03-04-2020, 06:47 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-04-2020, 06:49 AM by FurFurFurson.)
As a new member of the NSFL, I have been reading up on the history of the league. What stands out is that the Orange County Otters have won 8 of 20 championships, good for a 40% victory rate. (Why do you guys keep letting them win?)
The other thing that stuck out to me is the mascot of "Otter" for Orange County. As a resident of Orange County, CA, I have never once seen an otter here. In fact, I have never even seen a proper river in Orange County. I went to the Santa Ana Zoo once and guess which exhibit was closed? You guessed it - the otter exhibit.
This has me thinking - what am I missing? Is there a famous Orange County Otter that I am unaware of? Is there a history of an otter infestation and, after a decades-long struggle, man finally drove the otter out of Orange County to never return?
The obvious next step was to do some research. So I did. And here's what I found...
There are thirteen extant otter species, all of which are aquatic, semi-aquatic, or marine. However, only two species of otter can be found in North America. There is evidence that the North American river otter inhabited Southern California at one point, but there have been no sightings since European settlement of the region.
This leaves the sea otter. The largest of the otters yet one of the smallest marine mammals. Sea otters are apt foragers and have a diverse diet often leading to conflicts with fishermen. Once on the verge of extinction, conservation efforts have allowed the sea otter to bounce back to almost half of its peak population.
In California, the sea otter was thought to be extinct, but a small colony of 50 otters was found near Bixby Creek Bridge on the central Californian coast. Today's population of sea otters in California are descendants of this colony.
Despite the increase in range and population of California sea otters, their current range only spans from San Mateo county - near the Bay Area - to Santa Barbara county, about 130 miles northwest from Orange County. The occasional sea otter sighting has occurred in Orange County, but they are few and far between. The OC Register reports sea otter sightings in March of 2016 and August of 2017.
Perhaps the mascot “Otter'' refers to some regional legend or folklore. Otters have been common subjects of mythology in many cultures. In Scottish tradition there are tales of Otter Kings that, when captured, would grant any wish in exchange for their freedom. Otters feature in prominent roles in many Celtic tales, and even have a patron saint; St. Cuthbert. In Native American mythology, Keeoonik (pronounced cue-nick) is a trickster spirit often taking the form of an otter. Keeoonik and various other otter spirits with similar names feature prominently in Northern tribal cultures. But, as you may notice, none of these cultures have much to do with Southern California.
It is doubtful that the sea otter - which has appeared in a grand total of two sightings this decade - lends its name to the most dominant franchise in the NSFL. It is even more doubtful that cultures without much influence in Orange County, CA would inspire NSFL owners to pay homage to them in the form of a team nickname.
So, unless there is a giant otter balloon in an annual Orange County parade that I am not privy to, I am led to conclude the following possibilities for the origin of the name “Orange County Otters”:
1. Each year, a troop of players from the Orange County Otters trek to Scotland in attempt to capture an Otter King. When captured, the Otter King grants their wish for an NSFL championship. This force of highly-talented otter capturers boasts a 40% success rate.
2. There are, in fact, otters in orange county, and the GMs of the Orange County Otters own them all. They run an otter breeding factory in order to sell otters on the black market. They also barter with otters in exchange for spells and curses which they use to enhance their performance in the NSFL.
3. “Orange County” actually refers to Orange County, Florida, where apparently there are otters. Which makes this whole article moot.
The other thing that stuck out to me is the mascot of "Otter" for Orange County. As a resident of Orange County, CA, I have never once seen an otter here. In fact, I have never even seen a proper river in Orange County. I went to the Santa Ana Zoo once and guess which exhibit was closed? You guessed it - the otter exhibit.
This has me thinking - what am I missing? Is there a famous Orange County Otter that I am unaware of? Is there a history of an otter infestation and, after a decades-long struggle, man finally drove the otter out of Orange County to never return?
The obvious next step was to do some research. So I did. And here's what I found...
There are thirteen extant otter species, all of which are aquatic, semi-aquatic, or marine. However, only two species of otter can be found in North America. There is evidence that the North American river otter inhabited Southern California at one point, but there have been no sightings since European settlement of the region.
This leaves the sea otter. The largest of the otters yet one of the smallest marine mammals. Sea otters are apt foragers and have a diverse diet often leading to conflicts with fishermen. Once on the verge of extinction, conservation efforts have allowed the sea otter to bounce back to almost half of its peak population.
In California, the sea otter was thought to be extinct, but a small colony of 50 otters was found near Bixby Creek Bridge on the central Californian coast. Today's population of sea otters in California are descendants of this colony.
Despite the increase in range and population of California sea otters, their current range only spans from San Mateo county - near the Bay Area - to Santa Barbara county, about 130 miles northwest from Orange County. The occasional sea otter sighting has occurred in Orange County, but they are few and far between. The OC Register reports sea otter sightings in March of 2016 and August of 2017.
Perhaps the mascot “Otter'' refers to some regional legend or folklore. Otters have been common subjects of mythology in many cultures. In Scottish tradition there are tales of Otter Kings that, when captured, would grant any wish in exchange for their freedom. Otters feature in prominent roles in many Celtic tales, and even have a patron saint; St. Cuthbert. In Native American mythology, Keeoonik (pronounced cue-nick) is a trickster spirit often taking the form of an otter. Keeoonik and various other otter spirits with similar names feature prominently in Northern tribal cultures. But, as you may notice, none of these cultures have much to do with Southern California.
It is doubtful that the sea otter - which has appeared in a grand total of two sightings this decade - lends its name to the most dominant franchise in the NSFL. It is even more doubtful that cultures without much influence in Orange County, CA would inspire NSFL owners to pay homage to them in the form of a team nickname.
So, unless there is a giant otter balloon in an annual Orange County parade that I am not privy to, I am led to conclude the following possibilities for the origin of the name “Orange County Otters”:
1. Each year, a troop of players from the Orange County Otters trek to Scotland in attempt to capture an Otter King. When captured, the Otter King grants their wish for an NSFL championship. This force of highly-talented otter capturers boasts a 40% success rate.
2. There are, in fact, otters in orange county, and the GMs of the Orange County Otters own them all. They run an otter breeding factory in order to sell otters on the black market. They also barter with otters in exchange for spells and curses which they use to enhance their performance in the NSFL.
3. “Orange County” actually refers to Orange County, Florida, where apparently there are otters. Which makes this whole article moot.
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