2005-06 College Bowls

Breaking Down the Bowls: On the Value of a Good Nickname

While we don’t quite have A-Z representation in the nicknames of teams involved in bowls for the 2005-06 season, we do have Badgers to Zips.

If you’re looking to jazz up your team with a new nickname, hoping to cash in on some of the nomenclatural magic that propelled teams to success this year, here are a few trends we’ve isolated:

1) The list is pretty heavy on the apex predators, with Tigers (4), Cougars (2), Wolfpacks (2), Bears, Eagles, Lions, Wildcats, and Wolverines, oh my. So any animal that eats other animals (without being eaten itself) is a good choice for a nickname.

2) Mammals > birds > reptiles > amphibians > insects. Pick something warm-blooded, hairy, with a backbone.

3) If you’re going to go the inanimate route, stick with weather like Hurricanes (2), Crimson Tide, and Cyclones. The more capacity it has to kill people, the better. Try to avoid non-lethal nicknames such as Northerly Breeze, Tropical Depression, and Rising Dew Point.

4) All that glitters is gold. Tack on “Golden” for no apparent reason (Golden Bears, Golden Eagles, Golden Gophers, Golden Hurricane, Golden Knights) and bam, you’ve got yourself a winner. Don’t let logic get you down, as far as your creation, you know, not actually existing. Remember, bling is king.

Here’s the full breakdown by nickname, just for kicks: Badgers, Broncos, Bruins, Buckeyes, Buffaloes, Bulldogs (2), Bulls, Cardinals, Cavaliers, Cornhuskers, Cougars (2), Crimson Tide, Cyclones, Ducks, Eagles, Fighting Irish, Gamecocks, Gators, Golden Bears, Golden Eagles, Golden Gophers, Golden Hurricane, Golden Knights, Hawkeyes, Hokies, Horned Frogs, Hurricanes, Indians, Jayhawks, Longhorns, Midshipmen, Miners, Mountaineers, Nittany Lions, Rams, Red Raiders, Rockets, Scarlet Knights, Seminoles, Sooners, Sun Devils, Tigers (4), Trojans, Utes, Wildcats, Wolfpack (2), Wolverines, Yellow Jackets, Zips.

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