LoveToHateMe: If Cougar is offensive, I think we must change the NIC Cardinals to something that’s not offensive. Sure, the cardinal is also a bird, but a cougar is primarily a cat. What we really have to consider is that not only does the mascot “cardinal” bring the-worst-of-all-things, religion into the public school, it also brings to mind the horrible things some Catholic clergy did to children that some cardinals covered for. Not only that, the historic Catholic church was responsible for some terrible conflicts that cost thousands of lives and helped deteriorate east/west relations over hundreds of years. Having a cardinal as NIC’s mascot is terribly offensive to anyone who has any regard for these victims, not to mention its obvious religious connotations which should not be allowed at a public school. (2007 AP file photo of Vatican cardinals)

Question: Which mascots, at any level of sports, do you consider the best & worst?