March Madness- What's In A Name?

It's March. Basketball frenzy has gripped the nation. I have no interest in bracketology, but I have a interest in oddball team names. A team name is in some sense a representation of your school and/or city. So what posses some school to choose names like those listed below? What are the rules?

Let's take a look at some of my favorites:

• Stetson Hatters -they are named after the Stetson hat. Seriously. Like I'm real intimidated by a team called the Hatters . (Now a team named the Mad Hatters, that might be different).
• Boston University Terriers- again, not too intimidating (although scarier than a hat)
• UC Santa Cruz Banana Slugs- represents non-aggressiveness (always an important quality in competitive team sports).
  
• UC Irvine Anteaters- or as the students prefer to be called the C.I.A. (Completely Insane Anteaters)
  
• U of Northern Colorado Fightin' Whities - only an intramural team, but a great story. And don't forget the mascot.
• Texas Christian University Horned Toads
  
• Purdue Boilermakers
• Amherst College Lord Jeffs
• UNC Tarheels- Even UNC doesn't seem to know for sure what a tarheel is (note the use of the term "War Between the States")
  
• Georgetown Hoyas- what is a Hoya.
• College of the Atlantic Black Flies
  
• Brandeis university Judges- after judge Lewis Brandeis
  
• Columbia College (Hollywood) Claim Jumpers**
  
• Williams College Ephs- yet their mascot is a purple cow
• RISD Nads- GO NADS! Just wait till you see their mascot, Scrotie).
  

The use of clergy or religious themes-

• Ohio Wesleyan University Battlin' Bishops
  
• Providence College Friars
  
• Catholic University Cardinals
• College of the Holy Cross Crusaders,
  
• Wake Forest Deamon Deacons
  
• Lincoln Bible College Preachers

Points for having a good sense of humor:

• (CUNY*) John Jay College for Criminal Justice Bloodhounds
• South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Hardrockers
• Whittier College Poets -amusing, but not intimidating
• Oklahoma Baptist College and Institute Prophets- does this mean that they know what the resulting score will be?
  

Not creative at all:

• St John's University (MN) Johnnies
• U of Illinois Illini
• St Bonaventure Bonnies
• New Mexico Institute of Mining & Technology Miners
• MIT Engineers
• US Merchant Marine Academy Mariners
• US Naval Academy Midshipmen
  

And the most creative team name in all of the NCAA:

• Webster University Gorloks

On a related note- high school team names
(for the record, my HS team was the Cougars)


*City University of New York
** If someone can explain this one to me I'll be much appreciative