News BOR meeting about CHANGING Hey Reb in December

[rebelsforlife11]

It has been brought to my attention that a few folks want to have a "meaningful discussion" about the "community's feeling on Hey Reb!" at the December Board of Regents meeting. But, the folks bringing this to the BOR are trying to make this fly under the radar before the December meeting. Even more, that meeting will be in Carson City (not sure if that is normal or not), but that will hinder any kind of protests that would be planned.

Anyways, they are using this survey to gather the community's feelings about Hey Reb. I urge you all to inform whoever receives the information from the survey about your opinion on this.

Thanks, Harry Reid.

https://unlv.co1.qualtrics.com/SE/?SID=SV_4PhXWkGAY5rLWol

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Thanks for posting. Good to know the board of regents is tackling hard issues like whether or not a cartoonish mustachioed muscle bound mascot is offending people by conjuring up images of a cartoonish mustachioed muscle bound mascot.

 

[DocRebel]

We live in a goofy world.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

We live in a goofy world.

I find that comment offensive to Disney characters.

 

[RebelinWA]

Leave my mascot alone! By their logic I find the wolfpack a demeaning and unrealistic portrayal of real wolves world wide.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

I sent this to our board of regents.

Every possible aspect of Hey Reb that could potentially conjure up images of the confederacy has been removed. The musket, the jacket are all gone.

Should we ban the color grey from our uniforms since that is the color associated with confederate soldiers? Should we ban Hey Reb because he is portrayed with a fake muscular physique which is unattainable? That might body shame someone who is overweight or skinny.

While you are tackling this issue, I am sure other state BoR are entrenched in discussions concerning the following potentially offensive mascots.

Cowboys, since cowboys promote gun violence. Don't forget badgers, badgers are mean. And Eagles, no Eagles because they represent America and that might offend illegal immigrants. Also Longhorns, Bulls and Bison, that may be considered offensive to vegans. Friars and Crusaders, should be out, since that is potentially offensive to non-Christians and agnostics.

How about you work on the fact that UNLV is consistently held back by the whims of the minority in the north. By minority I mean population not ethnicity so as not to offend anyone.

 

[Sam-I-am]

Since the mascot is currently based upon the rebellious frontier's men of the 1800s, and many of the frontier's men of the 1800s in NV were dark skinned men, then why not just darken the skin of Hey Reb so he doesn't look like a Confederate General to anyone with a brain?

 

[RebelinWA]

http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2015/nov/17/unlv-students-jessup-hey-reb-mascot-symbol-racism/

People are too ignorant to know their own university's history.

 

[Starky34]

http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2015/nov/17/unlv-students-jessup-hey-reb-mascot-symbol-racism/

People are too ignorant to know their own university's history.

Agree, I don't see how in his current form Hey Reb is offensive. Now Beauregard the wolf I cold understand. Unless every college goes the way of Stanford with a color and a tree I don't see how basically every mascot could be found offensive. Lobos, Falcons, Aztecs, Rams, Broncos, Cowboys, Spartans, Wolfpack, Aggies....I mean come on....

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Agree, I don't see how in his current form Hey Reb is offensive. Now Beauregard the wolf I cold understand. Unless every college goes the way of Stanford with a color and a tree I don't see how basically every mascot could be found offensive. Lobos, Falcons, Aztecs, Rams, Broncos, Cowboys, Spartans, Wolfpack, Aggies....I mean come on....

I find using a tree as a mascot insensitive. Have you seen what is being done to the rain forests? Trees are being chopped down left and right. By having a tree mascot that has legs and can run around it is taunting actual trees who have roots and not legs and therefore are immobile. Yeah ha ha real funny a fake tree running around while real trees are sitting there getting cut down. You probably don't even know what Arbor Day is do you? you insensitive treecist.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

http://m.lasvegassun.com/news/2015/nov/17/unlv-students-jessup-hey-reb-mascot-symbol-racism/

People are too ignorant to know their own university's history.

We should also strike the word Rebel as well. It carries negative connotations associated with the Confederacy. We need to be the University of Nevada Las Vegas Union, not Rebels.

