Favorite, or coolest, team mascots

[Morgana]

As I was watching the Ducks v. Huskies football game last Saturday, I saw the Huskies' mascot pacing up and down the sidelines, and I got this idea for a thread. Which team mascot is your favorite? Or, which do you think is the worst?

I'm a little biased because I'm a huge dog lover to begin with, but being I'm also a Uni. of Washington grad, the Huskies' Alaskan Malamute is my fave. I know the Huskies also use "Harry the Husky" for a human mascot, but he's nothing compared to this beauty.

It took me hours and hours to find this picture, but this is the Huskies' latest Malamute, I believe his name is "Spirit".

http://www.4malamute.com/images/spirit2.jpg

[Grebdron]

My favorite, just because of the absolute absurdity, is none other than the UC Santa Cruz BANANA SLUG!!;)

http://www.ucsc.edu/oncampus/currents/98-99/art/mascot.98-10-05.jpg

And here's my least favorite. That of my Alma Mater. Who the fuck will cower in fear of the John H. Fancis Polytechnic High School fighting PARROT? Pish!

http://poly.lausd.k12.ca.us/images/Main1.jpg

[bmain77]

I thought UC-Santa Cruz's mascot was the one in the middle...sorry it was the biggest pic I could find:

http://www.deepcovebc.com/unjimages/imagesMovies/pulpfiction.jpg

[Indiana Sev]

Originally posted by Grebdron
And here's my least favorite. That of my Alma Mater. Who the fuck will cower in fear of the John H. Fancis Polytechnic High School fighting PARROT? Pish!

http://poly.lausd.k12.ca.us/images/Main1.jpg

I beg to differ. That looks like one hell of a proud parrot to me. You could do worse.

I can't think of a favorite just yet, but in the meantime, I'd like to nominate the Expos' Youppi as one of the worst.

http://www.hockeyzoneplus.com/f/images/gaby.jpg

Baseball doesn't have any cool mascots and YES I'm aware of the Phillies Fanatic. He sucks!

The Tampa Bay Lighting have a cool lighting bolt mascot, I'll try to find a picture. Anyone know his/her (its) name?

[PapaJupe2k]

Hmmm, he is interesting looking. What exactly is Youppi? The Iowa Hawkeyes have an even stranger looking mascot though. Here he is.

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/images/press/2002/10-29arnold.jpg:D

This a good topic though, I'll try to think of some real ones and get some good pics.:cool:

[Indiana Sev]

Originally posted by PapaJupe2k
Hmmm, he is interesting looking. What exactly is Youppi

Youppi is a big, ugly, orange monster.

I found the Lightning's mascot...

THUNDER BUG

http://nhl.speedera.net/intheslot/read/mascots/images/thunderbug226x338.jpg

[screamer581]

Originally posted by Indiana Sev


I found the Lightning's mascot...

THUNDER BUG

http://nhl.speedera.net/intheslot/read/mascots/images/thunderbug226x338.jpg





That pic is going to haunt my dreams tonight.

[PapaJupe2k]

Aaahh, the classic San Diego Chicken, he is old school. This picture gave Sev nightmares when I posted it in the "game" thread... so here it is again.:D

http://www.famouschicken.com/images2/chicken_hockey.jpg

I think "Youppi" in his underwear might be even scarier though. "Youppi" I cant get over him, hehehehe.

[screamer581]

Originally posted by PapaJupe2k
Aaahh, the classic San Diego Chicken, he is old school. This picture gave Sev nightmares when I posted it in the "game" thread... so here it is again.:D

http://www.famouschicken.com/images2/chicken_hockey.jpg



I take back what I said about the bug, the fucking chicken is going to haunt my dreams tonight.

[Benny]

Philly Bias ahead!

My favorite of course is the Phillie Phanatic! How can you beat this green guy riding around the Vet on a 4-wheeler, shooting out hot dogs, and dancing on the dugouts!

Sev- what do you have against the Phanatic?

[Grebdron]

Is the Phanatic the one who fell out of the bleachers and snapped his ankle?

