In response to Langston's challenge to name a mascot cooler than Tennessee's Smokey, I have but this to say. The University of Colorado has the market cornered on the nation's coolest mascot. Ralphie the Buffalo, yes a real, live buffalo, has been a fixture on the gridiron in Boulder since the late 1960's. He leads the team onto the field at the beginning of each half and opponents have been known to stare in awe at his raw power and magestic grace.
Also, while I hold no ill will towards Smokey, he isn't even the coolest dog mascot. In college football, that title would have to go to Tennessee's SEC rivals at the University of Georgia. Uga the bulldog has been a Georgia tradition since the late 1950's and he's been prowling between the hedges in Athens every season since. But the greatest dog mascot of all has to be Cpl. Chesty of the United States Marine Corps. During the Battle of Belleau Wood in WWI, German soldiers were so impressed by the tenacity and ferocity with which the Marines fought that they came to refer to U.S. Marines as 'tuefel hunden' or Devil Dogs. The moniker was adopted as a badge of honor by the Corps and eventually led to 
the adoption of a bulldog mascot.
the adoption of a bulldog mascot. What can I say, bulldogs are bad ass!
2 comments:
What about Tusk, the Arkansas Razorback? What other school can claim their mascot went on two seperate rampages? Big Red III escaped from an exhibit near Eureka Springs in the summer of 1977 and ravaged the countryside before being gunned down by an irate farmer. Another live mascot, Ragnar, was a wild hog captured in south Arkansas by Leola farmer Bill Robinson. Before Ragnar’s spree was done, the mighty animal had killed a coyote, a 450-pound domestic pig and seven rattlesnakes. Ragnar died in 1978 of unknown causes.
August 12, 2008 at 12:12 PMBack to Ralphette, she runs on the field twice a game and then retires to a trailer. How is that cool again.
You also listed the amount of time Uga has been there, but Smokey has been there just as long, since 1953. No matter what, you can't tell me there is a cooler fight song.
Though extinct...How can you deny the awesomeness of a Fighting Christian? Does that not strike fear in the hearts of young athlete's everywhere? It does me. Though I think it looks more like a drunk Irishman...
August 12, 2008 at 10:29 PMhttp://www.campusexplorer.com/media/376x262/Elon-University-45092F5D.jpg
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