Georgetown Hoyas: The Not-So-Fierce Felines

The Georgetown Hoyas are a collegiate basketball team representing Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Despite the intimidating name, the Hoyas are not actually ferocious felines. Instead, they are named after a common Georgetown chant, “Hoya Saxa,” which translates to “What Rocks!” in Greek.

But the name wasn’t always so tame. In the early 1900s, the team was known as the “Stonewalls,” a nod to the university’s location near the historic Stone Wall Industrial District. However, it wasn’t the most intimidating moniker, and the team eventually decided to switch to a more aggressive name.

In 1920, the team’s manager, Harry Ryan, suggested the name “Hoyas” after seeing a bulldog on the sidelines of a football game. He thought it was a Hoya breed, and the name stuck. It wasn’t until later when it was discovered that there was no such thing as a Hoya bulldog, but the team decided to keep the name anyways.

Over the years, the Hoyas have had their fair share of success, including eight Big East Conference titles and a national championship in 1984. But despite their past achievements, the Hoyas have had a bit of trouble lately, making it past the first round of the NCAA tournament just once since 2008.

Even their mascot, Jack the Bulldog, isn’t the most intimidating. Sure, he’s cute and all, but he’s more likely to lick your face than tear you limb from limb. But that’s okay, because the Georgetown Hoyas are more about spirit than brute force. They may not be the most menacing team, but they sure know how to have fun and put on a good show.

So if you’re looking for a team with heart, passion, and a sense of humor, the Georgetown Hoyas are the perfect pick. And who knows, maybe they’ll surprise you and come out on top when it counts the most. After all, what rocks? The Hoyas!