He might be my favorite.;)

:D

[Indiana Sev]

Originally posted by Benny
Sev- what do you have against the Phanatic?

I just don't like any mascot that's like a monster or something. I don't find them too original. They all look the same but a different color.

Or maybe I'm just scared of monsters...

[PapaJupe2k]

Here's UGA the Georgia Bulldog mascot. He is sort of cool being all wrinkly and such.
http://alligator.org/edit/news/issues/02-fall/images/dawg1104.jpg

[Morgana]

Originally posted by PapaJupe2k

http://alligator.org/edit/news/issues/02-fall/images/dawg1104.jpg

Awww...he's so cute. Looky at all those wrinkles. Dammit PJ, you know just how to get to me. :)


Btw, I've edited my first post to expand on the idea...if anyone wants to post pictures of the WORST mascots, go right ahead.

[James Logan]

Gee, I love all those. I wish French schools would have mascots...instead of that we only have slutty, gangbang-loving, no-bra cheerleaders. Sheesh.

Keep postin', people! :)

[Morgana]

Even though there's really no relation between the Washington Huskies and the UConn Huskies, I still consider the UConn Huskies a distant cousin. So here is their cool mascot, Jonathan XII.

http://www.advance.uconn.edu/012husky.jpg

Somebody post some human mascots...before I turn this into my own personal dog show thread. :D

[PapaJupe2k]

Originally posted by Morgana
Somebody post some human mascots...before I turn this into my own personal dog show thread. :D Hmmm, let me think on that a moment. Glad you liked UGA he is pretty cool isn't he? He comes from a long line of UGA's I'm not sure what number he is though.

Ah, human! Here is the Disco Divas mascot of the Joblo Fantasay Football League. Behold!

http://www.probertencyclopaedia.com/j/John%20Travolta.jpg

[bmain77]

Originally posted by James Logan
Gee, I love all those. I wish French schools would have mascots...instead of that we only have slutty, gangbang-loving, no-bra cheerleaders. Sheesh.

Keep postin', people! :)


So anyways I was wondering how much do teachers make in france? :D Yes I am a sick sick person.

Also if even even see so much of disco ball pop up on the league page (don't think its possible but...) massive fines will be levied and Papajupe will be dishing out some more stories of the mundane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[PapaJupe2k]

All right I know this isn't an animal mascot, but damn if I didn't find this one funny.:D

Wooden Shoes, Teutopolis (Illinois) High School - in this Dutch/German region Teutopolis and Neoga High Schools play basketball twice every year for each other's Homecoming game. The school that wins the first game at Teutopolis receives a golden-colored wooden shoe that was made back in the late 1800s when the rivalry originated. The winner of Neoga's Homecoming game gets the orginal silvered-colored shoe. According to John Niebrugge Teutopolis sings the following fight song: "This is (boom, boom), This is Shoe Country, You Go Home."

I couldn't find any pictures of the Wooden Shoe mascot, but I'll keep trying.

Here are more pictures and info on UGA to hold you over though Morgs while I keep scouring the web.

www.uga.edu/gm/902/FeatUga.html

[Morgana]

http://www.uga.edu/gm/902/images/uga2.jpg

I feel like a traitor to my own school, but after reading up on Uga, well...I have to crown him the undisputed king of canine mascots. That is one dog with character. The spiked collar, the sweater, just the body shape of a bulldog, and the name "Uga"...it's perfection! What a crack-up. :D

Thanks for the link, PJ.

