OT - Globetrotter insults entire state

[twocentsworth]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

As I mentioned in another thread, the reruns of "Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader?" that were running on cable here in Portland this past week featured the Harlem Globetrotters playing for charity - the Make-A-Wish Foundation. On the Friday show, the bonus question was "What state has a beaver on its state flag?" Gee - do you think it might be Oregon? The Globetrotter deliberated out loud and said he knew that the University of Oregon's mascot was the beaver, so it must be Oregon.

Sure, he got it right, but saying the U of O has a beaver for a mascot would cut to the bone of every U of O and Oregon State University alumni and supporter. Here in this state, there is a huge level of animosity between the two schools to the point of having their annual Pac10 football game called "the Civil War". The only thing that modified the "insult" was that one of his teammates corrected him on the subject.

Actually, I'm surprised the local cable channel even let it on the air.

BTW - thanks to the Globetrotters for winning a lot of money for Make-A-Wish, a great organization of which my wife has been a long-time volunteer.

you sound like the coach, player, or fan who complains about the call you just made....THAT BENEFITED THEIR TEAM.....

really? you're complaining that he answered the question correctly and earned money for charity?

[BktBallRef]

Originally Posted by twocentsworth

you sound like the coach, player, or fan who complains about the call you just made....THAT BENEFITED THEIR TEAM.....

really? you're complaining that he answered the question correctly and earned money for charity?

He's not complaining about anything. He posted a fun story on a slow day to generate discussion.

Sheesh newbie, get a life.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by twocentsworth

really? you're complaining that he answered the question correctly and earned money for charity?

I guess you didn't read my last sentence in that post. Complaining? Are you crazy? As far as I'm concerned, he could have cheated to get that right. I think Make-A-Wish is one of the greatest charities we have. I've seen some of those kids and the way their faces look when they are ready to leave on their wish trip is priceless.

BTW - thanks for the support, BBR.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

Thanks for the support, BBR.

Hey Mark Padgett? You know that you always have my full support? Right? And also the left one.

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Hey Mark Padgett? You know that you always have my full support? Right? And also the left one.

Is that yours? I see an IAABO (I Am A Ballsy Official) patch on it. Oh yeah, the tag says size XS. Must be yours.

[bainsey]

This reminds me of a Hollywood Squares question: "Which of the following colleges have the Wildcats as their mascot?"

Caroline Rhea tried to answer "Arizona" before hearing the three choices, one of which was the correct answer, Kansas State. Rhea just answered "Kansas" -- which was not one of the choices -- and the contestant disagreed, but Rhea was ruled correct (and the contestant wrong) with "Kansas."

I'm sure that ruffled a few feathers where the buffalo roam, but outside of that, few people would care enough to make a fuss.

[BillyMac]

Originally Posted by bainsey

Few people would care enough to make a fuss.

The differences between these twin-named universities confuse me. Here in Connecticut, we have a very large, public university, the University of Connecticut (UCONN). We also have a very small, private college, Connecticut College. No one would ever confuse them. I am also aware that Pennsylvania has two universities, Pennsylvania State (Penn State), a very large, public university, and the University of Pennsylvania, a private, Ivy League university.

What's the story on other twin-named universities: Oregon, and Oregon State; Kansas, and Kansas State; North Carolina, and North Carolina State, etc.? Is it a matter of public, versus private, as it is in the examples I gave above, or is it something else?

[Mark Padgett]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

What's the story on other twin-named universities: Oregon, and Oregon State; Kansas, and Kansas State; North Carolina, and North Carolina State, etc.? Is it a matter of public, versus private, as it is in the examples I gave above, or is it something else?

I don't know the full story on Oregon and Oregon State, but both are large public universities. Oregon is in Eugene and Oregon State is in Corvallis. Oregon State started as an agricultural school and, I think, was originally called Oregon Agricultural College. Some Oregon fans still call the Oregon State teams the "Aggies" as a put down. The rivalry between the two schools is intense and Oregon also has a pretty big rivalry with the University of Washington. We also have Portland State University, a public school, and the University of Portland, a private religious-sponsored school.

[Adam]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

What's the story on other twin-named universities: Oregon, and Oregon State; Kansas, and Kansas State; North Carolina, and North Carolina State, etc.? Is it a matter of public, versus private, as it is in the examples I gave above, or is it something else?

I know with Iowa and Iowa State, both are public. As is bracket-busting Northern Iowa. Most of the states in this part of the country have the twin Universities (Michigan, Oklahoma, etc.) It's a bit different than other states that have their main university system and each school is named by the campus site (UW-Madison, UW-Milwaukee, UC-Berkley). Some states have both (UC-Boulder, Colorado State). It seems private schools named after states are typically less known (Penn being an Ivy League exception).

It seems the "State" Universities (Iowa State, Kansas State, West Virginia State) tend to be "Land Grant" universities in heritage (often began as Ag universities). They seem to have a tendency to be "second" public universities in their given states. It's not universally true, though.

[bainsey]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

Here in Connecticut, we have a very large, public university, the University of Connecticut (UCONN). We also have a very small, private college, Connecticut College.

Been there. My sister-in-law went to Conn College.

Come to think of it, I don't think any states in our region (New England, New York, New Jersey) have a "University of (state)" and "(state) State University." Connecticut somewhat does, in the form of CCSU and others, and New York has the SUNY schools (which go by more common names since Albany and Binghamton went D-I). Pennsylvania and Delaware have both.

[MD Longhorn]

Originally Posted by BillyMac

The differences between these twin-named universities confuse me. Here in Connecticut, we have a very large, public university, the University of Connecticut (UCONN). We also have a very small, private college, Connecticut College. No one would ever confuse them. I am also aware that Pennsylvania has two universities, Pennsylvania State (Penn State), a very large, public university, and the University of Pennsylvania, a private, Ivy League university.

What's the story on other twin-named universities: Oregon, and Oregon State; Kansas, and Kansas State; North Carolina, and North Carolina State, etc.? Is it a matter of public, versus private, as it is in the examples I gave above, or is it something else?

Go live in a state that's bigger than, um, Houston! One big enough to NEED more than one state school. Heck, OU and OSU (both the Oklahoma and Oregon versions of this pair) and KSU/KU are probably large enough to fit Connecticut between them!

Not to mention Texas, with UT, TA&M, Texas Tech all "full-sized" public state schools (not to mention about 10 others without Texas in the name and 5 more private schools, all as big as UConn). (Heck, I bet there are subsidiary schools of both UT and TA&M with as much enrollment as Connecticut.!)

Florida / FSU...
Michigan / MSU...
I am sure there are 10 more of these, all far apart enough to fit Conn between them.

[JugglingReferee]

Originally Posted by Mark Padgett

I guess you didn't read my last sentence in that post. Complaining? Are you crazy? As far as I'm concerned, he could have cheated to get that right. I think Make-A-Wish is one of the greatest charities we have. I've seen some of those kids and the way their faces look when they are ready to leave on their wish trip is priceless.

BTW - thanks for the support, BBR.

I don't know much about west coast teams, but I gather the reason for the post was that the Beavers belong to the other Oregon team that you mentioned - OSU; and the OU are something else other than the Beavers.

Oh, this.