What's a 'Moc'?

[huskyd]

It's not the shoe you wear (insult to Native Americans?); it's that annoying bird. Chattanooga has already annoyed TN the last two seasons, beating them last year and losing by two in Knoxville this year. The Mockingbirds have also annoyed Stanford, topping the Cardinal last year. This season the Mocs once again take on those two + UConn. Nervy--and successful. Chattanooga is one of the top ranked mid-majors and deservingly so. According to the ESPN web site http://espn.go.com/ncw/story/_/id/1...ast-eagles-open-no-1-mid-major-preseason-poll, the Mocs are small but good on defense and adequate on offense. I'm trying to imagine a short team staying with the Huskies for any length of time, but maybe we'll see a little of that Moc Magic come Monday. Nah.

 

[Husky1964]

Moccasins

 

[MilfordHusky]

Do they have sole?

 

[alexrgct]

Do they have sole?

Yes- and they're super bad.

Unless something smells fishy...

 

[KnightBridgeAZ]

I just read the history - bizarre political correctness and bizarre cultural insensitivity and downright weirdness existing side by side.

Apparently they were the Moccasins and were (probably) named after Moccasin Bend, a bend in the river just below Lookout Mountain and probably familiar to Civil War buffs.

Mascots included a Water Moccasin (I know that's a snake, don't know how they did that) and then a shoe (sorry I missed that one) and finally the inevitable (and over the top) Native American.

So they changed to "Mocs" and the state bird as a symbol.

But as insensitive and inappropriate as their final mascot was - I fail to see what was wrong with the original nickname, other than the oddity of previous mascots. Someone would get insulted over a team named the moccasins?

 

[Gus Mahler]

I just read the history - bizarre political correctness and bizarre cultural insensitivity and downright weirdness existing side by side.

Apparently they were the Moccasins and were (probably) named after Moccasin Bend, a bend in the river just below Lookout Mountain and probably familiar to Civil War buffs.

Mascots included a Water Moccasin (I know that's a snake, don't know how they did that) and then a shoe (sorry I missed that one) and finally the inevitable (and over the top) Native American.

So they changed to "Mocs" and the state bird as a symbol.

But as insensitive and inappropriate as their final mascot was - I fail to see what was wrong with the original nickname, other than the oddity of previous mascots. Someone would get insulted over a team named the moccasins?

You'd think people would be comfortable with Moccasins...

Maybe they felt like the association between a Native American mascot and a Native American item had been strongly established.

But I really think Mocs is better. Has the 'k' sound. A picture of a soft shoe doesn't exactly engender excitement or fear.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Between the shoe and the snake, I think they have the "Don't tread on me" flag.

 

[huskyd]

Between the shoe and the snake, I think they have the "Don't tread on me" flag.

Here are some logos of "Don't Tread on Me." https://www.bing.com/images/search?...me+logo&qpvt=don't+tread+on+me+logo&FORM=IGRE I don't see any shoe/moc. I think if you run into an unpleasant snake, you're unlikely to tread on him--ergo, not a shoe in sight.

 

[Bestiarius]

Someone would get insulted over a team named the moccasins?

Who would want a mascot that represented going down to da feet?

 

[huskeynut]

In areas of Tennessee, the cottonmouth snake, also know as a water moccasin or a moc, is a prevalent species. It is a pit viper - poisonous.