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UL's mascot from 1921 on (at least on paper) was the Bulldog, but until 1943 and Willoughby, they had never had a live mascot.Quote:
<center><font size="5">1943-44 UL mascot<br>Willoughby</font><br><img src="https://forumeus.com/images/misc/mascot-V-12-willoughby.jpg"></center>
You can make your mascot anything you want, and it'll work as long as people like it. At my school, the original mascot was a stray dog that hung around campus, and was the mascot for years until it was run over by a car (seriously!). Later we adopted a white horse as the mascot, not because of any correlation to a "Trojan horse," but because he looked cool. (If you recall the story, the trojan horse was the thing that led to the Trojans getting their asses kicked once and for all!)
I think you guys could easily go back to the bulldog. It'd work as either a real animal or or a suited cartoon cheerleader. And it has historical relevance at the school - the tradition is buit in. Old-timers would like it, kids would love it.
The catahoula is a good idea, too, if you're going for uniqueness. But one thing you don't hhave to worry about is being original, no matter what the mascot looks like. There are plenty off Tigers, Wildcats and Cougars around, but there's not going to be another Ragin' Cajuns.
Hey something else UL and USC have in common. In 1943 UL did the same thing with a stray dog the students named WilloughbyQuote:
Originally posted by KimoSC
You can make your mascot anything you want, and it'll work as long as people like it. At my school, the original mascot was a stray dog that hung around campus, and was the mascot for years until it was run over by a car (seriously!).
Excellent! Ours was called George Tirebiter, and true to his name, he died as he lived.:)Quote:
Originally posted by Turbine
Hey something else UL and USC have in common. In 1943 UL did the same thing with a stray dog the students named Willoughby
Tirebiter
It's hard to predict what people are gonnna embrace, but whatever they like is what's gonna be the best mascot.
Turb-- my $.02 worth: the Auburn Tigers have an eagle; the Saint's have a Saint Bernard; why can't the Ragin Cajuns have a bulldog or Catahoula Hound on the sideline. We could even name the mascot "Ragin" :)
"War Eagle" is Auburn's fight song so it fits.Quote:
Originally Posted by barisaxman
Saint Bernard's are among the most identifiable dogs anywhere, and they definitely fit the "Saint" brand name.
English Bulldogs are high maintenance and UL experienced failure after failure trying to keep them healthy and alive.
Leopard dogs are also high maintenance but its not for physical health, its for their mental health, they require constant engagement. They are virtually unidentifiable in that their looks vary from litter to litter. Mutt like in that regard. However that would fit with the mutt status of UL's first live animal Willoughby.
Do we really want a "Leopard" dog as our mascot? What with ESPN already screwing the pooch and calling us the Lafayette Leopards.Quote:
Originally Posted by Turbine
Only person that calls them that name is Turbine trying to muddy the waters.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cajun_RH
The breed is Catahoula. There are many varieties of the Catahoula. One of them is the type Turbine keeps referencing. There is a type that is called simply Red. If we were to pick one based on color, we would probably pick a Red, not Turbine's.
I would be fine with any type of Catahoula. I've never seen a blue bulldog or a purple tiger.
Never understood a university with a French culture having an English Bulldog as a mascot. Having a State Dog, Catahoula, as a mascot is OK, but very few people associate the two. Had a chance at the state bird, Pelican, but didn't act on it and Tulane picked it up. Most outsiders to Louisiana relate the state to alligators. An alligator fits not only the state of Louisiana, whose name we now use, but also carries the tradition of the Swamp on-campus where alligators actually live, plus it fits perfectly with our stadium which is also The Swamp. How can that not trump picking up a dog that no one has ever associated with the university, much less athletics? We always talk about a lack of tradition at UL. Well, we have tradition staring us in the face and some refuse to see it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Turbine
University - LOUISIANA
Moniker/Nickname - Ragin' Cajuns
Mascot - Gator
In fact, like Texas calls its campus the "40 acres", maybe we should call UL's campus "The Swamp".
Not true this is from name neutral (in this case) Wikipedia.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunNation
I have been on the Catahoula Train for years. We need to make that happen!
Interest wise (Nationwide) a campus "Alligator Habitat" will outdraw a Catahoula dog house 10,000 to 1.
No, it won't. Neither will have any national relevance period. But to have a gator, and our original Swamp will absolutely look like we're copying Florida. Many doubt we had the original swamp.
I have brought family and friends from Hawaii, Houston, and Ohio to the campus swamp. Alligators captured their imagination more than any other aspect.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunEXPRESS
Same thing through the decades with trips to Avery Island. Louisiana's State reptile captures the Nations imagination.
Going back to the 1960's and my summers spent in Nebraska. Nothing lit up the eyes of my cousins, like talking about Louisiana's State reptile.
Ironically at the onset of their interest (as a kid) I don't think I had ever seen a live alligator myself.
