Religious symbolism in U.S. sports team names and mascots explained

Many American sports team names and mascots are based upon or use religious symbolism. The majority are scholastic teams at institutions founded by various denominations of Christianity, both Catholic and Protestant. Saints is the most popular of these names not only at religious schools but public schools. However, the latter are often indirect, the schools being located in places named for saints. The only team name that has become controversial is Crusaders, many having changed in recent years. The term, once associated with protectors of the faith is now also associated with oppression. Many Christian schools use "Knights" as their team names with imagery similar to crusaders, but it is difficult to establish religious symbolism in these cases. There are also a number of teams whose name includes demons or devils, which are mythological creatures from many cultures. However, the devil imagery in sports used by professional sports teams as well as public and non-sectarian schools are an example of the Devil in the arts and popular culture more than religion. There are also a few team identities based upon Norse mythology in popular culture.

Sports mascots and social identity

Team names and their associated sports mascots are examples of totems in the social sciences; symbols that serve both social and psychological functions with many implicit meanings.[1] [2] The social function is to connect individuals into a community; the psychological function is to symbolize desired qualities with which fans can identify. Mascots are also stereotypes, social constructs which are not always inappropriate when they provide valid, if simplified, perceptions of group differences.[3] Participation in sports either as a player or a fan is a significant determinant of social status for college students, in particular for men.[4] The most popular category of sports mascots are animals, with Eagles (symbolic of America) at the top of the list followed by Tigers, Bulldogs and Panthers (symbolic of aggression). Of religious meanings, only Saints is in the top 100 in popularity with Catholic, Protestant, and public schools represented.[5] However, many Saints teams currently have a St. Bernard dog as their mascot, often portrayed by a costumed performer.

Sectarian schools

Catholic colleges and universities

Saints (Catholic)

Catholic K-12 schools

Crusaders (Catholic)

Friars

Saints (Catholic K-12)

Protestant colleges and universities

Name changes

Protestant K-12 schools

Quakers (Protestant)

Saints (Protestant)

Other religions

Private non-sectarian schools

Public schools

Colleges and universities

Secondary schools

Crusaders

Deacons

Demons/Devils

Quakers

Saints

Valkyries

Schools where the boy's teams are Vikings and the girl's teams are Valkyries, mythical figures in Norse mythology

Professional sports teams and franchises

Crusader mascot controversy

Many Catholic, and some Protestant schools adopted the Crusader for their teams. The University of the Incarnate Word decided in 2004 that its Crusader mascot was inappropriate for its multicultural mission.[23] Corlis McGee, president of Eastern Nazarene College, said, "There's a growing awareness that the connotation of the word has changed, and the Crusader no longer represents the positive message of Christian love we want to share with the world."

Other universities have decided to keep the mascot as a way to honor their histories and constantly remind students to "communicate our desire to bring the good news and cross into every situation we encountered."[24] The remaining college-level Crusaders are Belmont Abbey College (Belmont, North Carolina), Christendom College (Front Royal, Virginia), College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Massachusetts),[25] [26] Madonna University (Livonia, Michigan), and North Greenville University (Tigerville, South Carolina) who changed their mascot from the Mounties to the Crusaders in 2017.[27] [28]

Prior Crusaders name changes
School Name City State New Mascot Year Changed Notes
Golden Wolves 2017 Sr. Madonna Marie Harvath, a member of the Bernardine Sisters stated; "The idea of changing the name has been brewing for quite some time because there was a lot of prejudice and persecution associated with the Crusades, and that's not what Alvernia stands for."[29]
Beacons 2020 The change coincided with Northwest Christian University becoming Bushnell.[30]
Comets 2021 Although the change was based upon recognition that the name had become outdated and divisive, there was pushback from alumni.[31]
The Pride 2017 [32]
Lions 2009 The college president stated that the connotations of crusader have changed over the years to become associated with atrocities.[33]
Valor 2021 The university president stated; "Today, we recognize that the Crusader often inhibits the ability of students and alumni to proudly represent the university in their areas of global work and ministry."[34]
Nighthawks 2017 [35]
Sea Lions 2002 [36]
River Hawks 2015 [37]
Cardinals 2004
Beacons 2021 [38]
The Thunder 2000 Billy Graham, who called his annual evangelistic campaigns "Crusades", was the most notable alumnus of the school.[39]

