They changed all of the Cookeville elementary schools mascots names at the same time back in the day. Capshaw went from Cobras to Cougars, Northeast from Trojans to Eagles, Sycamore from Scorpions to Stars, and Park View from Rockets to Pandas. Jere Whitson stayed the Wildcats. Cane Creek & Prescott weren’t around yet. Or maybe they made the changes when Cane Creek opened which was 1995, not sure.
Yellow cobra, black stripes, forked tongue flicked out in an upturned curve, classic half-cocked ready to strike snake charmer pose without a basket. The religious nuts didn't like it. Always complained. Eventually got what the wanted, nobody really got hurt.
I recall it being local people of Indigenous descent leading this fight. And officials complained they "couldn't afford" to update the racist troupe. Which I always thought was silly. I was a Trojan, and even in elementary school we all had seen Trojan condom commercials. We thought it was funny, but I guess parents cared. They renamed us without issue. So, we all knew it was feasible to change Algood's mascot. No one was particularly attached to it, and it was offensive to an entire class of human beings. The offensiveness was the point, evidently.
Anyway, turns out they could afford it, and they adopted a new mascot. One that brings more dignity to Indigenous People and Algood students.
They can afford it. Even if they slowly integrate it out of everything and change things. They redo the parts with the racist troupe in stages each year it is part of the budget and no athletic team has the old name ever put on it again.
Prettying much exactly the same thing. The just wouldn't shut up about it. Pestered the PTA and administration endlessly until they finally got their way. Every era has weirdos who want things different, even little small town school mascots, even back then. Nothing new under the sun.
Early 90's sometime, I think. The principle of the place was Dr. Roberts back then, she was the real deal as far as elementary educators went, good pedigree and lot of experience making an elementary school actually turn most of this places little urchin denizenry to actually at least count and read some. She hated that crap, but she finally had to give in. Pretty much the exact same thing as Algood, a vocal minority that just wouldn't shut up about it until they got their way.
I don't find either offensive, but it ain't my problem, either. It was a "Satanic" serpent-type symbolism stuff some doctor's and attorney's wives and I think a pastor's wife or two kept harping on till Roberts just finally gave up. Wasn't worth the fight, and in the words of former Supreme Court Justice John Jay sometimes the best thing to do is just give the Indians what they want.
They changed all of the Cookeville elementary schools mascots names at the same time back in the day. Capshaw went from Cobras to Cougars, Northeast from Trojans to Eagles, Sycamore from Scorpions to Stars, and Park View from Rockets to Pandas. Jere Whitson stayed the Wildcats. Cane Creek & Prescott weren’t around yet. Or maybe they made the changes when Cane Creek opened which was 1995, not sure.
I went to Capshaw starting in 1991, and it was Cougars at that point.
Must’ve been right around 1990 that they did it.
Yellow cobra, black stripes, forked tongue flicked out in an upturned curve, classic half-cocked ready to strike snake charmer pose without a basket. The religious nuts didn't like it. Always complained. Eventually got what the wanted, nobody really got hurt.
Just like some libs whine about Algood?
I recall it being local people of Indigenous descent leading this fight. And officials complained they "couldn't afford" to update the racist troupe. Which I always thought was silly. I was a Trojan, and even in elementary school we all had seen Trojan condom commercials. We thought it was funny, but I guess parents cared. They renamed us without issue. So, we all knew it was feasible to change Algood's mascot. No one was particularly attached to it, and it was offensive to an entire class of human beings. The offensiveness was the point, evidently. Anyway, turns out they could afford it, and they adopted a new mascot. One that brings more dignity to Indigenous People and Algood students.
They can afford it. Even if they slowly integrate it out of everything and change things. They redo the parts with the racist troupe in stages each year it is part of the budget and no athletic team has the old name ever put on it again.
Prettying much exactly the same thing. The just wouldn't shut up about it. Pestered the PTA and administration endlessly until they finally got their way. Every era has weirdos who want things different, even little small town school mascots, even back then. Nothing new under the sun.
I don't recall the Cobra 'controversy'....any idea what year it changed?
Early 90's sometime, I think. The principle of the place was Dr. Roberts back then, she was the real deal as far as elementary educators went, good pedigree and lot of experience making an elementary school actually turn most of this places little urchin denizenry to actually at least count and read some. She hated that crap, but she finally had to give in. Pretty much the exact same thing as Algood, a vocal minority that just wouldn't shut up about it until they got their way.
How in the world is a cobra more offensive than “Redskins?”
I don't find either offensive, but it ain't my problem, either. It was a "Satanic" serpent-type symbolism stuff some doctor's and attorney's wives and I think a pastor's wife or two kept harping on till Roberts just finally gave up. Wasn't worth the fight, and in the words of former Supreme Court Justice John Jay sometimes the best thing to do is just give the Indians what they want.
Algood's mascot is racist