[PapaJupe2k]

http://www.12thmanfoundation.com/new_site/photos/revpics/images/rev3.jpg
One of my favorite "traditions" is Reveille the mascot. There are a couple versions of the story, but basically some corps guys found a dog one day (some say they accidentally hit it with their vehicle) and took it back to their dorm room. The next day, when "Reveille" was played out, she started barking away..and therefore her name. Reveille I was a mut, and down the line has become a purebred collie. Here in the picture with me, on the left, is Reveille VI. She retired at the end of the Spring 2001 semester. On the right is Reveille VII. This was during her first weekend on campus as she was introduced. She has a lot to learn, but she's just a puppy. During the picture, Rev VI was so gentle and quiet. She knew how to pose perfectly for pictures. Rev VII is still getting the hang of this "sitting still" thing..she's still a puppy. I think the breeders were overwhelmed with the welcome this little puppy got. Rev VI had a few health problems, and she will retire to a Veterinarian's house to relax. Reveille I - V are buried just outside of Kyle Field (football field) where they can still see the score board. Each home game, their gravesites are decorated with beautiful flowers. I will miss Rev VI at away game yell practices and events. She always seemed to find me in the crowd. On our trip to New York, we were on a dinner cruise, and Rev had to stay on the top deck where there was no food. Poor thing, she was so hungry, she kept wanting to eat my food as people are trying to take pictures with her. At some yell practices, she seemed interested in my beer, but the cadets in charge of her would always catch her before she could have any....poor Rev! ;)

Am I doing good so far?
:)

[Morgana]

Originally posted by PapaJupe2k
Am I doing good so far?
:)

You're doing great, PJ. That dog is another cutie. :) I didn't even know Texas A&M had a dog mascot...actually, I couldn't even figure out what university the dog was from at first, I read it as "ATM". Typing that into Google I got lots of info about bank ATMs, but really nothing about universities...ummm...that was one of my more stoopid moments. :D

Anyway, great looking mascot.

[PapaJupe2k]

http://buffs.colorado.edu/ralphie/images/r3/ralphie3-f.gif

Geez I'm really scraping the bottom of the barrel for cute dog mascots eh Morgs?:D That is "Ralphie", Colorado's mascot. He will be well taken care of though, as the following story shows you.

BOULDER, Colo. -- Ralphie, the University of Colorado's buffalo mascot, now has a $41,000 trust fund.


Lifelong Colorado football fan Violet Stromberg, 96, left her life savings of $40,730 to create a fund to care for Ralphie. The CU Board of Regents unanimously accepted Stromberg's gift Thursday.


"This will provide growing support for Ralphie in perpetuity -- not only for this Ralphie but all future Ralphies,'' Colorado treasurer Judy Van Gorden said.


The Ralphie Fund will help pay for Ralphie's hoof trimmings, transportation, harnesses, ropes, vet bills and $1,500 a year in oats, alfalfa and grass.

[Morgana]

A live buffalo mascot? :eek: Do they take Ralphie on the road? Sheeeshhh, that's high maintenance. At least he's got a sizeable alfalfa fund.

Since you are scraping the barrel PJ, do you know if anyone has a python, or some other lizard mascot? :)

[PapaJupe2k]

No I don't think Ralphie makes road trips with them. That would be cool if he did though.:D

Reptiles, hmmmm... I'm not sure on that. I'll look into it.;)

[PapaJupe2k]

Well he isn't a reptile, but since you liked Ralphie so much, here is Bevo the Texas Longhorn mascot.:)

http://www.utexas.edu/maps/main/images/img/img0069.jpg

I'm on a mascot tear, I've gone completely out of my mind.:D

[Morgana]

Originally posted by PapaJupe2k


I'm on a mascot tear, I've gone completely out of my mind.:D

PJ, stop...stop while you still CAN. Next thing you'll be looking for elephants. The mascots seem to be getting bigger by the minute. :D

[PapaJupe2k]

Originally posted by Morgana
PJ, stop...stop while you still CAN. Next thing you'll be looking for elephants. The mascots seem to be getting bigger by the minute. :D No way! It seems to be a sickness with me, I just cant help myself.:D

Anyways, here is "Mike" the LSU Tiger mascot and of course a short bio on this fine fellow.

http://www.lsu.edu/highlights/031/images/phcow6.jpg

Mike is the tiger mascot of LSU. It was named in the honor of Mike Chambers, the LSU football trainer. Mike is a Bengal Tiger, he stands 7 feet tall, weighs 450 lb. and enjoy bathing , eating, and sleeping. He was born in October 19, 1989 at Animal House Zoological Park, in Moulton Alabama. He arrived to LSU in February 8, 1990 and he is taken care of LSU Veterinary School. On game days, his strength and ferocity can be felt throughout the LSU Campus.

