Google Evil, Stanford Less So

Stanford CardinalI was talking to Will earlier about the Stanford football team. Many people mistakenly refer to them as the “Cardinals” but they are actually the “Cardinal.” It seems weird to people, but it just means that Stanford is such a badass team that it only takes one of them to fuck you up. Or it could be that they are named after the color, which just so happens to be the school and team color.

First some background. Three of the Ivy League schools are named after colors: Cornell (Big Red), Dartmouth (Big Green), and, most notable, Harvard (Crimson). There is also Brown. Boy, do I crack myself up! I kid the Bears! Anyway, back to Stanford.

Throughout the 1960s, Stanford was the Indians. So in 1970, they decided that maybe it was insensitive for a bunch of rich white kids (plus the football and basketball teams) to have a stereotypical if not fully racist mascot.

What are a bunch of pretentious third basers to do? Being smart, they thought, “What are we?” Unfortunately “Entitled Rich White Kids” didn’t really work. Plus there was the eternal question, “Glasses or no glasses?” So they asked again, “What are we like?” The answer to this was obvious: other entitled rich white kids. And where are other entitled rich white kids? Why in the Ivy League, of course!

Clearly, Stanford wasn’t going to be the “Big” anything. I mean, let’s be real: Cornell? Dartmouth? Please! But Harvard: that had possibilities. But rather than go with a color that at least all girls know, Stanford went with one that was not only obscure, it was confusing!

So when you hear “Cardinal,” think “Clever but Entitled Rich White Kids.” (Not quite so white any more.) Gooo Cardinal!

I Almost Forgot

That wasn’t what I was writing you about. After doing a little research online to make sure what I remembered about Stanford was right (it was), I moved on to other things. So I opened a new webpage and there was a Google Ad staring at me regarding, wait for it… Stanford Continuing Education. The bastards!

But what did I do. I clicked! Because it is always right to click! Read my article: Ad Revenue. It’s important.

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About Frank Moraes

Frank Moraes is a freelance writer and editor online and in print. He is educated as a scientist with a PhD in Atmospheric Physics. He has worked in climate science, remote sensing, throughout the computer industry, and as a college physics instructor. Find out more at About Frank Moraes.

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