NIU Unveils Diesel Statue

From the October 26, 2017, Raleigh (NC) News & Observer "Northern Illinois University mascot memorialized in statue"  AP.

Siberian husky Diesel served as NIU's mascot Huskie from 2005-201.\3.  He will be memorialized with a bronze statue which will be dedicated outside Huskie Stadium in DeKalb, Illinois, today before the NIU-Eastern Michigan football game.  NIU teams are called the Huskies.

Diesel lifted his paw in 2013, seemingly to give NIU cheerleaders a high five in a game after a Huskie touchdown.  This was captured on national TV and became viral.  Sadly, Diesel died in 2015.

The statue is designed by Renee Bemis and NIU alumni used an online funding site to raise the $25,000 to make the sculpture.

We met Diesel on several occasions, including the Go-Daddy Bowl in Mobile, Alabama.  He was one cool dog and lived in our former town of Round Lake Beach, Illinois.  He had the softest fur I've ever touched.

Big Diesel Fan.  --RoadDog

MORE COFFEE SIGNS:  You help your dog chase its tail.

What About the UNC Tarheel's Mascot?

Well, I  knew the two stories about how the Tarheel name came about, but I never was sure why their mascot is a ram.  I just figured that having someone running around dressed up like a foot's heel with black on it might look a bit peculiar.  Kind of like Alabama's use of an elephant as opposed to someone dressed like a Red Tide.

Here's the story behind the ram.

In 1924, the UNC football team had a popular player named Jack Merritt, who was called "The Battering Ram."  The head cheerleader decided it would make for a perfect mascot.

Over the years, UNC has had live rams and costumed rams.

Well, That's How Come the Ram.  --RoadDog

STUPID LAWS IN THE UNITED STATES:  In Indiana, bathing is prohibited during the winter.

Let the Fur Fly-- Part 4: It's Victor E. Huskie vs. Southpaw

This past month, the Chicago Tribune has been running a Sweet 16 contest involving Chicago area mascots which has brought a lot of voting from interested parties.  Now, there are just two left for the championship and Tribune backing for inclusion in the National Mascot Hall of Fame when it opens.

And, now, the sixteen mascots are down to just two: Southpaw of the Chicago White Sox and Victor E. Huskie of NIU.  Normally, I would vote for Southpaw as I am a big White Sox fan, but not when he's up against my old school.

We find out tomorrow who is the top Chicagoland mascot.

When I voted earlier this week, the voting stood at Victor E. Huskie 59.08% and Southpaw 40.92%.

You can vote at www.chicagotribune.com/mascotpoll.

Vote Early, Vote Often As They Say in Chi-Town.  --RoadDog

Let the Fur Fly-- Part 3

This is the last round of the Chicago Tribune's local area mascot voting.

There are four finalists:

LARGE MAMMAL BRACKET:  Benny the Bull with 4.83%  (Chicago Bulls)

CANINE BRACKET:  Victor E. Huskie with 50.46%  (NIU Huskies)

UNCLASSIFIED FURRY OBJECT BRACKET:  Southpaw with b 44.34% (Chicago White Sox)

FLYING THINGS AND FELINES:  Tommy Hawk with .34% (Chicago Blackhawks)

You can vote at www.chicagotribune.com/mascotpoll.

Cast Your Paws, Hooves, Feathers or Fur.  --RoadDog


SAY WHAT?  "In a straitjacket"--  An old-fashioned bind.

Let the Fur Fly-- Part 2

From the September 19, 2014, Chicago Tribune.  "Main Event: Furry Friday."

Continued from Monday, September15th.

The results are in for the first round of Chicago-area mascots.  The Canine bracket was the most competitive with a real dogfight between Victor E. Huskie of NIU and LU Wolf of Loyola University.  Victor E. was the leading vote-getter overall!!

Whose Left in the Crazy Eight:

LARGE MAMMAL BRACKET

Benny the Bull (Bulls)

Staley (Bears, they were originally the Decatur Staleys and then Chicago Staleys)

CANINE BRACKET

Victor E. Huskie (NIU)

Skates (Wolves, hockey)

UFO BRACKET (UNCLASSIFIED FURRY OBJECTS)

Southpaw  (Sox)

Roobarb  (Sox)

FTF BRACKET (FLYING THINGS AND FELINES)

Tommy Hawk (Blackhawks)

Ozzie (Kane County Cougars, Class A Baseball)

I've already voted.

Vote Early, Vote Chicago-Style.  --RoadDog


SAY WHAT?  "Film at 11:  Today's TV news is digital.

