Mascot madness

Posted: Jul. 2, 2009

Meteorologist Mike Moss came up with a great Carolina Conversations blog idea this week – unusual school mascot names. Mike remembers playing high school football against the Eastman Kodaks of Halifax County. Mike said the players had camera logos on the sides of their helmets. What a hoot! Eastman High was lost in the move toward consolidation but an Eastman Middle School remains in Halifax County. They’ve gotten away from the camera theme. They’re now the Eastman Kodiaks. Gosh, that’s funny!

What was your school mascot? Feel free to include high school and college. What’s the most unusual mascot you’ve heard? I’ll offer a CD prize to the person sending in the most unusual mascot name.

We were simply the Wildcats back in Morganton. Kelcey Carlson's mom attended Shadeland High School in Indiana. Shadeland was home of the Peppers.

In college I went to Carolina and for those living outside this state The Tar Heels might seem like an unusual name. Of course the actual UNC mascot is a ram. I remember getting into a good-natured argument with a Georgetown fan at the 1982 NCAA Basketball Championship game in New Orleans over the meaning of a Hoya!

There are many humorous names. You may have heard of the Abington Galloping Ghosts in Pennsylvania. What are some others? Let’s have some fun with this.

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31 Comments

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We were simply called The Panthers

alamm
GOLO member since May 28, 2008
July 2, 2009 8:39 a.m.

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In High School we were the Robert E. Lee HS Generals. I always thought it was cool because our team's helmets had the exact same style "G" on them as the 60's Green Bay Packers.

In College, we were the Cougars. Bill, you might remember that the University of Houston sported a LIVE cougar at that time. Her name was Shasta (Shasta III when I was in school, actually) and she had an enclosure in a small campus park adjacent to the Admin building. She was reportedly pretty good-natured. When they retired her, they had a series of more "cougar-minded" mascots who were extremely hard to handle and eventually scrapped the idea altogether.

I worked at the University of Texas for eleven years ... the Longhorns and their mascot is the renowned Bevo.

thefensk
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 2, 2009 9:00 a.m.

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High School = Thunderbirds (T-birds) College - this is an odd story. I attended a small womens college in upstate NY - Russell Sage College. The campus is very close to the Hudson River. While I was there, we didn't have a mascot. When I arrived on campus for my 10th reunion, it seemed as though a mascot has been chosen. Gators. The Russell Sage College Gators. In upstate NY where no self-respecting alligator would ever be found. I just don't get it . . .

LMRA
GOLO member since July 27, 2007
July 2, 2009 9:04 a.m.

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OH I forgot grad school - The University of Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens!!! The name of the mascot - YoUDee

Here's a quote from the Unoversity's website: "YoUDee's proud lineage extends to the Revolutionary War. It and the Blue Hens before it have a reputation for courage and ferocity in battle, traits symbolic of the fighting spirit of the University of Delaware's athletic teams."

My fantasy baseball team is called the TarHens since I live here now and my team co-owner lives in Delaware!!

LMRA
GOLO member since July 27, 2007
July 2, 2009 9:09 a.m.

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Not my high school but one of my favorites is Poca High School in West Virginia....Home of the Dots!

ncwarrior
GOLO member since March 25, 2009
July 2, 2009 9:43 a.m.

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Rocky Mount Senior High School Gryphons! My aunt was actually on the student committee to come up with a new mascot when the black and white high schools merged in the late 60s. They chose the mythical creature as a combination of Rocky Mount Senior High's Blackbirds (white school) and Booker T. Washington's Lions (black school). I always thought that was a neat story and a good compromise. GO Gryphs!

As for college I was and still am Tar Heel born and bred. GO HEELS! and GO Rams! The Ram was adopted as a mascot to represent running back Charlie "Choo Choo" Justice who would hit the line "like a battering ram" but Bill I am sure you already knew that.

wballanceunc
GOLO member since April 8, 2008
July 2, 2009 9:47 a.m.

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Here are some good ones: Arkansas Tech Wonderboys California- Santa Cruz Banana Slugs College of the Atlantic Black Files Delta State Fighting Okra Scottsdale Artichokes

I really liked when Austin Peay (pronounced like Pee) made the NCAA Basketball Tournament (2 years ago ?) becuase their cheer was "Let's Go Peay!"

wballanceunc
GOLO member since April 8, 2008
July 2, 2009 9:57 a.m.

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My high school is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. I was a "Kingsford Flivver" and graduated in 1980. "Flivver" is term for the old Ford model t cars. I know people from everywhere having served in the Army, and they would always laugh about my school mascot when it came up in conversation. There are some funny ones in "da U P, eh". Some that come to mind are the Bessemer Speedboys, and the Watersmeet Nimrods (featured on ESPN). My husband is from Maine and his high school mascot was the "witch" (Brewer Witches). That one really cracks me up because the school colors are black and orange!

snowcat92
July 2, 2009 10:02 a.m.

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In high school we were just the "Hawks", but at NC Wesleyan it's the "Battling Bishops"!