Crimson) and Syracuse are the only three schools in the entire country with one official color. Imagine if those schools' football teams didn't wear purple or crimson uniforms as its primary colors.

Found this article from 2007. Thought it was interesting and a good idea what SU was trying to do then.

http://blog.syracuse.com/z89/2007/11/sports_not_affected_by_su_colo.html

Technically speaking, orange is the only official color of SU and the university wants people to understand that.

The Daily Orange is reporting today that the 'Cuse is dumping blue as an accent color.

The goal of the change is to make sure people know, "We are the Orange - we don't want to be the blue."

 

[Scooch]

absolutly, it was during the graves era. i remember getting the schedule poster with a bunch of wolves on it, either free with my season tickets or they were handing them out on M Street when you bought something. shortly after that, Otto became legit, was taken away from that fraternity who originated him and given to the cheerleaders.

The Save Otto campaign occurred in 1995/96, year after I graduated. Jake always hated Orangemen and there was a recommendation to ditch that and adopt either Orange Pack, Orange Pride, Wolf Pack or Chargers. Of course those all suck and the students fought for Orangemen and Otto. Buzz relented and named Otto the official mascot (he never actually was).

All of this goes back to the now-incomprehensible decision to not decisively replace the Saltine Warrior back when that was scrapped. It's before my time but my understanding is that a Roman Gladiator mascot was introduced but dumped immediately. So then the cheerleaders created Otto a year or 2 later.

Why we didn't keep the gladiator is beyond me. I mean, Syracuse!

Of course this is a university that took decades to adopt an official athletics logo so I think our tradition when it comes to mascots, nicknames, colors, logos and uniforms is incompetence.

We're maintaing that tradition now.

 

[TheCusian]

That's not true. Orange is Syracuse's only official color. I believe it's the only school in the country with one single official color. Making the uniforms all the more ridiculous. Found this article from 2007. Thought it was interesting and a good idea what SU was trying to do then. http://blog.syracuse.com/z89/2007/11/sports_not_affected_by_su_colo.html Technically speaking, orange is the only official color of SU and the university wants people to understand that. The Daily Orange is reporting today that the 'Cuse is dumping blue as an accent color. The goal of the change is to make sure people know, "We are the Orange - we don't want to be the blue."

Right - officially it's just orange. But we've consistently been orange, blue, and white for a long time. Navy blue works well with the bright orange. White goes with anything. The platinum is fine, I guess.

 

[orangenirvana]

There is more than one athletic team at SU you know, and plenty of them wear orange uniforms. Just because the football team isn't rolling out with all the cool combinations at the mall yesterday doesn't mean they don't have some nice ones. I think the all one color ones are fairly ugly, but the combos have some real potential.

No need to give up the nickname, it's who we are and if you went to college there, I seriously doubt you want to change the name. The university is more than just the football team. If you don't like the Uniforms, I'm sorry, but no need to change the nickname over them, not even close.

Football is the #1 sport in the country. The general public equates the university with the football team, not the women's field hockey team.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

All of this goes back to the now-incomprehensible decision to not decisively replace the Saltine Warrior back when that was scrapped. It's before my time but my understanding is that a Roman Gladiator mascot was introduced but dumped immediately. So then the cheerleaders created Otto a year or 2 later.

Why we didn't keep the gladiator is beyond me. I mean, Syracuse!

Because he looked really silly.

Imagine a cross between a Spartan and a Trojan.

Or just imagine a Lambda Chi toga party.

 

[Cadillac]

Doesn't get any more 1930s than Saltine Warriors.

 

[Todd Gack]

"Why don't we dress like pirates?," asks no player who plays for Seton Hall.

It's astounding to me the amount of personal umbrage people have for uniforms they never have to wear. And I'm not sure yet if it's because you're embarrassed (if so, get a grip) or because you don't think it's smart strategy (if so, let go and let God).

 

[RF2044]

"Why don't we dress like pirates?," asks no player who plays for Seton Hall.

It's astounding to me the amount of personal umbrage people have for uniforms they never have to wear. And I'm not sure yet if it's because you're embarrassed (if so, get a grip) or because you don't think it's smart strategy (if so, let go and let God).

That's not a very good comparison. Nobody is asking the team to dress up like a piece of citrus. What they're asking for is--I don't know--maybe wear the school colors? Which is apparently a foreign concept to Nike.

I don't even mind the uniforms, as I expressed yesterday repeatedly. But not enough orange in any of the combos, which doesn't make much sense.