Wimpiest/most bizarre team names

This is a suggestion for "Wimpiest Sports Names/Mascots" The Fisher (Ill.) Jr/Sr High School, Home of the "Bunnies." That's right, their mascot is a Bunny. --Brian W., Peoria, Ill.

NYU Violets. Not too tough. In fact, they may have tried to change it to the Bobcats now, but even that is named after the library computer system.-- Mat, Van Nuys, Calif.

With regard to your list of "wimpy team names," the New York University Violets seems hard to top. Oglethorpe University in Georgia has a name that's more odd than wimpy -- the Stormy Petrels (a rather fierce bird, but not widely known). -- Philip, Sioux Falls, Idaho

Dude, really? Wimpy team names and you leave out the NYU Violets? They have a hockey team...a HOCKEY team called the "Violets". That ranks up there with the Peoria "Prancers." -- Jarod, Elmhurst, Ill.

Allisonville High School Alices and the Frankfort High School Hot Dogs.-- Travis Allen, Valparaiso, Ind.

Frankfort Hot Dogs from Frankfort, Indiana. -- Jeff Christner, Lebanon, Ind.

There is a high school in Omaha, Neb., (Omaha Benson HS) that goes by the name "Benson Bunnies." -- Jordan Manske, Waverly, Neb.

In terms of wimpy names, how about this high school in Iowa, The Estherville Lincoln Central Midgets! Also, many years ago, the city of Everly ... their high school mascot was the cattlefeeders! -- Mike Peasley, DeWitt, Iowa

Go slugs!? The Banana Slugs?!-- Ryan Larsen, Boise, Idaho

Wimpiest names, try the University School "Preppers" in Hunting Valley, Ohio. What makes it worse, it's an all boys school. If you check out the wiki site, the mascot, Prescott the Prepper is even more surreal.-- James Connot, Cleveland

This is the site for a wimpy school name... Ft. Lauderdale High School Flying L's. The mascot design is a capital 'L' with wings and an arrow through it.-- Rick Jarvis, Overland Park, Kan.

When Troy Aikman played high school football in Henryetta, Okla., the team name was the Hens. In the late '80's a woman I knew from there was part of a local group that finally got the school board to to change the name to something (anything!) else. So the team became the Knights. And opposing fans quit wearing Kentucky Fried Chicken buckets on their heads at games.-- Richard Williams, Nashville, Tenn.

You want some wimpy names you should check out gulfsouthconference.org. Names include Cotton Blossoms (U. of Arkansas Monticello), Golden Suns (Arkansas Tech U.), Wonderboys (also, Ark. Tech), Argonauts, Reddies, Muleriders, the list goes on...-- Steven T., Memphis

There is a High school in Ohio called the Crooksville Ceramics. That is all,-- Shawn McCafferty, Richwood, Ohio

Not just a "wimpy" high school name, but also very unique, I am an Air Force brat who graduated from Gwinn High School in Upper Michigan, which still goes by the Gwinn "Model Towners." And one of our foes was and still is the Ishpeming "Hematites."-- Marshall Walker, Traer Iowa

North Kingstown High School -- Home of the Skippers! -- Amanda C., North Kingstown, R.I.

Some gems in the wimpy team name category, Worcester Ruby Legs and the Cleveland Infants (also see the Elizabeth Resolutes who went 2-21 and then folded) -- Ryan, London

Wimpy Names: The Evergreen State College Geoducks. -- Rod Dailey, Whittier, Calif.

Wimpy team names: Columbia, Mo., Hickman High School Kewpies (a baby doll).-- Charlie, Jeff City, Mo.

Your aren't even close on the wimpiest school names: Check out Hickman High (Columbia MO) home of the "Kewpies." -- Peter, Madison, Wisc.

Wimpiest High School name ever: The Kewpie Dolls.

Wimpy Team Names: The Columbia Hickman "Kewpies" ...as in the doll! -- Chuck, St. Charles, Mo.

As far as wimpy high school names go, the worst has to be David H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Mo., whose nickname is the Kewpies (like the kewpie doll). Even worse, I seem to remember the colors of the pressbox at the stadium being yellow and lavender. I've got to believe every pregame pep talk by an opposing coach involved something along the lines of "No WAY we're losing to a bunch of Kewpies!"-- Jeff Lewis, Greensboro, N.C.

You're forgetting the strangest of HS Nicknames: The Nimrods.-- Tyson Vaughn, Indianapolis

You want to hear of a wimpy team name? My high school, Lansing Christian High School's (Lansing, Mich.) nickname is the Pilgrims! And during our basketball games, some kid dresses up in a pilgrims outfit and runs around the gym. It's mostly embarrassing when meeting new kids and after hearing about how they cheer for the "Hawks" or the "Cougars" I have to tell them I cheer for a group of Pilgrims... -- Joseph, Lansing, Mich.