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Book: Delaney. Tim. Madigan. Tim. The Sociology of Sports: An Introduction. February 11, 2009. McFarland. 2009. 211. 9780786453153. October 28, 2014. The manner in which fans defend their right to hold on to and embrace their cherished symbols of the team reflects a type of totemism. [...] Team logos and mascots take on this totem quality for devout fans. It seems odd that people in the 21st century embrace totems, or symbols, with the same level of enthusiasm as primitive, pagan worshippers. However, sports often bring out the primitive inner being of people - including a passionate devotion to a belief or symbol..
  2. Book: Hirshon, Nicholas. Social Identity Theory in Sports Fandom Research. Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Media Fandom. Advances in Religious and Cultural Studies. Robert Andrew. Dunn. 2020. 10.4018/978-1-7998-3323-9. 9781799833239. 241619027. This chapter explores how media-attentive sports fans internalize victory and externalize defeat by charting the simultaneous developments in the 1970s of social identity theory, advanced by European social psychologists...which are rooted in a landmark study on college students wearing school-identifying apparel after the university football team won. The chapter also examines how social identity has served and can continue to be utilized as the theoretical backbone for research on mass-mediated sports fandom..
  3. 10.1111/spc3.12039. 1751-9004. 7. 7. 470–486. Lee. Yueh-Ting. McCauley. Clark. Jussim. Lee. Stereotypes as Valid Categories of Knowledge and Human Perceptions of Group Differences. Social and Personality Psychology Compass. October 19, 2021. 2013.
  4. 1094-0480. 8. 1. 114–123. End. Christian M.. Kretschmar. Jeff M.. Dietz-Uhler. Beth. College Students' Perceptions of Sports Fandom as a Social Status Determinant. International Sports Journal. October 20, 2021. 2004. .
  5. Web site: Most popular team names (active only). October 19, 2021. MascotDB.
  6. Web site: How did DePaul get a demon as a mascot?. DePaul University Libraries. July 25, 2008. October 19, 2021.
  7. Web site: Home of the Monks. October 19, 2021. GoMonks.com.
  8. Web site: OLLU Saints Gear. October 19, 2021.
  9. Web site: Why Battling Bishops?. Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops . October 19, 2021.
  10. Web site: College unveils new athletics logo. August 8, 2014. Mees, Andrew . Bloomfield College. October 11, 2021.
  11. News: Redden . Elizabeth . Evangel Drops Crusader Mascot . April 12, 2021 . . March 31, 2021 . en.
  12. Web site: Lincoln Christian University introduces new athletic mascot -- the Red Lions. October 1, 2009. Lincoln Daily News. October 11, 2021.
  13. Kravitz. Mark R . Mark R. Kravitz . Mutter. Carol A . 1974. Desegregation of Private Schools: Section 1981 as an Alternative to State Action. Georgetown Law Journal. 62. 1365, note 15. 0016-8092. May 1, 2018. The term 'segregation academy' in the South has come to mean an institution which is one of 'a system of private schools operated on a racially segregated basis as an alternative available to white students seeking to avoid desegregated public schools.' Coffey v. State Educ. Fin. Comm'n, 296 F. Supp. 1389, 1392 (S.D. Miss. 1969). "The quality of instruction, teachers, and physical plant varies widely among such schools. Some private white schools are well-equipped and boast an excellent staff. For example, the Briarcrest Baptist School System, Inc., in Memphis, Tennessee, offers all the standard academic subjects in addition to religious training. All of Briarcrest's staff are certified by the state, and 20 hold master's degrees. Wall Street Journal, supra note 14, at 1, col. 4. However, many southern private schools are woefully inadequate..
  14. Web site: The Story of the Blue Devil. Go Duke. October 12, 2021.
  15. Web site: Wellington High School. October 10, 2021.
  16. https://ahs.atkinsschools.org/
  17. Web site: Wayne Schools. October 10, 2021.
  18. Web site: Wynot Public Schools. October 10, 2021.
  19. Web site: Franklin High School's new mascot will be Lightning after Board approves selection . PPS . July 7, 2019 . June 12, 2019.
  20. News: Fort Myers Miracle announce name change to Mighty Mussels. Andrew. Sodergren. The News-Press. December 3, 2019. October 10, 2021.
  21. Web site: Shellnutt . Kate . Rooting for religion: The Saints and other teams with spiritual mascots - Believe It or Not . Houston Chronicle . February 4, 2010 . March 1, 2017.
  22. Web site: The Official Site of Minor League Baseball | MiLB.com Homepage . Minor League Baseball . March 1, 2017.
  23. Web site: University of the Incarnate Word . OSAU. October 10, 2021.
  24. Web site: Eskridge . Larry . Higher Education: Eagles, Crusaders, and Trolls—Oh My! . Christianity Today . June 12, 2000 . March 1, 2017.
  25. Web site: The Official Site of the Holy Cross Crusaders . GoHolyCross.com . March 1, 2017.
  26. Web site: Crusader Moniker and Mascot . College of the Holy Cross.
  27. News: A new college crusade aims at controversial mascots. The Philadelphia Inquirer. Frank. Fitzpatrick. September 28, 2017.
  28. Web site: Home | Official Athletic Site of the North Greenville University Crusaders . Ngcrusaders.com . February 25, 2017 . March 1, 2017.
  29. Web site: The Making of a Mascot. January 1, 2018. Alvernia University. October 10, 2021.
  30. Web site: Still the Beacons: Bushnell athletics gets used to not saying 'NCU'. Hayden . Herreraom . September 16, 2020. KVAL . October 10, 2021.
  31. News: Goodbye crusaders, hello comets! Capital University announces new mascot. Sheridan. Hendrix. The Columbus Dispatch. September 30, 2021. October 10, 2021.
  32. Web site: Clarke Crusaders to become Clarke Pride. February 2, 2017 . Clarke Pride. October 10, 2021.
  33. News: Eastern Nazarene drops Crusader mascot. May 14, 2009. Patriot Ledger. October 10, 2021.
  34. Web site: Crusaders No More: What Arab Christians and Muslims Think of Mascot Changes . September 9, 2021. Christianity Today. October 10, 2021.
  35. Web site: NNU is excited to announce new university mascot. October 16, 2017. Northwest Nazarene University. October 10, 2021.
  36. Web site: Crusader Mascot Retired for New Look. July 2, 2003. News Wise. October 10, 2021.
  37. Web site: Susquehanna University Drops 'Crusader' from Nickname. Nikki . Krize . October 27, 2015. WNEP . October 10, 2021.
  38. Web site: Valparaiso University Unveils New Nickname. August 10, 2021 . Valpo Athletics. October 10, 2021.
  39. News: Wheaton's Inoffensive Mascot Comes From Above . October 10, 2000. Los Angeles Times. Roy . Rivenburg . October 10, 2021.

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