Hope for Red Rhinos

There may be hope for the Arkansas State Big Red Rhinos, after all.

As regular readers of The Talker know, I have advocated "Big Red Rhinos" as a new nickname for the ASU athletic teams, replacing the soon-to-be-retired "Indian" mascot. But when the university announced its top 12 finalists, alas, Big Red Rhinos was not among on the list, though true winners such as "Diamonds," "Express" and the ever-mystical "Ridge Runners" were included.

But the latest development is that ASU has hired a marketing firm to assist the school in the development of its new symbol. And officials from that firm have said that they may not confine themselves to the top 12 nicknames identified by the university. Furthermore, university officials say they are still open to new suggestions.

This is good news. There's still hope for the Rhinos. Stay tuned.