Eastern Michigan is the Eagles, which isn't so weird, but the mascot was changed like 10 years ago from the Hurons to the Eagles, like we became the Port Chester Whooping Cranes or some crap like that. (huge issues came from this and we don't get a lot of alumni support b/c of it). But they were going to name us the Emu's. So we were gonna be the freakin EMU Emu's. Is that not the DUMBEST thing ever???

Well, I am a Long Beach State 49er. It would make sense if LOng Beach State was founded in 1849 when gold was discovered in California (near Sacramento I might add), but nope, Long Beach State was founded in 1949.

Our mascot is Prospector Pete, and he is this really big doofy looking inflatable doll-thing with a human inside. When I was on tumble-and-stunt squad at Long Beach Prospector Pete was just a little bit perverted and got his jollies off on trying to molest all of the cheerleaders.

Let me put it this way, when we went to cheer camp, we apologized in advance for Prospector Pete (who was brought to life by one of our male cheerleaders, Herb)

One of the schools in my hometown is known as the Student Princes. They actually were named on a list of the top ten worst college mascots. The mascot at my first college was the Polar Bear. Then I transferred to OSU and became a Buckeye.

I didn't know that Dearborn was the Wolves. Are you sure Wolves isn't short for Wolverine? As far as I know we go with the Wolverine up in Flinttown. We have no teams whatsoever so I guess it doesn't really matter. :D

If have not posted this before!

PSU Kansas Gorillias!

Find another one like that! I dare Ya!

My college is the Crusaders, but back in the day, they were the Fighting Lutherans:p A name change was definitely in order

Even though I will be going to ETSU (home of the Bucaneers) this year, my heart will always be at UT! Therefore, UT has the bestest mascot - Smokey the blue-tick hound! Sick 'em, Smokey!!!!!! :D

edited to add . . . .

Oh yea, we also have the Volunteer man, but Smokey is much cuter!!!!

The meaning behind the volunteers is that is our state's nickname. The nickname originated during the War of 1812, in which the volunteer soldiers from Tennessee, serving under Gen. Andrew Jackson, displayed marked valor in the Battle of New Orleans. I'm thinking that Tennessee sent a lot more volunteers to the war than any other state. That's why people started calling it "The Volunteer State." :D

i have never went to a school with a normal mascot
 

I have never went to a school with a normal mascot. Right now I am a Northwest Missouri State University Bearcat. Looks a lot more like a cat than a bear though. In high we were the one and only Fairbury Jeffs. Basically he was a little monopoly man from the old Mutt and Jeff comics in the 30s, and we chose it because we are in Jefferson County. Strange, huh! And also being from Nebraska I am Husker fan, formerly the bugeaters. The other two University of Nebraska schools have strange mascots too, as Hootie said the University of Nebraska at Omaha Mavericks and then there are the University of Nebraska at Kearney Lopers. Here are my college and high school sites...the mascots are in there somewhere if you care to look.

Northwest Missouri State University

Fairbury High School

Our mascot, "Cocky" was named the number 2 mascot in the country, so I can't complain about ours... but we have two of the lowest ranking mascots in our state as well...

Presbyterian College is the "Blue Hose" (Like, the hose you wear on your legs) and Erskine College is something else ridiculous, but I can't remember what it is. I think the "Blue Hose" was actually ranked last in the US, but don't quote me on that, b/c I'm not sure.

Edited to read: The Erskine College mascot is the "Flying Fleet." Not as bad as the Blue Hose, but still not wonderful...

... Oh, and does nobody else think that Pepperdine's "Willy the Wave" is just a little hilarious? I mean, what's his costume?!

Why the tree?

