The recent kerfuffle over a new name for the Amherst College teams raises an intriguing question. Why do groups of athletes need to represent themselves with mascots?
May I suggest that Amherst College break new ground. Be done with mascots altogether. Let the football team be called the Amherst College Football Team. The basketball team would go under the name — you guessed it — the Amherst College Basketball Team. The collective noun could be “team,” as the Teams.
No need for a fuzzy moose, a growling chipmunk, an aggressive SAT test, a Nerf molecule or any other symbol. Go Team!
Steve Harris
Amherst