Now then, if you'll excuse me I am in search of that elephant.

;)

[PapaJupe2k]

Here is one of the Baylor Bears I've been searching for Morgs.:) This is an old photo from 1997, I believe this one's name was "Ginny".

http://redraiders.com/news/98/07/07/baylorLR.jpg

Baylor University has changed a decades-old practice of having a live mascot, a black bear, at home football games after veterinarians said crowd noise could agitate the animal.

The decision follows a protest that began last year by members of Chicago-based Showing Animals Respect and Kindness, or SHARK, who claimed the bears were driven into a state of psychosis because they were kept in a mostly concrete environment.

The facility on the Waco campus houses two female North American black bears: Joy, almost 2 years old, and Lady, almost 3.

School officials denied that the bears were being harmed and cited satisfactory inspections by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

But the school plans to start an $800,000 fund-raising drive this fall to upgrade the facility built in 1976, said Larry Brumley, a Baylor spokesman. The "bear pit" will extend along Waco Creek with trees and more grass.

It's not the first time changes have been made in the bear program, which is more than 70 years old. In recent years, trainers stopped feeding the bears Dr Pepper when veterinarians advised against it. Dr Pepper was created in Waco in 1885 and is the official Baylor soft drink.

Colleen Gardner, a SHARK member from Salt Lake City, praised Baylor's recent actions.

"A lot of people walked by the bears every day and just didn't look," Gardner said. "I think it took someone from the outside looking in and saying, 'Wait a minute.'"

The flap started when Gardner's son visited campus in July 2002 for a debate tournament. Upset at what he believed to be mistreatment, he filmed hours of footage of the bears.

Since then, SHARK has filmed parties _ which have since been stopped _ held in the bear pit by the group of Baylor students assigned to care for the animals.

SHARK members attended parents weekend and showed that footage, along with scenes of bears pacing in their enclosures, from giant screens on the side of a truck.

Brumley said the school remains committed to keeping live mascots, which from now on will make only specially approved appearances.

"We determined that we weren't going to let a group like that, that had no stake in Baylor University, dictate our policies," he said.

Stopped feeding the bears Dr. Pepper???:D :D That really struck my funny bone for some reason.

[Morgana]

I'm not sure how I feel about these wild animal mascots, PJ. Methinks I don't like the idea. They can't really do much but pace around in cages...I think mascots should be fun, and manageable. They should be able to interact with the fans...and actually enjoy it. It doesn't sound like these wild animals are enjoying it much. I'm not down on you for posting them, I wasn't aware that some universities even had live wild animal mascots, I just think maybe the universities should reconsider their choice of mascot.

[Morgana]

Thought I should maybe post some mascots since I created this thread...

I'm not an Oregon Duck, but I live in Duck country, and I have to admit to liking the Ducks' Donald Duck mascot. The UofO has come out with a new mascot that would compliment their new, futuristic unis, I'm at a loss for words. I know the contract between the UofO and the Walt Disney Co. is a bit of a mess, but...just pay the damn royalties and stick with the original "Oregon Duck." Why mess with a good thing?

http://media.dailyemerald.com/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/3dd5278b6c5fc-54-1.jpg
current

http://media.dailyemerald.com/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/3dd5278b6c5fc-54-2.jpg
new

[PapaJupe2k]

Originally posted by Morgana
http://media.dailyemerald.com/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/3dd5278b6c5fc-54-2.jpg
new

Oh my god! I'll have nightmares about this "thing", whatever it may be.:eek: Yeah, the disney one was much better.

O.K. I'm done posting wild animal mascots. I think I've about run out of them.:)

[Morgana]

Originally posted by PapaJupe2k
Oh my god! I'll have nightmares about this "thing", whatever it may be.:eek: Yeah, the disney one was much better.



The new one looks like he came straight from Cirque du Soleil, doesn't he? He looks like some kind of a futuristic ballet dancer to me. How's he going to get the crowd going...with a tightrope number?

