This reminds me of my Jr. High School. Had been the Jonesboro Red Devils with red & black colors for 40 years or so and then some do gooder principle decided that it was satanic or something and changed it to the "Golden Bears" and changed to gold and pale blue for colors. The entire football team quit and said they weren't going to be teased for being the 'cereal team'. While understanding his point on the Devils (although it seemed a bit silly and paranoid), the GOLDEN BEARS?
Now just mind your mouth. The Golden Bears is the proud name that UC Berkeley teams has carried for as long as they have had sports teams. Until 1940, they used real bear cubs as mascots, and then they changed to a guy ina bear costume. Oski (the mascot) is a well loved character. He appears at all kinds of events, and his identity is always a well guarded secret (except that the original Oski was kicked out of school because he allowed his grades to slip.)
Well, Yuma Arizona, which had the state prison, had a high school team named "the Criminals." That's appropriate for U. of Miami, I suppose, but it had to traumatize a kid of 15!
Are you sure he wasn't just an alcoholic who misspelled, "Golden Beers"?