One of the CNN headlines today is "40 People Hurt in N. Ireland Riots".
That would be the Orange (Ulster Scots / Protestants / etc.) side I believe.
On the Green side would be the IRA / Catholics / etc., I believe.  Without
intending to turn this political, I am just pointing out there is a couple
hundred years of history and strong associations tied up with those
colors.

On the other hand, I can't tell that Syracuse's selection of Orange back in
1890 was anything other than picking a better color than the combination
of pink and pea green.  (What were they thinking with the original color
selection?)  The religious association Syracuse had was Methodist -
Episcopal and not Presbyterian.  I think someone pointed that it was (or
may have been) simply changing the name to get rid of "-men" to be
come more gender neutral.

It is so off-season...

Doug Peterson

On 5 Aug 2005 at 17:57, mike patten wrote:

why does orangemen bother someone of irish-american decent? is it
considered anti green?

>Time to climb on the soapbox.  First the ban from using the name/logo
>during postseason events; then a ban from using the name/logo at
>all???
>
>I personally find the name of the Syracuse "Orangemen" offensive, my
>ancestors having come from Ireland.  Where is the NCAA concern about
>that?  Having an athletic team named the Orangemen is as offensive to
>an Irish-American as having a team named the Ku Klux Klan would be to
>an African-American.
>
>I would be very interested in hearing from persons of American Indian
>descent on the issue referred to below.
>
>
>Cathy Spreeman
>
>
>
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: - Hockey-L - The College Hockey Discussion List
>[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Indy Rutks
>Sent: Friday, August 05, 2005 12:38 PM
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: NCAA bans Indian mascots, nicknames from postseason events
>
>NCAA bans Indian mascots, nicknames from postseason events
>Associated Press
>August 5, 2005
>
>INDIANAPOLIS- The NCAA banned the use of American Indian mascots by
>sports teams during its postseason tournaments, but will not prohibit
>them otherwise.
>
>The NCAA's executive committee decided this week the organization did
>not have the authority to bar Indian mascots by individual schools,
>committee chairman Walter Harrison said Friday.
>
>Nicknames or mascots deemed "hostile or abusive'' would not be
>allowed by teams on their uniforms or other clothing beginning with
>any NCAA tournament after Feb. 1, said Harrison, the University of
>Hartford's president.
>
>"What each institution decides to do is really its own business''
>outside NCAA championship events, he said.
>
>Guidelines were not immediately available on which logos and
>nicknames would be considered "hostile or abusive.''
>
>The NCAA two years ago recommended that schools determine for
>themselves whether the Indian depictions were offensive.
>
>Among the schools to change nicknames in recent years over such
>concerns were St. John's (from Redmen to Red Storm) and Marquette
>(from Warriors to Golden Eagles).
>
>The NCAA plans to ban schools using Indian nicknames from hosting
>postseason events. Harrison said schools with such mascots that have
>already been selected as tournament sites would be asked to cover any
>offensive logos.
>
>Such logos also would be prohibited at postseason games on
>cheerleader and band uniforms starting in 2008.