They haven't gotten rid of the old Disney duck yet though, fortunately. Evidently the new one hasn't even shown up at games yet because the UofO isn't sure the fans will like him. I think they better keep him in the cellar. ;)

[PapaJupe2k]

Here is an interesting article and more on Baylor's mascot situation.

WACO, Texas - It's a glorious day at Baylor's Bear Plaza. Joy and Lady, Baylor's two American black bear school mascots, couldn't be happier at the moment.

Their tummies are full, the air around them is quiet, and, most important, they're together. Lying side by side and dreaming whatever bears dream at rest, the two sisters appear content. Enough, at least, that Joy has all four legs in the air.

"Everyone," said Adam Ylitalo, a Baylor senior and the school's head bear trainer, "is proud of having them here. Everyone at Baylor wants what's best for them."

Everyone, however, doesn't agree that Ylitalo's feelings resonate throughout the university.

Joy and Lady, the latest in Baylor's 80-year tradition of keeping live bear mascots on campus and taking them to football games, are among college sports' most controversial critters. About 35 to 40 colleges nationwide make use of a live animal mascot - not all at football games. But only 14 mascots nationwide, including Baylor's, are considered non-domesticated or wild.

Since August 2002, Baylor has clashed with an Illinois-based animal rights organization, Showing Animals Respect and Kindness (SHARK), over the school's mascot program.

SHARK has accused Baylor of mismanaging its program, and alleges bears have been abused for decades at Baylor. Though the group now concedes Baylor has improved its level of care dramatically, it's still pushing for upgrades to Joy and Lady's mostly concrete on-campus habitat and an end to bears appearing at football games.

Since 2000, Baylor has been finalizing architectural plans to expand the habitat and is now in the process of raising almost $1 million for the project, said Cathy Pleitz of Baylor's development office. SHARK director Steve Hindi said Thursday that he has received a copy of the habitat's expansion blueprints.

The two sides seemed less at odds until Saturday, when Joy appeared at Baylor's homecoming parade and Lady appeared at the football game between Baylor and Texas Tech. Hindi said Baylor promised to end the practice and is bowing to alumni pressure. Baylor said it promised only to curtail the bears' Saturday appearances.

"The bears are there merely to provide entertainment and a service to the school," Hindi said. "Their well-being is not and has never been Baylor's concern. These are people who pander to folks who will or will not provide them money. That's not leadership."

A link on SHARK's Web site (sharkonline.org) sends visitors to baylorbearabuse.com, which provides details of SHARK's allegations against Baylor. Among SHARK's allegations are:

Past Baylor trainers have kicked or beaten bears that became temperamental.

Because of Baylor's strong ties to Dr Pepper, it fed bears the soft drink for promotional reasons, compromising their health.

Baylor caused psychosis and repetitive disorder in many of its past mascots by lacking the expertise to properly house them or treat their symptoms.

In recent years, Baylor's program has undergone significant changes. Until 1996, Baylor bears were declawed and often fed Dr Pepper and Oreo cookies, Ylitalo and others associated with the program said. In 1982, local TV cameras were at the pit when an adult bear, Judge, attacked and killed a cub named Chuck over a bottle of Dr Pepper.

From that day, Baylor bears were housed separately within the pit until Joy and Lady were allowed contact in November 2002. The pit is licensed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to hold as many as three bears.

Baylor also recently ended a campus tradition of monthly "pit parties," where students gathered at the habitat late at night, played loud music and socialized. The parties were designed to raise awareness for the student service group - the Baylor Chamber of Commerce - that runs the mascot program, said Eileen Hulme, Baylor vice president of student life.

"We ended it," said Hulme, the administrator who oversees the Baylor Chamber of Commerce. "What we know about bear health now as opposed to 20 years ago has come a long way. We concede that our knowledge has grown."

Stacey Johnson, curator of the Texas Wild! exhibit at the Fort Worth Zoo, said bears often adapt to noise-related stress, even in captivity.

