Team names, I guess, develop over the years, depending on the locality, etc. Native American, heck American Indian names come out as "warrior" names, evoking a sense of power and energy.
That would seem logical. I was trying to think of some local examples but not being a university educated sporty type I'm at a disadvantage. A lot of British tradition is depicted in heraldry. The heraldic symbol of my home county of Sussex is the Martlet (aka Martinet or House Martin) which is an inoffensive small bird. I assume the Sussex University teams are called the Martlets. We have pro football (soccer) teams named after birds, like the Magpies (Newcastle United) & Canaries (Norwich City). This indicates the colour of their team strips & not their temperament or aggressiveness. The Oxford & Cambridge University teams are named Dark & Light Blues respectively. Again, this indicates the colour of their team jackets.
PS. From a childhood addiction to Westerns (Cowboys & Indians) I always thought that squaw meant wife or woman in the Native American language. I realised even then that tribes very often had their own language so this might only apply to certain tribes.
Ramos