On The Mascot Issue

A guest columnist offers a look at the Dartmouth mascot issue in today's Daily Dartmouth. There's some good food for thought in the column, although I'll take issue with this statement:

It seems to me that any mascot we might choose to adopt should have some significant connection to Dartmouth's culture and history. Of the many contenders, only the Indian satisfies this criterion.

Readers of this electronic space know I've pushed in the past for the BackPackers nickname, with a red bandana-topped mascot wearing a pack adorned with a sleeping roll and water bottle, carrying a walking stick and wearing hiking boots. During stops in play at basketball games, the mascot could reach into the backpack to toss T-shirts to the crowd. Think of the West Virginia Mountaineer or, well, the Notre Dame leprechaun. Silly? Maybe. But given the Dartmouth Outing Club and the Appalachian Trail meandering through town, I'd argue it would indeed have "some significant connection to Dartmouth's culture and history."

It may be lip service. It may not. The NCAA may be ready to crack down on schools that don't graduate athletes. From USA Today:

The NCAA is preparing to hit "hundreds" of teams with a second, stiffer wave of penalties for academic deficiencies, deepening cuts in scholarships and curtailing teams' practice time. In two years, the most chronic offenders will be hit with postseason bans. The Division I Board of Directors is expected to endorse the plan as the association's four-day annual convention wraps up today.

With the BCS championship game on tap tonight (anyone staying up until the end?) Ohio State -- make that THE Ohio State University -- is all over the press today. In one story I stumbled across the following, which I thought you might find interesting:

Ohio State puts 36 varsity teams on the field, court and course and in the water. That's 16 more than the average in NCAA Division I-A. The broad-based model is familiar to the Ivy League but not to other big-name schools.

That, of course, set me off to check out what, exactly, those 36 sports were. I found numerous references to the 36 sports but couldn't find a list that added up to 36. Here's the list I found:

Men's Sports

1. Baseball
2. Basketball
3. Cross Country
4. Fencing
5. Football
6. Golf
7. Gymnastics
8. Ice Hockey
9. Lacrosse
10. Pistol
11. Rifle
12. Soccer
13. Swim/Dive
14. Tennis
15. Track & Field
16. Volleyball
17. Wrestling

Women's Sports

1. Basketball
2. Cross Country
3. Fencing
4. Field Hockey
5. Golf
6. Gymnastics
7. Ice Hockey
8. Lacrosse
9. Pistol
10. Rifle
11. Rowing
12. Soccer
13. Softball
14. Swim/Dive
15. Synchronized Swimming
16. Tennis
17. Track & Field
18. Volleyball

I'm guessing the missing sport is novice crew or something like that. Any ideas out there?

Finally, here's hoping all the potential recruits got out of town yesterday. Up here on the mountain this morning the wind is howling, there's slush all over the ground and a cold rain falling. A thoroughly miserable day.