Whether erroneous copying accusations fly or not, at some point its simply more prudent to take advantage of your natural core assets, than it is to run from them.
This is the one point you make on this subject I support wholeheartedly. We should absolutely emphasize our core assets. The Catahoula hound is among those, and the gator is too. I just maintain that the gator does not advance our cause as much as some of the other offerings do. When it has been adopted and promoted by others less worthy, its use to us is diffused and diminished. There are 40 groups using gators out there. I see less usefulness for us because of that.Quote:
Originally Posted by Turbine
Let us focus on what makes us unique or risk becoming another vague, unidentifiable ULM.
LSU and Clemson are both Tigers and their stadiums are both Death Valley. No one argues over who had the name first.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunEXPRESS
When people visit our campus, the uniqueness of it is the Swamp with gators. It has always been there. It is who we are. The gator has been a part of UL's heritage and tradition. Who cares what Florida has? The fact is, we have a Swamp, a Gator, a stadium named The Swamp, and it is who we are. Let's embrace what is ours rather than contrive something just to be different.
That is sorta the point. We don't need to contrive anything to be different. We already are unique. No one is saying that the swamp has to go. Or that the gators have to go. We all love that stuff, and you are absolutely right that it all makes us who we are. However, we have complete control over what we emphasize. Emphasizing the gator as our icon puts us in the middle of a parking lot full of others doing the same thing. Why would we ever want to do that?Quote:
Originally Posted by HoustonCajun
It is kinda hard to say on one hand that are "The One and Only Ragin' Cajuns" and then have a mascot that another team has for its mascot. Just my 1.5 cents.
"A parking lot full of others"?Quote:
Originally Posted by Lexhead
There are only 4 colleges with a Gator mascot and only one playing major college athletics. I say using Gators puts us in pretty unique company with Florida. And it is not like we are copying them. We have our own tradition. Besides, they are the Florida Gators. We are the Louisiana Ragin Cajuns. Gators is a mascot for us and Ragin Cajuns remains our unique moniker/nickname, unlike Florida where Gators is both.
Florida
Pine Manor College
College of Notre Dame of Maryland
Russell Sage College
1000% correct. Only, it's not just a mascot of another school, it is their nickname.Quote:
Originally Posted by MelRock
It's funny.
Here we are with what many say is the greatest nickname in college sports, and some of us seem to desperately need to be associated with something else.
I don't understand how they can't see that having the Cypress Swamp resident as our mascot will cause even more confusion with branding.
If you want to change our nickname to the Louisiana Gators, then propose that.
How many times must I repeat this? If your nickname is a group of people (Irish, Mountaineers, Aggies, Volunteers, Cajuns), your mascot must be a physical representation of said people or it needs to be a background figure.
For the Cajuns, a Gator mascot would be the beginning of the end of the Cajun nickname.
If your fear hasn't happened yet ... It ain't happeningQuote:
For the Cajuns, a Gator mascot would be the beginning of the end of the Cajun nickname.
UL has had a Bull Gator Mascot forever! (relatively speaking)
The Bull Gator has appeared in more UL publications than any other animal, and one year the cover of the yearbook was pseudo Alligator Hyde.
Do not fear peripheral branding.
Bull Gator is not the end of Cajuns, its the habitat Cajuns chose to survive and thrive in.
I fear ANY branding that takes does not center on LOUISIANA. The day we focus on that like killing an ant with an anvil is the day we win the war on our name.Quote:
Originally Posted by Turbine
Actually, if we didn't have to live in the swamp, we didn't, and most of us got out as soon as we could.Quote:
Bull Gator is not the end of Cajuns, its the habitat Cajuns chose to survive and thrive in.
I can think of other schools that have a mascot different than their moniker/nickname. No identity confusion for them. The Gator is also something in costume that will be great at games for fans and kids. The Gator over the Catahoula because of the Swamp and Gators on campus. Our football stadium is The Swamp. Wouldn't you expect to see a Gator in a swamp rather than a dog? People relate swamps to both Florida and Louisiana. Having the LOUISIANA name justifies that tie-in.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunNation
Alabama - Crimson Tide / Elephant
Auburn - Tigers / War Eagle
Tulane - Green Wave / Pelican
Tennessee - Volunteers / Hound Dog
Texas A&M - Aggies / Collie Dog
In the almost 14 years of RaginPagin.com I can't recall more than a couple of freak instances of being called the Pepper's. Ragin' Cajuns is safe, Alligators' are intriguing and fun to outsiders.Quote:
Originally Posted by CajunNation
Point 2, I wasn't thinking of Cajuns being Swamp dwellers when I said the settled in Alligator habitat. The Alligators pretty much got pushed back in the swamp, by Cajuns.
don't know about y'all, but I have never associated Catahoulas with Southern Louisiana... they always seemed like the were from North of the Wall (I-10) to me.
I guarantee there are more Cajuns out there with Labs than Catahoulas. Labs are very well disciplined as well.