Marist College drops ‘Shooter’ as mascot name

November 14, 2017 / Athletic AdministrationCoaching
Marist College’s sports mascot is no longer known as “Shooter,” a change made last month in light of mass shootings throughout the nation.

The college, roughly 80 miles north of New York City, made the switch with little publicity. But Director of Athletics Tim Murray did acknowledge to the Poughkeepsie Journal that the move is a reaction to the multiple shootings that took place this year. The tipping point was Las Vegas, where a gunman opened fire on the crowd at a Jason Aldean concert, killing 58 and wounding more than 500.

From the Poughkeepsie Journal:

On the news that morning, with the name of the gunman not yet revealed, Murray said he kept hearing the assailant referred to simply as “the shooter.”

And though Marist’s “Shooter” was named in reference to shooting hoops, the name took on new meaning for Murray.

“Unfortunately, in our culture today, there is a negative stigma to that term ‘shooter.’ And I just didn’t think it was appropriate for us at this time to perpetuate that term,” Murray said.

Marist’s nickname is the Red Foxes, so team names needed no change. But that week, staff began considering new mascot names. The school eventually chose “Frankie,” a nod to nearby Hyde Park and the birthplace of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The college has still not made a formal announcement about the change. Murray told the newspaper that feedback from fans has been mixed.

“We had a couple people who have commented,” Murray told the Journal, “but many of them frankly have been positive. They understand. They get it.”

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