Most say "Hoki" was a made up word for a school cheer. "Hoki hoki hoki hi, Tech Tech VPI..." There are some who say it has roots as a greeting amongst Germans who had lived in the area before the Civil War. It eventually became Hokie with an "e". The football team was known as the Gobblers likely because of how they were witnessed eating. Floyd Meade (a local black boy who often was around the Cadets and later a VT employee) later trained a turkey to gobble on command (notably after they scored) and even pull him in a cart at football games becoming the team's first mascot. Decades later, it was eventually all put together and an actual mascot costume was made based on a turkey and known as the HokieBird. Hokies is now the official name. I want to say about 15 years ago the old scoreboard still said Gobblers or Fighting Gobblers. It's gone now, but the marketing departments still uses turkey sounds over the loud speakers occasionally. //I'm still mad VT is retiring the "TV" logo and especially annoyed that the Gobbler logo is being retired after they used it on the Bowl game helmets.
Thanks, Sitruc, for the Hokie history (and yes, I remember the school cheer). Now, would someone do the same for the U. of California-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs?
The Wolf: You guys look like... What do they look like, Jimmie? Jimmie: Dorks. They look like a couple of dorks. Jules: Ha-ha-ha. They're your clothes, ************************.
Banana slugs are something to behold. They are otherworldly yellow -- "dayglo" doesn't do justice to the intensity of the color. We used to play with them when I was a kid running around in Northern California.
That's fine. Lots of people aren't fans of other sports. I don't care for hockey that much, although I do enjoy watching playoff hockey. I just don't get why so many DCU fans are so hostile to other area sports teams.
It is kind of strange. I've met Wizards, Capitals & Redskins fans that are indifferent to other Washington team but not any who are hostile to them.
There's a feeling among some DCU fans on here that the Nationals ruined our chances for a stadium. I don't think that's a legitimate complaint, personally. The Nationals did what a smart business is supposed to do: get the best deal possible for themselves.
I understand the hostility towards the Nationals, I share it for the most part. I find the hostility towards the other teams kind of strange.
Well I was implying that I am a fan of other teams not from DC in other sports rather than I don't watch other sports, but I see your point too. I would assume too that the hate is more so from people that like other teams rather than those who don't watch other sports.
I'm not sure I get it, either. Especially since there isn't all that much overlap between the MLS season and the other sports (baseball excepted).
why? People probably have diverse reasons. Personally I hate the redskins because of my family. I hate the caps because i hate hockey, and I hate the Wizards because I hate magic.
Well, I explained my reasons for not liking the Washington-area professional football team about a dozen posts before yours, and they don't seem strange to me at all. I don't have any hostility towards the Wizards or the Caps.
I like the Caps. I hate the Wizards because the Bullets beat the Sonics for the championship way back when. I hate the redskins because of their players and fans from when I moved here in 1983 (but thanks to all their fans who bet their hard-earned money with me on the unlikely scenario that the 'skins would beat the Raiders in the SuperBowl that "year", you bunch of dumbasses who paid my rent). Nothing since then has made me even want to try to like them, but Joe Theisman and his ilk inspired the actual hate. I do like most of Joe Gibbs' NASCAR race teams. I like the Ravens okay, they're local. And the Blast (I liked the Warthogs too, they were an actual DC team).
I don't root for any pro team in either metro area except DC United. Some partiality to the Caps, but that's mostly a nod to what the NHL used to be. And some partiality to the Blast, but I don't follow them anymore. Some partiality to the Orioles, for nostalgia's sake, but I definitely don't follow them too much. Other than that, I really don't care what happens to anybody and don't really have any negativity toward any of them. If I had to pick just one to hate though, it would be the Nationals for sure.
My allegiances are ecumenical: Soccer -- DCU (season tickets) Football -- New York Giants/Oakland Raiders (my youth) Baseball -- San Francisco Giants (youth again) Hockey (do they still play?) -- New York Rangers (old girlfriend) Basketball -- don't care, don't watch I'll watch a Giants game if on and the weather doesn't permit going out, Oakland games have been unwatchable for years. I didn't see one inning of the World Series. Other than DCU, my attention interest to other sports teams is passing at best and the older I get, the less interested I become.
Now you want to talk about teams I hate (outside MLS)? I thought I heard you ask. Yeah, I actively root against the following: Chelsea Real Madrid Man City All mexican club and national teams I am always delighted when the above lose or almost anything non-life threatening happens to them.
Weren't they the Indians or Warriors or something offensive like that then they had a contest to rename the mascot? Like Stanford picking a tree (The Cardinal). Except in this case they picked the animal that has the largest penis-size to body size ratio. Thx, Jay!
Actually, Stanford's choice of "Cardinal" was for the color, not the bird. Student suggestions for assorted fauna were rejected because of perceived injustice to the species.