 

[spudreb]

Maybe Reid ought to get congress to explore the Notre Dame mascot's portrayal of Irishmen as drunken brawlers.

 

[DocRebel]

Today's world inhabits so many people who actively look to be offended and spew blame. I understand there are certain issues to reconcile but Hey Reb is not one of them.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Today's world inhabits so many people who actively look to be offended and spew blame. I understand there are certain issues to reconcile but Hey Reb is not one of them.

I am trying to figure out why some of these students attended UNLV in the first place if they found Hey Reb so offensive or racist?

 

[RebelinWA]

The article is charged. I suspect the writer graduated from the worst school in NSHE. There are no comments from people who support Heyreb in the article. I find it hard to believe that NOONE at that event supports Heyreb.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

The article is charged. I suspect the writer graduated from the worst school in NSHE. There are no comments from people who support Heyreb in the article. I find it hard to believe that NOONE at that event supports Heyreb.

That would be objective jounalism to include both sides.

 

[DocRebel]

If Hey Reb is inherently racist they should simply turn him into a black or brown mountain man mascot instead of a white guy. Easy fix to appease the PC police. But they better keep the name Rebels intact or else I'm going to raise fuss over the nonstop BET blasting in UNLV's dining commons every time I go in there to eat. I'll demand equal time of Barry Manilow songs played over the PA system.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

If Hey Reb is inherently racist they should simply turn him into a black or brown mountain man mascot instead of a white guy. Easy fix to appease the PC police. But they better keep the name Rebels intact or else I'm going to raise fuss over the nonstop BET blasting in UNLV's dining commons every time I go in there to eat. I'll demand equal time of Barry Manilow songs played over the PA system.

I have a really bad feeling this is going to happen. The BoR will not want to be perceived as insensitive or racist. It would not surprise me in the least that after their deliberation their decision sounds something like this.

After much discussion, we the Board of Regents find that while many aspects of Hey Reb have been altered, and in his current incarnation he is not overtly racist, or offensive, there are some questions concerning his origins and what they represent. Therefore we have decided that UNLV will be instructed to cease use of Hey Reb as a mascot or representative of the University.

I hope I am wrong, but I can see it.

 

[Rebel1986]

When you talk about Notre Dame - You also need to look at the fact that they the character is showing a little person as a drunk, fighting Irishman. This is attacking little people, drunks, and Irish.

The Ute of Utah is allowing for fans to dress up as Indian's without the permission of every single member of the Ute nation.

SDSU - uses the Aztec without permission of those from Mexico who are the descendants of the Aztec.

USC - Trojans without the permission of all Greeks

etc, etc. etc.

 

[RebelinWA]

According to South Park, the Japanese in me hates the Dolphins. I motion for the removal of the Dolphin mascot.

 

[bcvegaspt]

According to South Park we have large American ...

 

[Sonny44]

The Rebel mascot makes no sense for a university based in Las Vegas. I now live in Henderson, but when I became more aware of UNLV, as an outsider, I asked myself, "Where is the rebellion?" "What rebellion?" A newspaper article cited HeyReb! represents an early mountain man. NV had mountain men? No, the Rebel must be abandoned for more reasons than the racist connotations; it just doesn't fit a university in Las Vegas.

 

[DocRebel]

Nevada is actually well celebrated with mountain men. Jedediah Smith, Peter Skene Ogden, Kit Carson, Joseph Walker, John C. Fremont, Jim Beckwourth, etc., etc.

 

[Rebel Chi-girl]

The Rebel mascot makes no sense for a university based in Las Vegas. I now live in Henderson, but when I became more aware of UNLV, as an outsider, I asked myself, "Where is the rebellion?" "What rebellion?" A newspaper article cited HeyReb! represents an early mountain man. NV had mountain men? No, the Rebel must be abandoned for more reasons than the racist connotations; it just doesn't fit a university in Las Vegas.

