Public reaction to the top two choices to replace Red Raider as the Jamestown High School nickname has been mixed, to say the least. In fact, one of the only areas of agreement is hardly anyone likes the choice between the “Catamounts” or the “Red and Green.”

Catamounts was chosen in part due to its use by the University of Vermont and its similarity to the district’s recently chosen big red cat logo. Red and Green has historical ties in the district, including as the name of the Jamestown High School yearbook and use as a nickname for Jamestown High School sports teams early in the school’s history. As we said, public reaction has been lukewarm.

For those who care about Jamestown High School and feel they need something to attach themselves to, there is a community survey open until Sept. 30 at jpsny.org/nickname. Once the survey ends the committee will then aim to make a recommendation to the school board by December.

But for those who aren’t happy with their choices, we have a third option — no nickname at all.

Hear us out.

How many people actually graduated from Red Raider High School? That’s right — zero. But one of the arguments heard often during the now years-long fight over the JHS mascot and nickname is that people have Raider Pride. Pride is a wonderful thing to have, but in this case it may be misplaced. Wouldn’t it be better to have Jamestown pride? After all, it was Jamestown High School that turned out such a proud graduate, not the school’s nickname. It was the school’s teachers, staff and coaches who make one look back so fondly on their high school years, not a form of branding.

Coaches often tell their teams that it’s more important to play for the name on the front of their jersey than the name on the back of their uniform. In this case, the important name is the first word mentioned when it comes to Jamestown High School — Jamestown. The nickname really doesn’t matter.

Perhaps it’s time for Raider Pride to give way to Jamestown Pride.