"It's pretty chaotic here in the summer," Johnson said. "People try to get their attention all the time, and they tune it out. It's like adapting to stress in any environment. They do what they have to do to survive."

Videotape of a pit party and other footage of bears pacing in cages was presented as evidence by SHARK in its campaign against Baylor. As for allegations of physical abuse, Ylitalo said trainers do not kick or hit bears to control them.

Ylitalo, a chemistry major, bottle-fed Joy, 3, and Lady, 2, in his Waco apartment until they were large enough for the pit. Baylor's wild mascot program is the only among U.S. colleges where students, not paid experts or handlers, do all the work. Students feed, clean, exercise, transport, show and play with the bears.

"You'd think it would sound like a disaster waiting to happen," said Texas A&M veterinarian Jim Jenson, the bears' attending physician since 2002. "But I know the quality of the students and the training they go through. In reality, it's one of the finest, strongest student-run operations in existence."

For several weeks each year, the students work with bear trainers from the animal entertainment industry in California. Older student trainers tutor newer ones. Some trainers have been injured, but there is no record of any student being killed while handling mascots.

"Neither of us joined the chamber to handle bears," said Baylor graduate Tyler Sellers, who trained Ylitalo. "But it's a special opportunity you don't turn down. When people question your integrity and desire for the bears' welfare, it feels like they're calling you a bad parent."

Other schools use mascot programs as extensions of other programs, such as agricultural or pre-veterinary studies. Some mascots live off campus at zoos or with farmers, ranchers or professional handlers. The University of North Alabama has two 11-month-old African lions, Leo III and Una, living in a 12,764-square-foot modern habitat on campus. The lions do not attend games.

"This is not Siegfried and Roy," said Dan Howard, UNA's vice president of advancement. "We'll stack our habitat up against most zoos. This is serious business, and we want to be the standard."

LSU's Bengal tiger, Mike V, lives in an on-campus habitat that will be expanded to 15,000 square feet when the school completes a $2.5 million fund-raising effort.

Baylor's pit, a below-ground multilevel outdoor habitat with two small swimming pools that back up to an above-ground chainlink cage area, will more than double in size, according to Baylor's plans. Trees, grass and more natural areas that `70s-style habitats lacked will be added.

"We found over the years that concrete habitats cause trouble with their feet," Johnson of the Texas Wild! exhibit said. "We try to minimize their time on concrete."

http://www.twincities.com/images/realcities/realcities/7245/52497232775.jpg

[James Logan]

Originally posted by Morgana



http://media.dailyemerald.com/vimages/shared/vnews/stories/3dd5278b6c5fc-54-2.jpg
new

Well, that's the first shit-ugly mascot I've seen all thread. Congratulations, Morgana dear. ;)

[Morgana]

Oh goody, you can now vote for your favorite furry human mascot in the CapitalOne 2003 Mascot Bowl. This would be a lot better if they didn't give you 12 finalists already, I'm not sure I like any of them. I would've voted for the Oregon Duck...the old one, not the new, Cirque Du Soleil one.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/capitalone/index

[PapaJupe2k]

Originally posted by Morgana
Oh goody, you can now vote for your favorite furry human mascot in the CapitalOne 2003 Mascot Bowl. This would be a lot better if they didn't give you 12 finalists already, I'm not sure I like any of them. I would've voted for the Oregon Duck...the old one, not the new, Cirque Du Soleil one.

http://proxy.espn.go.com/espn/capitalone/index

I know what you mean Morgs, none of those mascots really did it for me either. I voted for "Big Red", he reminded of a character off of Sesame Street or something. I loved that show as a kid.:D So... I went with him.

If they had one for live mascots I would go with UGA, no question about it.

[PapaJupe2k]

For old times sake, huh?:)

Herky being all patriotic

http://www.hawkcentral.com/teams/football/2001/photos/092901herky.jpg

[Grandmaster C]

People people, it's all about the Mariner Moose...

http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/JohnStanfordIntlSchool/Calendar/Past/Mariners/Images/moose.jpg http://www.smouse.force9.co.uk/mariner1.jpg