You obviously have no knowledge of UNLV'S history or that of NV in general. Hey Reb is a great representative of the pioneer spirit that this university and state was founded on. There is nothing racist about it. I think it is those with racist eyes that see the world as such. As for me, I see only human beings. If the head of a student organization based on an ethnic trait sees it as offensive then perhaps he should examine his own heart. There is a lot of hatred and injustice in the world truly in need of addressing, a muscled up mustache mountain man is not one.

 

[RebelinWA]

We (las vegas) rebeled against the north (reno) who tried for a very long time to stop the state from building an actual university in Las Vegas. It was only when USC was dropping feelers for adding a campus in Vegas that Reno relented.

For the longest time they had a system where you had to go to Reno to finish your final two years of your bachlors or if you wanted a higher degree within the Nevada education system.

 

[DocRebel]

The "Rebellion" occurred when the southern campus seceded from the northern campus, i.e. broke away from the university of Nevada to become its own institution in Las Vegas and establish its own identity, hence the Rebels. Hey Reb was conceived in the 1980's portrayed as a mountain man and has been iconic in the community for more than three decades. And now suddenly overzealous ignorance trying to spark accusation, victimization and racial connotation over UNLV's mascot when there never any existed is frankly highly suspect and questionable. I'm not buying it.

With this particular instance, I'm left questioning the hearts of the students and/or individuals alleging racism and stirring up racism because to me it seems they're really reaching to be offended and contend on a false premise.

 

[j. spilotro]

The Rebel mascot makes no sense for a university based in Las Vegas. I now live in Henderson, but when I became more aware of UNLV, as an outsider, I asked myself, "Where is the rebellion?" "What rebellion?" A newspaper article cited HeyReb! represents an early mountain man. NV had mountain men? No, the Rebel must be abandoned for more reasons than the racist connotations; it just doesn't fit a university in Las Vegas.

You "now" live in Henderson... And "as an outsider"....

That's why you don't understand. Brush up on the history or read a few of the posts here and you'll see why and how it came to be. It is a more symbolic name/mascot than most other universities. We aren't borrowing from a piece of history like many schools. It came to light because of the history the university was directly involved in.

 

[bcvegaspt]

I love when someone moves to the Las Vegas Valley and wants to tell me about Las Vegas. "You know the secret of Las Vegas?"... It's then I know that they thought they were smarter than everyone else who ever stepped foot in our city.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

The Rebel mascot makes no sense for a university based in Las Vegas. I now live in Henderson, but when I became more aware of UNLV, as an outsider, I asked myself, "Where is the rebellion?" "What rebellion?" A newspaper article cited HeyReb! represents an early mountain man. NV had mountain men? No, the Rebel must be abandoned for more reasons than the racist connotations; it just doesn't fit a university in Las Vegas.

The Rebel Mascot makes no sense for a University located in Las Vegas? With that logic the Spartan Mascot for Michigan State makes no sense since I am pretty sure there is not a predominantly Greek population there. The use of the Trojan mascot also makes no sense under your logic since there are few if any people in the City of LA that could actually trace their ancestry to the City of Troy. The Tiger Mascot used by Auburn and LSU make very little sense considering that there are no tigers in the states of Alabama or Louisiana that are not confined to a zoo. Pretty sure I don't see a whole lot of Irish names on the back of the Notre Dame jersey's. I

Ok So Hey Reb isn't a mountain man, he is a frontiersman or a scout embodied with a Rebel spirit. Any and all ties to the confederation were removed from Hey Reb years ago. At the time Hey Reb originated it was to continue or enhance the rivalry with UNR. Also at that time very few people found reason for offense in depictions of the confederacy. As time went on it became more apparent that symbols of the confederacy were offensive to a growing number of people. UNLV took the proper steps in removing those symbols. In his current form there is absolutely nothing racist or offensive about him, unless of course you are offended by mustaches, fake muscles, the color grey and big floppy hats. Again any and all ties to the confederation have long since been removed. Should we remove the name Rebels as well? Does the word Rebel now conjure up such terrible images that we shouldn't use it? How about the color gray should that not be allowed in any schools color scheme since it was the same color of uniform that the confederate soldiers wore? How far do we take this, at what point are people truly offended and at what point are people looking to be offended.

