Who cares that the name is based on a color? Cardinal is a cool name. But of course, the Cardinal Sin was made a few years ago by changing the football uniforms from the classy cardinal red to the ugly-ass things the team currently wears.

Forget about it...it's Cardinal forever!

No offense, but I really think that you're in the minority of the minorities when you say that the Cardinal is a "cool" name.  I could be wrong, but as of now, that's the way it looks. 

I somewhat agree about the jerseys, but the players like them so who are we to demand a change?  At least with the nickname debate, a lot of people (the majority it looks like) wants a change.

hardanddeep wrote: Forget about it...it's Cardinal forever!

"These are our hills," Black Elk stated solemnly. "They were ours before the white man came, before the treaty with Red Cloud. They said it was ours as long as the grass should grow, and the water flow. They are chasing us now. Because we remembered, and they forget."

Hah... that's a great quote on so many different front! Brilliant connections (Indians, we haven't always been the Cardinal and hopefully won't always be, trying to chase the Cardinal out)... nicely done!  You're a quote machine!

Stanford's strong attachment to the symbolism of a color goes way, way back. One of Stanford's oldest and most famous songs, "A Son of a Gambolier" (1905), was written by various student authors at the turn of the century. Here are a couple of verses:

We'll cheer for dear old Stanford, where The Color of Life is Red;

We'll rise and give the "Varsity" from our coffins when we're dead;

And when we mount the golden stairs we'll give St. Peter the cue

To join the rollicking chorus, "To hell with the Gold and Blue."


Oh, I wish I had an ocean of rum, of sugar a million pound,

The dear old Quad to mix it in, the chimney to stir it 'round;

I'd drink the health of the Cardinal, so glorious and so true,

And I'd join the rollicking chorus, "To hell with the Gold and Blue."
-

Those that don't get the connection between "Cardinal" and Stanford probably realize the history of the association. It truly is a long-standing Stanford symbol, as old as the school itself. I also think it's a classy and appropriate nickname...just not as good as The Indians.

Two things: #1. The Cardinal nickname will very likely never be changed. 2. The current football uniforms will return to a more traditional look, one that will appease the vast majority of Booties who find them ugly and unrepresentative.

...the new unis and the ending of this thread

The Cardinal is Waving
Over the field
Our men are fighting
With a spirit that will not yield
Farewell 'ol Berkeley
We're after you
Once again the Cardinal
Will whip the gold and blue

We could keep the colors but change the nickname . . .

That's exactly what I'm hoping for.  Man this thread has gone of forever... my bad.  But at least there's a lot of interest in this debate and I'm looking forward to taking it to the next step next year!