Let the Fur Fly-- Part 2: The The Chicagoland Mascots

These are the mascots in the Chicago tribune poll.  You can vote at (www.chicagotribune.com.mascot)

LARGE MAMMAL BRACKET

1.  Benny the Bull (Bulls)
2.  Clark the Cub (Cubs)
3.  Staley (Bears)
4.  Da Bull (Bulls)

CANINE BRACKET

1.  Victor E. Huskie (NIU)
2.  LU Wolf (Loyola)
3.  Skates (Wolves)
4.  Sparky (Fire)

UFO BRACKET (Unclassified Furry Objects)

Southpaw (Sox)
2.  Dibs (DePaul)
3.  Roobarb (Sox)
4.  Ribbie (Sox)

FTF BARCKET (Flying Things and Felines)

1.  Tommy Hawk (Blackhawks)
2.  Willie the Wildcat (Northwestern)
3.  Sky Guy (Sky)
4.  Ozzie (Kane County Cougars)

I Voted According to My Favorite Teams, Of Course.  --RoadDog

Let the Fur Fly!!-- Part 1: Vote Early, Vote Often (If It's for My 'Cot)

From the September 12, 2014, Chicago Tribune "Main Event Furry Friday:  Let the fur fly."

"Currently, the Mascot hall of Fame is only a virtual place online (www.mascothalloffame.com), but there are plans to build a physical Hall in Whiting, Indiana.  That's great, but we checked the MHOF website and noticed they have inducted anyone since 2008.  Are they super-selective, or just plain lazy?  Let's find out.

"Go to (www.chicagotribune.com/mascot) poll and vote in Round 1 of our mascot tournament."  Round 2 will be next Friday.  I voted today.

They have four brackets of Chicago-area mascots:
Large Mammal Bracket
Canine Bracket
UFO Bracket (Unclassified Furry Objects)
FTF Bracket (Flying Things and felines

And, Who Are the Mascots?  Next Post.  --RoadDog

Great Day for Bowl Games

There really weren't a lot of bowl games that really cared much about until today. There are WAY TOO MANY bowl games these days. One of them even featured two .500 teams!!!

I was happy to see East Carolina defeat Boise State. Both Mom and Dad graduated from there, and I would probably have gone there as well had we not moved to Illinois. Unfortunately, Central Michigan lost in the last minute to Purdue after coming back and tying the game.

Way to go Mr. Paterno who won his 500th game with Penn State at the Alamo Bowl. I have a lot of regard for this man.

But, today there are lots of great games.

I am a big Wisconsin fan, actually, they're my very favorite Big Ten team. Unfortunately, they're playing my second favorite SEC team, Tennessee. My nephew Andy is one of the biggest Vol fans in the world. Just ask anyone who knows him and walk into his "orange" room. My brother Bob, didn't go to Tennessee, but his money sure did. Tennessee won 21-17.

The Really Big Game today, is the Rose Bowl. Come on Illinois!!!! I attended Northern Illinois, and at one time really hated the Illini, but I have since become a Big Ten, well, Eleven actually. Win one for the Chief!!! The late great Chief Illinewek.

The Sugar Bowl will pit Georgia against Hawaii. I'm pulling for Georgia as I went there one year and my sister graduated from there and my niece goes there now.

I'm pulling for LSU in the championship. Two teams I really don't like are Michigan and Ohio State.

Nothing Like Some Good College Football on New Year's Day. --RoadDog

College Mascots

Came across a story on Yahoo about the top ten college live mascots. My sister Julie will be happy. Nephew Andy will not.

They also gave a short history of how the animal came to represent the school.

This list was taken from America's Best On Line at www.americasbestonline.net/cmascots.htm.

1. General Scott (mule) Army. Legend has it that when Navy showed up for an 1899 game with their "smelly" goat, Army decided they needed a mascot. The stubborn army mule was pressed into service. Cadets ran out and found a passing mule-drawn wagon and used it.

2. Uga- (bulldog)- Georgia-- Herschel Walker took Uga to the Heisman Awards ceremony, saying Uga looked better in a tux than he did. Receives extra points for attacking an Auburn player at a game.

3. Bevo-(Texas Longhorn cow)- Story has it that Texas A&M, after a particularly humiliating loss to Texas, branded a Longhorn cow with 13-0, the score of the last A&M victory over Texas. They sent it to U. Texas. The creative Texas lads turned the 13 into a "B" and the hyphen into an "E", added a V in the and kept the 0, hence the name "Bevo." As the article said, making lemonade out of lemons.

4. Ralphie- (buffalo)- Colorado is actually a she.

5. Bill the Goat- Navy- first used in 1913. Now on Bill XXXI.

6. Traveller- (white horse)--USC- first appearance in 1961. Gallops around the stadium after USC TDs.

7. Falcon-- USAF-- first collegiate mascot to perform free and untethered.

8. Mike the Tiger-- LSU--tradition is that for every Mike growl before a game, LSU will score a TD. We saw Mike on our visit to Baton Rouge. He could have cared less to be in our presence, Stuck Up Tiger!!!

9. Renegade- (horse) -FSU ridden by Chief Osceola. How come they can keep Chief Osceola, and we had to give up Chief Illiniwek?

10. Reveille (American collie)- Texas A&M- In 1931, cadets in a car hit her. Took her back to campus to care for her. When "Reveille" was blown the next morning, she started barking.

How come NIU's Victor E. Huskie isn't on the list? Is it because we're having a horrible season?

I'll give the ten runner-ups eventually, as well as the 25 Worst Mascots.

Sorry, Andy. No Smokey Here. Get That Grin Off Your Face, Julie. So Uga Was #2. --RoadDog