This isn't people fighting for the right to vote, or for equal pay or any other real issues that minorities have had to face in this country. This is an issue of an extremely minute group of people trying to look like they are fighting a grave injustice when in fact there is no injustice to fight. Every possible thing that could be done has been done to remove even the hint racist connotations with Hey Reb.

If these same students were so offended by Hey Reb why did they attend UNLV to begin with?

If 20% of the student body agreed that Hey Reb was a racist or offensive figure I would say, it is probably time to change our mascot. That is a large enough group of people being offended for me to say its possibly time for a change. As it stands the survey is 93% do not find Hey Reb offensive vs 7% who do. That literally means less than one person in ten finds Hey Reb offensive.

This is a ridiculous misguided agenda. There are plenty of other social ills that actually exist. There is no reason to try and create more.

For the record, I can understand people taking issue with the term Redskin. I can totally see where that could be deemed offensive. I am actually surprised that a name change hasn't been forced on the organization already. I also have no issue if a particular tribe of native Americans ask that they not be used as a mascot if they feel they are being depicted in a negative or disrespectful way. I can understand why Ole Miss was forced to ban people waving the confederate flag at games. It probably should have been done long ago.

If you want to look at Hey Reb as a symbol of oppression by all means go ahead. I on the other hand look at him as a symbol of the Rebel spirit in Las Vegas, we are different than any other city. Our university is different and more culturally diverse than nearly any other university in the country. And when you are different, you are sometimes called a Rebel....

 

[j. spilotro]

The Rebel Mascot makes no sense for a University located in Las Vegas? With that logic the Spartan Mascot for Michigan State makes no sense since I am pretty sure there is not a predominantly Greek population there. The use of the Trojan mascot also makes no sense under your logic since there are few if any people in the City of LA that could actually trace their ancestry to the City of Troy. The Tiger Mascot used by Auburn and LSU make very little sense considering that there are no tigers in the states of Alabama or Louisiana that are not confined to a zoo. Pretty sure I don't see a whole lot of Irish names on the back of the Notre Dame jersey's. I

Ok So Hey Reb isn't a mountain man, he is a frontiersman or a scout embodied with a Rebel spirit. Any and all ties to the confederation were removed from Hey Reb years ago. At the time Hey Reb originated it was to continue or enhance the rivalry with UNR. Also at that time very few people found reason for offense in depictions of the confederacy. As time went on it became more apparent that symbols of the confederacy were offensive to a growing number of people. UNLV took the proper steps in removing those symbols. In his current form there is absolutely nothing racist or offensive about him, unless of course you are offended by mustaches, fake muscles, the color grey and big floppy hats. Again any and all ties to the confederation have long since been removed. Should we remove the name Rebels as well? Does the word Rebel now conjure up such terrible images that we shouldn't use it? How about the color gray should that not be allowed in any schools color scheme since it was the same color of uniform that the confederate soldiers wore? How far do we take this, at what point are people truly offended and at what point are people looking to be offended.

This isn't people fighting for the right to vote, or for equal pay or any other real issues that minorities have had to face in this country. This is an issue of an extremely minute group of people trying to look like they are fighting a grave injustice when in fact there is no injustice to fight. Every possible thing that could be done has been done to remove even the hint racist connotations with Hey Reb.

If these same students were so offended by Hey Reb why did they attend UNLV to begin with?

If 20% of the student body agreed that Hey Reb was a racist or offensive figure I would say, it is probably time to change our mascot. That is a large enough group of people being offended for me to say its possibly time for a change. As it stands the survey is 93% do not find Hey Reb offensive vs 7% who do. That literally means less than one person in ten finds Hey Reb offensive.

This is a ridiculous misguided agenda. There are plenty of other social ills that actually exist. There is no reason to try and create more.

