What the heck is a "roneagle"?

[B-Rich]

Growing up in suburban New Orleans and of course being a sports logo and team name geek, I knew every high school team name and mascot in town. One of the most unusual I remembered was McDonogh 35 in the heart of New Orleans, whose teams were known as the "Roneagles" I always sort of wondered where that weird name came from. Now I know:

"A Roneagle is a mythical bird. Originally, this emblem of McDonogh 35 was called the "Ironeagle," but the "I" was intentionally dropped to make it easier to pronounce. Don't believe any stories about the "I" falling off the school's sign and getting lost by the janitor, or that lack of money kept it from getting replaced until eventually the new name stuck.

 In the first issue of the school's yearbook in 1928, the Roneagle was described as resembling an American bald eagle. However, because it is fashioned of solid iron, it is larger, stronger, faster and more resourceful than all other birds."

Link:

Gambit - Blake Pontchartrain, New Orleans Trivia

[Mingjai]

Good thing they weren't the Black Anguses...

[Mings]

I always wondered where that came from, especially since the rest of the town is filled with more common nicknames.

[oddball]

Good thing they weren't the Black Anguses...

That reminds me of a sign for LoneStar Stakehouse I saw. The "L" in LoneStar was out so it was "oneStar Steakhouse". Of course there was my favorite, a shoe store called, "Shoe Expo" had last the "S" and it was "hoe Expo"!