This is why Stanford has the tree as its mascot...Until the early 1970's, Stanford was known as the Indians. Then, under the tide of "political correctness", the university decided to change the mascot. The students got to vote on the new mascot, and actually they voted for the "Stanford Robber Barons" in honor of good old Senator Leland Stanford, one of the original land stealers himself! ;) Leland was part of the "Big Four" that built the trans-America railroad, and made millions of dollars off the labor of migrant Chinese workers, as well as by stealing the land from Native Americans. But of course the university couldn't have that, so we became the Stanford Cardinal-singular, named after the school color, Cardinal Red (like the Harvard Crimson, but much cooler!). The tree is a part of the Stanford seal-it is El Palo Alto, which I THINK is Spanish for "tall tree". Anyway, that is the name of the city in which Stanford was founded, and the tree is one of the oldest in the state (and it is still standing).

Older alums HATE the tree, as well as the band (and if you have ever seen the Stanford Band perform, you would understand why!). There is no other band like it in the country- it is known as "the world's largest rock and roll band", and all the other schools in the Pac-10 hate them! :D

I have a pretty normal Mascot. We are the Washington State Cougars. Well, Butch the Cougar to be exact (the mascot). For a while we had live cougars but I'm pretty sure that after a while it was deemed cruelty to animals or somehting, so now we just have a really energetic guy in a cougar suit.

As for unusual mascots, how about Evergreen State College in WA? They are the Geoducks. (pronounced goo-ey duck) It's basically a really big clam. I mean really big. Like over 8 inches long. I even used to know the whole Geoduck fight song too (My parents are alum from there and I was raised on the stuff)

Yes, U. of Hawaii's mascot was the Rainbows or the "Bows" and the women were the Rainbow Wahines (women), but the Warriors were added to the men to become Rainbow Warriors in the hopes of being more intimidating, etc. Now the Rainbows have been dropped and its just Warriors for men, even though the women are still refered to as the Rainbow Wahine. The rainbow arch logo is gone from the football uniforms and replaced with simply an 'H.'

As for my school the U of Oregon, we are the Ducks..hehe intimidating huh? My friends back home always love to joke about us and Oregon State (the beavers)'s mascots whenever we beat them in sports, etc (how could a duck beat a beaver, etc). The mascots make for some pretty interesting signs/chants etc at games, especially Civil War (when our two football teams play)...stuff like F**K THE DUCKS! and DAM THE BEAVERS. :)

Our mascot is the Sac State Hornets. The name of the mascot is named Horny, yeah that's right Horny (at least that's what I heard the name was). Do any other colleges have an insect as their mascot? :) Thanks

We're the Vandals. Not exactly something I'd pick as a mascot, but hey, whatever works. I think it refers to viking vandal warriors, not the grafiti, window-breaking, car-keying type.


J

http://www.wku.edu/images/bigred/banner3.gif


to see more of our mascot, Big Red, tune into ESPN or watch the campaign for the 25,000th episode at the link posted
rightcheea.

http://www.wku.edu/bigred.html

Okay, William & Mary (in VA) is rumored to have started out as "The Loonies," in honor of the fact that (a) there is a mental hospital within 20 minutes of campus and (b) the first insane aslyum in the USA was in colonial williamsburg, where W&M is. But I guess having a crazy person for a mascot didnt fly with the early PC crowd, so they became the Indians instead... then a few decades back the changed it to "The Tribe." So, basically, our mascot is an abstract.... the tribe?? what the heck??

To add insult to injury, this year they added an acual mascot to the cheerleading lineup... it's a large green thing in a tri-cornered hat named Colonel Ebirt. I have no idea how he achieved this military rank, I'm guessing that's another nod to our proximity to colonial wburg, but "Ebirt" is Tribe spelled backwards.... for a supposedly prestigious school, you would thin they could come up with something better! I would have prefered a crazy person :p

*C*

It's weird because only certain teams are known as the "University of Hawaii Warriors": Football, Basketball, and Volleyball.

The baseball team is still known as the "University of Hawaii Rainbow Warriors."

Womens' teams are still known as the "Rainbow Wahine."

The dance team is still known as the "Rainbow Dancers."

Confusing, I know.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the ASU Sun Devils.

Even though we do KICK ASS...I mean, we just totally made up a mascot.

We started out as the "Normals", then the "Owls", then the "Bulldogs" and are now the "Sun Devils".