For the record, I can understand people taking issue with the term Redskin. I can totally see where that could be deemed offensive. I am actually surprised that a name change hasn't been forced on the organization already. I also have no issue if a particular tribe of native Americans ask that they not be used as a mascot if they feel they are being depicted in a negative or disrespectful way. I can understand why Ole Miss was forced to ban people waving the confederate flag at games. It probably should have been done long ago.

If you want to look at Hey Reb as a symbol of oppression by all means go ahead. I on the other hand look at him as a symbol of the Rebel spirit in Las Vegas, we are different than any other city. Our university is different and more culturally diverse than nearly any other university in the country. And when you are different, you are sometimes called a Rebel....

Great post.

I'm in the minority, but I beg to differ with some of the names people find offensive, like Indian or Redskin, etc. Because the name is to honor them, to show a prowess....

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

Great post.

I'm in the minority, but I beg to differ with some of the names people find offensive, like Indian or Redskin, etc. Because the name is to honor them, to show a prowess....

I think it comes down to portrayal I guess. Not sure why any native Americans would be offended if a school/team used their tribe as its mascot as long as permission was granted and the portrayal was accurate to that tribe and their customs. I don't think things like braves fans doing the tomahawk chop are meant to be offensive at all. But from the stand point of a native American they probably view it as an uneducated act on the part of fans regarding their culture.

I think it really comes down to using rational thought, and determining what is the intent, and if the intent is good is it being done respectfully.

I know for sure if this was a Clark County School district issue, it would be bye bye Hey Reb. Something tells me the same may hold true in this case unfortunately.

What these misinformed tools who are creating this mess don't understand is that if UNLV has to get rid of Hey Reb and the Rebel moniker.....Where is UNLV going to find the money? New uniforms for every sport ain't cheap. Not to mention any and all things on campus with Rebels or Hey Reb on it would need to be replaced. So if tuition gets raised to help cover costs it would be poetic justice of a sorts.

 

[j. spilotro]

I think it comes down to portrayal I guess. Not sure why any native Americans would be offended if a school/team used their tribe as its mascot as long as permission was granted and the portrayal was accurate to that tribe and their customs. I don't think things like braves fans doing the tomahawk chop are meant to be offensive at all. But from the stand point of a native American they probably view it as an uneducated act on the part of fans regarding their culture.

I think it really comes down to using rational thought, and determining what is the intent, and if the intent is good is it being done respectfully.

I know for sure if this was a Clark County School district issue, it would be bye bye Hey Reb. Something tells me the same may hold true in this case unfortunately.

What these misinformed tools who are creating this mess don't understand is that if UNLV has to get rid of Hey Reb and the Rebel moniker.....Where is UNLV going to find the money? New uniforms for every sport ain't cheap. Not to mention any and all things on campus with Rebels or Hey Reb on it would need to be replaced. So if tuition gets raised to help cover costs it would be poetic justice of a sorts.

Funny thing is the Reeeeee-bells chant would get louder and prouder.

 

[rebel Homer]

I know for sure if this was a Clark County School district issue, it would be bye bye Hey Reb. Something tells me the same may hold true in this case unfortunately.

You got that right. I went to 7th grade and a portion of 8th grade at Cashman Jr. High. They were called the Cashman Commencheros. That is until some PC a$$ hat got wind and now have had to change their name to the Cashman Cougars.

Point is, EVERYTHING can be offensive if given enough time to make something up. You don't like the color yellow, well let us change our school bus. Oh whats that? You think that every kid should get a trophy just for trying..... the list goes on and on. The issue is people have gone from just simply being offended, to looking to be offended.

 

[Sonny44]

Nevada is actually well celebrated with mountain men. Jedediah Smith, Peter Skene Ogden, Kit Carson, Joseph Walker, John C. Fremont, Jim Beckwourth, etc., etc.

Well, then, why not "Explorers?" "Darers"? "Adventurers?" "Seekers"? How about "Rustlers?" "Mavericks?" Something daring, on the edge of the law, unpredictable? Qualities that reflect the history of the American West? How about "Frontier?" "The UNLV Frontier?"

