Where's the swagger in Strawberry Crest?

Tag : strawberry

Strawberry Crest.
That's one of the names being considered for a high school underconstruction near McIntosh Road and Interstate 4 in Dover. I told afriend of mine the suggested label and she said, "I love it. Itsounds sweet."
That's the problem.
I understand the group of longtime growers, headed by former SchoolBoard member Joe Newsome, want something that speaks to the area'sstrawberry heritage because they provided part of the land. From aneducation standpoint, it would be a fine name, and education is aschool's primary mission.
From a sports perspective, however, I'm afraid Strawberry Crestcould doom the school's athletic teams to abject failure. How canplayers take the field with any kind of swagger with the nameStrawberry Crest emblazoned on their jerseys?
How are players going to engage in trash talking? USF fans canboast, "Mess with the Bulls, and you get the horns." So thestudents at the new high school will say, "Mess with the Straw, andyou get the Berries?"
Strawberry Crest? Who's going to be the mascot, StrawberryShortcake?
Thanks to the sci-fi world, we know "killer tomatoes" can dodamage, but I've never heard of a killer strawberry. A monsterstrawberry? A super strawberry? C'mon, a strawberry couldn't hurtanybody. Strawberries are our friends. We love strawberries.
I hear the words "Strawberry Crest" and I want to grab a can ofReddi-wip. No, I want go skip through a field on a bright sunnyday.
But it doesn't make me want to go out and play smash-mouthfootball.
Think of the headlines:
Strawberry Crest Gets Devoured … Again
Hillsborough Feasts On Strawberry Crest.
It's not just the Strawberry that has me worried. It's the "Crest"part of the name. I think it sounds too much like "crust," whichtakes us back to being devoured.
One of the definitions of crest is ridge — so if we'redefinitely going with "Strawberry," I think I like Strawberry Ridgebetter. This lends itself to bolder proclamations like, "Don't ComeOn The Ridge Looking For An Easy Game." But that name is alreadytaken by a mobile-home community for seniors in Valrico.
You also need the right nickname.
A school called strawberry can't be likened to pies, milkshakes orcheesecake — no matter how tempting. How about the StrawberryRidge Raptors? I'm sure nearby Dinosaur World will lend a replicato put in front of the school.
The other primary name being considered for the school is Griffin,as in O.M. Griffin, who provided the other part of the land and wasa pioneering farmer and one of the Strawberry Festival founders.
Griffin is okay, but to truly strike fear into the hearts ofopponents, it also has to be coupled with the right nickname. TheGriffin Ghosts? Anybody who has been out there at night has toadmit it gets pretty spooky. The Griffin Growers? Don't laugh. Iknow some growers who'll pick up a gardening hoe and kick yourbutt.
Or how about the Griffin Moccasins? Now that's a name you can takeinto the battle.
The deadline for submitting suggestions to the school district isOct. 15, and the School Board will vote on the name Oct. 21. Theywill consider plenty of community input and probably choose a namethat best reflects the interest of those who will be most closelyassociated with the school. By the way, my kids could end up at theschool, so I don't enter this conversation as a bystander.
In the end, since we're talking about a school and not a game, Idoubt the board will consider the potential impact the name couldhave on athletics.
But ask yourself this: Do you want something sweet or somethingintimidating?
That's all I'm saying.
Ernest Hooper also writes a column for the Tampa Bay section. Reachhim at hooper@sptimes.com or 226-3406. [Last modified: Oct 02, 2008 04:30 AM]