"Sparky" is the official mascot. The damn thing was drawn at DISNEY.

My school's mascot is a DISNEY CHARACTER!!??!?!

But I love the Devs, and I love being a Sun Devil!

Just to re-update..

Ex NWMU Bearcat BOO!

Grad of PSU, Kansas, GORILLA! What has that to do with Kansas, is beyond me, DA!

U Ks. Jayhawk, UMKC Kangaroos, CMSU Mules, Emporia ST U, Hornets, Washburn U. Ichabods ( What the F--- is an Ickybod)

It is now Politically In correct to have American Indian symbols or Names. Give me a break folks!

These were Mascots out of respect!

Who is going to get pissed next, Cowboys, Miners, Vikings, ECT.

Why be proud of Sooners in Oklahoma? They were the Scoundrals that were into open territory before teh real people could leave the starting line legally!:p

I must say... I go to a school with the most menacing of mascots.

We are the Spring Hill Badgers.

I mean, who is actually going to take a damn badger serious?

Oh well, I'm still proud to be one, although I usually just say I am a Springhillian. :D

Colleen Erin

Well I didn't feel like reading this whole thread I am just going to say that The University of Akron in Ohio where I attend our mascot is Zippy the Kangaroo!

We are the Sacramento State Hornets... we even named our mascot "Herky"... don't ask.
The funny thing about the UC Davis Aggie is that a mustang appears on all of their uniforms. I asked one of my davis friends about that but I can't remember what he said it meant. But Aggie is short for agriculture... just in case you all were wondering still. ;)

But I think the funniest mascot was my high school's. We were the Mariners. A large ship was our symbol. Every year we got our asses kicked in football by one of our rival schools, Castro Valley High. They were the Trojans. The big joke on campus was to see who would win: The Trojans or the sea men? :rolleyes:

I just stumbled upon this thread. A little late but...Badgers are the greatest! I attend University of Wisconsin and Bucky the Badger is the toughest mother mascot in the the big ten! He's ready to kick some butt!!! Yeah they are rodents, but they are extremely disgruntled and wild. Possibly THE most feared rodent on this planet!

"If you wanna be a Badger,...."

:D

Some more Canadian universities


Here at the University of Guelph we're the Gryphons (that's pronounced Griffins _ the mythical creature that is half eagle half lion)

I believe Wilfred Laurier University are the Golden Bears

University of Waterloo - Warriors and I believe the women are called the Athenas

York University - The Yoemen and Yoewomen

Just to clarify, Wilfrid Laurier is the Golden Hawks.
It is the University of Alberta who is the Golden Bears
(Women are the Pandas...i.e. still a bear, but more cutesy schmootsy sounding).

York University is the Yeomen.
A Yeoman is kind of like a knight (I remember that from studying The Canterbury Tales).

Hey, I like the badgers! They are mean rodents. You'd want to not pick a fight with one.

Well, we're the Stanford Cardinal, as in the color, but I always think of our mascot as the tree. The tree is a great thing! Three years ago we had a female tree who was a Kappa. :-)
Not so menacing but much better than the Cornhuskers!

Also, one of my friends went to a Catholic high school and their mascot was the Pope (go figure?). Their women's basketball team was called "the Lady Popes"

-M

ok, gotta add more...
The William and Mary LOONIES!?!?! That is hysterical!

Also, I never knew that the Stanford Alums wanted to name us the RobberBarons. That is so appropriate! They stole land, ripped me off on tuition... theives. he he
As for Palo Alto... palo is actually Spanish for stick. So Palo Alto is translated as "tall stick". Weird? I don't know, maybe they didn't want to use a carrot.

I knew Laurier were the Golden Somethings...thankyou

and I do apologize for my bad spelling

University of Tennesee is the Volunteers! Where do you get off on that one?

Oregon State is the Beavers... and I am a 4th generation (also happen to be female)... imagine when I have to say that I am a 4th generation beaver... hahaha

hahaha

any way we are the Highlanders. Some kind of Scottish thing. I'm Scottish. But our school colors are plaid. Well, tartan, but still...