 

[Sonny44]

You obviously have no knowledge of UNLV'S history or that of NV in general. Hey Reb is a great representative of the pioneer spirit that this university and state was founded on. There is nothing racist about it. I think it is those with racist eyes that see the world as such. As for me, I see only human beings. If the head of a student organization based on an ethnic trait sees it as offensive then perhaps he should examine his own heart. There is a lot of hatred and injustice in the world truly in need of addressing, a muscled up mustache mountain man is not one.

You are choosing to ignore the North vs. South connotation of UNLV's split with UNR. It's a patent analogy to the Civil War. The South was for slavery; the North against it. It's a cheap analogy because no one who has moved here knows about or gives a hoot of that UNLV/UNR controversy.

 

[Sonny44]

We (las vegas) rebeled against the north (reno) who tried for a very long time to stop the state from building an actual university in Las Vegas. It was only when USC was dropping feelers for adding a campus in Vegas that Reno relented.

For the longest time they had a system where you had to go to Reno to finish your final two years of your bachlors or if you wanted a higher degree within the Nevada education system.

So, what?

You "now" live in Henderson... And "as an outsider"....

That's why you don't understand. Brush up on the history or read a few of the posts here and you'll see why and how it came to be. It is a more symbolic name/mascot than most other universities. We aren't borrowing from a piece of history like many schools. It came to light because of the history the university was directly involved in.

Yes, I'm "an outsider." But I'm not the only outsider who has moved to this area since the 1980s when the Rebel moniker was adopted. Millions more of "outsiders" like me have moved to this area since then, and I doubt most of them, like me, can reconcile the Rebel name with UNLV, or even this area.

I'm not opposing the Rebel mascot for racial connotations, altho I can understand it, given the North/South rivalry between North NV and Southern NV. It's an obvious reference to the Civil War. No, I oppose the Rebel because, as an outsider, like the millions before me, totally ignorant of the UNLV/UNR spat, it is meaningless.

It's simply meaningless, altho I can understand what all you few fervently know and believe. If you want to relate only to the few of you who know the history of the spat, and the adoption of the Rebel as a reflection of that now insignificant spat, ok.

There has to be serious discussion of a new mascot for UNLV. I suggest it be a reflection of the quality of life in Southern NV, whether its flora, fauna, gambling, entertainment, historical, geographical features, whatever. The Rebel is simply meaningless to me.

 

[rebel Homer]

It's meaningless to "you." So that means we have to have a discussion about changing it? I am not understanding your dog in this fight, so to say. You say you are not asking for it to be changed, yet there needs to be a discussion for changing it because some people that moved here all of a sudden believe its racist or its "meaningless" as you put it. I will say, it isn't meaningless to me. I have lived in this town my entire life. Born and raised. So was my Father before me and my Grandmother before him. It means something to them, to me. To say it's meaningless, is at the very least closed minded.

The "rebel" name was adopted at the begining of the University (We weren't called the Nevada Southern University Beauregards.) Not the 80's. And while I am open to your outlook and opinion of the name, mascot, and its racial/non-racial connotations, I respectfully would ask that you research a little first about this Mascot that means so little, seeing as how (after 3 or 4 responses in a row) it obviously does not mean as little to you as you claim.

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

So, what?

Yes, I'm "an outsider." But I'm not the only outsider who has moved to this area since the 1980s when the Rebel moniker was adopted. Millions more of "outsiders" like me have moved to this area since then, and I doubt most of them, like me, can reconcile the Rebel name with UNLV, or even this area.

I'm not opposing the Rebel mascot for racial connotations, altho I can understand it, given the North/South rivalry between North NV and Southern NV. It's an obvious reference to the Civil War. No, I oppose the Rebel because, as an outsider, like the millions before me, totally ignorant of the UNLV/UNR spat, it is meaningless.

It's simply meaningless, altho I can understand what all you few fervently know and believe. If you want to relate only to the few of you who know the history of the spat, and the adoption of the Rebel as a reflection of that now insignificant spat, ok.

