WYOBISONMAN
12-12-2007, 06:09 PM
This has puzzled me since the game this past week. "Gents" seemed a strange nickname, and not at all one that strikes fear into the hearts of opponents. Here is what I found on this unusual nickname......
The history of the Centenary athletics nickname "Gentlemen" is quite unique. First established in the fall of 1921 by then-Centenary President George Sexton, it seems the football team had been in a fight the previous game, and Sexton sat the team down before the next game and told the players, "...from now on, you will all act like Gentlemen."
With the majority of Centenary men also soldiers, the moniker "Gentlemen" or "Gents" was a logical choice. A tongue-in-cheek account that first mentioned the new nickname appeared in the 1923 Yoncopin (Centenary’s yearbook) in the football summary.
"...there was some doubt on the eve of the first game. Reports from the Marshall (Texas) camp had them recruiting from the boiler factories and we were made to believe that the Marshall team was coming to Shreveport to mop-up with the 'Gentlemen.' Well, we put on our best manners, but just couldn't help running up a 77-0 score..."
The nickname has stuck ever since and it was natural to call the women’s teams the "Ladies" when the school began women’s sports in the 1960’s.
I figure it is good to get to know our new conference mates!
The history of the Centenary athletics nickname "Gentlemen" is quite unique. First established in the fall of 1921 by then-Centenary President George Sexton, it seems the football team had been in a fight the previous game, and Sexton sat the team down before the next game and told the players, "...from now on, you will all act like Gentlemen."
With the majority of Centenary men also soldiers, the moniker "Gentlemen" or "Gents" was a logical choice. A tongue-in-cheek account that first mentioned the new nickname appeared in the 1923 Yoncopin (Centenary’s yearbook) in the football summary.
"...there was some doubt on the eve of the first game. Reports from the Marshall (Texas) camp had them recruiting from the boiler factories and we were made to believe that the Marshall team was coming to Shreveport to mop-up with the 'Gentlemen.' Well, we put on our best manners, but just couldn't help running up a 77-0 score..."
The nickname has stuck ever since and it was natural to call the women’s teams the "Ladies" when the school began women’s sports in the 1960’s.
I figure it is good to get to know our new conference mates!