We're the Badgers . . . gotta love it.

We weren't actually named after the animal, we were named (I don't remember the exact story, so forgive me) after the miners who originally settled in southern Wisconsin -- they found that the best homes were dugouts in the hills, and soon after that people started referring to them as "badgers."

Here's a little bit of Bucky Badger history for you:
http://www.uwbadgers.com/traditions/bucky_badger.aspx

Other Big Ten mascots:
Does anybody know exactly what a Nittany Lion is?
When I was little, I accidentally referred to Purdue's mascot as "the Waterheaters" instead of "the Boilermakers."

In high school our mascot was "the purgolder" . . . I still don't know what that is. I can top that, though -- a nearby high school's athletic teams were known as "the goslings," i.e., the baby geese. Intimidating! But best of all was my middle school mascot. I went to Georgia O'Keeffe Middle School -- our mascot was "the Fighting Iris." You know, like the Notre Dame mascot, only Georgia O'Keeffe was famous for painting flowers, so . . .? Super-lame . . . but funny.

I know that my university's mascot is the Seawolves. Still to this day I do not know what the hell a seawolf is.:confused: :D

The origins of the 'Sooners'
 

In 1889, unassigned lands in Oklahoma Territory were put up for sale by the U.S. Government for practically nothing. At the shot of a cannon on the day of the land rush opening the unassigned lands people rushed to stake their claims on whatever land they could find. A few enterprising souls snuck out early and laid claim to the land earlier than what was legally authorized, and those were nicknamed 'Sooners'. The following year, the University of Oklahoma was founded.

The 'mascot' representing the Sooners is the Sooner Schooner, a miniature Conestoga wagon pulled by a pony, traditionally called 'Boomer'. The Oklahoma 'Ruf-Neks', the male cheerleading squad is entrusted with the care of the Sooner Schooner, which runs out on the field whenever Oklahoma scores a touchdown. (Don't remind me about the Schooner at the Orange Bowl in 1985 - they got out a little too soon and the refs called back a touchdown because of it. From then on the Schooner is kept well back until the score is assured.

we have a very odd mascot at duquesne.... it was a bear for a long while, but that didnt make any sense("duquesne dukes").

Now it's a mean looking duke lol.

Stetson University Hatters. That's right, we're the Hatters. What can I say? When you're school is founded by John B. Stetson - the same man that invented the Stetson Hat - what would you expect? (it's no big deal, it's not like we have a football team or anything - yeah, our alumni pay not to have one - gee, thanks):mad:

Western Illinois University's men's teams are called "The Leathernecks" ('Necks for short). This is name honors WIU's first coach Ray Hanson who fought in WW II.

The women's teams have the really scary name "The WesterWinds" (Winds for short) thus saving WIU's women from being called The Lady Leathernecks, which kinda sounds like one of those movies they show on Cinemax around 11:00 in the evening.

My high school team was nicknamed the Bengals, but my favorite nickname belonged to Freeport HS - the Pretzels! Now, that's fierce!

I don't know why, but this totally cracked me up. I guess I just can't picture a bohemian pirate.

The community college back home has the ARMADILLO as its mascot. And I am from North Carolina... we don't even have a lot of armadillos.

Sugar and Spice,
Here's a website that gives you the history of the Nittany Lion: http://www.happyvalleyonline.com/Nittanylionhistory.htm
Hope you enjoy it! :)

EagleChick19

My husband did his grad work at UW-Madison, so we are accustomed to the Badgers.
Congrats on surviving that little slip w/ the BoilerMakers. I usually point out to my other half that outside of Purdue, that describes a drink. I hear about it for a while afterwards, too. <G>

In high school, we were the Bears, Rutgers, the nearest university were the Scarlet Knights. Pretty cool, huh. Where did I end up?

With Rhett, the Boston University Terrier.

Boston Terriers in reality are small black-and-white ankle-nippers w/ a bigger bark than bite. But they're cute.

Thanx to whoever bumped this thread!
Adrienne
:D