There has to be serious discussion of a new mascot for UNLV. I suggest it be a reflection of the quality of life in Southern NV, whether its flora, fauna, gambling, entertainment, historical, geographical features, whatever. The Rebel is simply meaningless to me.

The Rebel is meaningless to you which is fine. Everybody is entitled to an opinion. It really comes down to perspective.

"It's an obvious reference to the Civil War. No, I oppose the Rebel because, as an outsider, like the millions before me, totally ignorant of the UNLV/UNR spat, it is meaningless. "


Most mascots are meaningless to outsiders.

The term/significance of Buckeye is probably meaningless to anybody not a fan of Ohio State. And why is Akron University the Zips? What is a Zip? And Toledo is the Rockets? Why the rockets? That makes no sense. Why are Texas Tech the Red Raiders? What is a Red Raider? Why is Army the 'Black Knights' but their mascot is a donkey? None of those make sense. Should we only use mascots based on geography? That would be great. Now every High School in Las Vegas should be the Cactus or the Joshua Trees since Gamblers would be inappropriate for high school aged kids.

It doesn't matter if people on the 'outside' are familiar with our rivalry with UNR. Just like I have no idea why two teams play for the 'Old Oaken Bucket' or Paul Bunyan's axe or any of the other numerous rivalries and trophies played through out college football. I just know UCLA and USC don't like each other. I know Alabama and Auburn hate one another but not sure what the trophy they play for signifies.

While rivalries between two schools can be enjoyed by people on the 'outside' like Ohio State and Michigan. Only Ohio State and Michigan fans really understand the rivalry. Just like only UNLV and UNR fans really understand the rivalry and why we are the Rebels.


I'll say it again. Las Vegas is different than any other city in the country. UNLV is different than any other university in the country. When you are different and march to the beat of your own drum, you are a Rebel. It's about being different. Its about not conforming to the norms. It's about having a free adventurous spirit. All those things can be associated with Las Vegas and UNLV.


Definition of Rebel
A person who rises in opposition or armed resistance against an established government. See also Revolutionary, insurgent, freedom fighter.

To rise against or resist some form of authority, control or tradition.

Rebels and 'Hey Reb' are synonymous with UNLV. I am not sure if you were here in the late 80s or early 90s or followed UNLV back then. But I can assure you the monker 'Rebels' and 'Hey Reb' meant one thing..

U-N-L-V

No offense but if you as an 'outsider' don't understand the significance of Hey Reb, or the Rebels moniker....... Sorry. Mascots aren't intended for the 'outsider'. Does the leprechaun really make any freaking sense for Notre Dame? Probably not, but it's pretty identifiable and nobody is commenting on how stupid it is for a team in the middle of Indiana to be the 'fighting Irish'. If I moved to Lansing Michigan, I wouldn't be going on their website telling people that their mascot was stupid because we don't live in Greece and none of them are Greek either.

I have rarely ever looked at another university and wondered why would they go with a particular mascot. (Except that school that chose Banana Slugs) I simply identify that mascot with that school. I don't rarely think twice or care about the significance of it. If I do get curious, like why are Tennessee the Volunteers? I google it and inform myself. Really not that hard.

Again you are totally entitled to your opinion. You don't like Rebels as a moniker or Hey Reb as a mascot, that is fine. But you and the other 5% of the people that think that we should get rid of Hey Reb or Rebel moniker should not ruin it for the 95% percent of us that do understand the tradition, that do understand the rivalry that do understand what he represents and do identify him with our university and to some degree our city.

 

[bcvegaspt]

Sonny could simply go to UNLV's website to find out the history but chooses to come to a UNLV message board and dispute the mascot with fervent UNLV fans.
Makes sense to me!

 

[Bullmastiff 1]

[

Well, then, why not "Explorers?" "Darers"? "Adventurers?" "Seekers"? How about "Rustlers?" "Mavericks?" Something daring, on the edge of the law, unpredictable? Qualities that reflect the history of the American West? How about "Frontier?" "The UNLV Frontier?"

Something daring? or edgy or unpredictable? Hmmm..I know

Rebel...?