It may be a little late, but I would like to throw in a high school from Vincennes, Ind. The Vincennes Lincoln "Alices."-- Ryan Dunn, Linton, Ind.

Wimpy monikers? How bout the Benson High School (Omaha) Mighty Bunnies. Mighty Bunnies, really?! -- John Vomhof, Crystal, Minn.

How bout this: My high school's nickname is the Marblehead Magicians. What's even worse, the hockey team for some reason go by The Headers of Marblehead. I think I win.-- Nick, Marblehead, Mass.

Your item on Wimpy Team Names brought back memories for me. I don't know what year it was (mid to late '80s). We were watching the Illinois High School Basketball tournament on WGN and the two schools that were playing were the Corn Jerkers against the Wooden Shoes. That's the actual names of the teams. I wish I could remember what towns they were from. -- Doug, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Unusual mascots? I give you the Effingham (Ill.) Flaming Hearts and the Teutopolis (IL) Wooden Shoes.-- Nate W., Effingham, Ill.

Another Wimpy team name, the Teutopolis Wooden Shoes. -- Will, Indianapolis

The wimpiest name is New York City's Stuyvesant High School. Their football team is the Peglegs.-- Ando, Los Angeles

Here are a couple more wimpy sports names from high schools in my area. Freeburg Midgets, Centralia Orphans, New Berlin Pretzels.-- Jude, Troy, Ill.

Here in the Nashville area, the private Webb School (in Bell Buckle, Tenn., no less) is nicknamed "The Feet." That's right, the Webb Feet. -- George Flatau

Would you believe the "Battlin Billies" of Fredericksburg, Texas? -- R.K. McSwain, Houston

Wimpy names: Tillamook, Ore., has the Cheesemakers. Instills fear, doesn't it?-- Jason A., Albany, Ore.

A wimpy nickname for you guys: The Holy Souls "Wabbits." An elementary and middle school in Little Rock that is a cuter version of rabbits. And I am being serious.-- Jack Blanchat, Little Rock, Ark.

Another great wimpy team name comes from Pacific Lutheran University, which used to be Pacific Lutheran College with fierce names like the Gladiators followed later by the PLC Knights. Then they were changed to the PLU Lutes. Yes, Lutes. As in Lutherans... or a musical instrument that resembles a guitar. Nothing strikes fear in to competitors like religious beliefs!-- Chase J., Parkland, Wash.

Wimpy Names -- how about SI's high school athletic program of the year: the Punahou School "Buffanblus" based on the team's colors, buff and blue...-- Gary, Honolulu

I had to get in on the wimpy name bandwagon. I attended Heidelberg College in Tiffin, Ohio. The sports teams were called "The Fighting Student Princes".-- Jay Simpson, Rock Hill, S.C.

Since you're doing wimpy high school names, how about the Canaries of Allen High School, Allentown, Pa.?-- Pete Kazlas, Allentown, Penn.

Monroe Cheesemakersa from Monroe, Wisc., and the Freeport Pretzels from Freeport, Ill. Schools are 25 miles apart from each other. Who doesn't like a hot pretzel with cheese?-- Jeff Borrelli, Madison, Wisc.

Here's one for the wimpy team names: In 2000, while studying abroad at the University of Leicester, UK, I played for an "American Football" team, the Leicester Lemmings (who have since changed their name, but I have the jacket to prove it). Upon joining, I asked one of the Captains why they chose the name Lemmings. The reply: "Because we're suicidal maniacs."-- Mark Melesky, Eagle Bridge, N.Y.

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology's mascot is the "Fighting Engineers." -- Jeff, Novi, Mich.

Here in Cedar Rapids, we have a Class A Angels affiliate known as the "Kernels," as in a kernel of corn. The logo is even dumber. -- Kevin James, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Hey! As you were talking about wimpy school names, you forgot about the all time best, the Watersmeet (Michigan) Nimrods! ESPN has even featured them in the past!-- Gregg Burian, Portage, Ind.

With regards to the wimpy sports names, I went to a high school with a pretty bad (or good?) one. The story behind the name goes something like this: The first superintendent of our school district was in the Air Force in WWII. He took the colors of the German flag for the colors of the school district (Gold, Black and Red) and took the name of his fighter squadron for the name of the mascot. Now taking your mascot name from a WWII fighter plane squadron is probably one of the coolest ways to get a name ever. Unfortunately, it is for that very reason that I had to play every game of my athletic career as a flaming arrow. We were (and still are) the Sachem Flaming Arrows. When I tell people that my high school was the Flaming Arrows, I have to tell the story, too, otherwise people think that I made that name up and don't believe me.-- Marc, Holbrook, N.Y.