Poll - BullGator Mascot/Spirit Leader

[Bert]

I took a guy from Kansas fishing once not to far from Jasper up on Toledo Bend Lake and he thought the Louisiana side would have more Alligators. Boy was he wrong.

[CajunFun]

This does not infringe on the unique Ragin' Cajuns moniker.

That has nothing to do with it. It's still Florida's mascot.

Florida does not have a BullGator as a mascot, they are the Gators.

So because LState is the BENGAL tigers-- not just the tigers-- they are unique?

I don't care if you paint it white and call it a turnip. An alligator's still an alligator.

And we will still be seen as Florida copy-cats.

How many times have you seen a native Louisiana Brown Pelican? . . .

More and more actually. They're making a great comeback.

(And before you start splitting hairs, "native" means born here.)

Consider this, UL has been around longer than the Pelican has been the "Official State Bird"

"Official"? Sure.

But you're still splitting hairs.

The Catholic missionaries used the pelican as an emblem for Louisiana going back to colonial times.

[NOCajun]

And TULANE is using the pelican as THEIR mascot, so we'd STILL be copying somebody. Besides, Florida started calling their field "The Swamp" long after we began using that name for CAJUN FIELD, so what difference would it make if we adopted a gator as our mascot and still called ourselves "RAGIN' CAJUNS"??

[DaddyCajun]

_ Turbine, saying Florida isn't the Bullgators, they are the Gators, is like saying LSU isn't the Tigers, they are the fightin' Tigers. _

LSU calls themselves both the Tigers and the Fighting Tigers! Florida on the other hand calls themselves the Gators and do NOT call themselves the Bull Gators!

[CajunFun]

And TULANE is using the pelican as THEIR mascot, so we'd STILL be copying somebody. Besides, Florida started calling their field "The Swamp" long after we began using that name for CAJUN FIELD, so what difference would it make if we adopted a gator as our mascot and still called ourselves "RAGIN' CAJUNS"??

There is some merit there.

So let me modify my comments. Troy University is in the city of Troy. I don't know who used the mascot first, but it should be clear that the mascot is associated with Troy. But when you say "Trojans," people think of USC.

Michigan's helmet was used by Delaware first. But everyone thinks of Michigan when they see it.

And closer to home? Florida calls their stadium "The Swamp." LState uses "Geaux."

So it really doesn't matter who actually came first, but who makes it stick first; the logo needs to appear unique to the public.

Anyway, again:

1) The white pelican and the brown pelican are different species, as different as a tiger and a lion.

2) Tulane hasn't marketed theirs; if we market ours, we win. People don't associate the pelican with Tulane, so because a pelican ties more logically into University of Louisiana and Ragin' Cajuns than it does Green Wave and Tulane, we already have a big advantage.

3) Tulane changes mascots every few years. I got a nickel says they go back to the Green Wave here sooner or later... sooner, if we use the brown pelican.

4) If Tulane drops football, it's a moot point. We win.

5) This is sour grapes, but I proposed the brown pelican in a letter published in The Times back in 1990-- long before Tulane ever thought about it. (Did Tulane get the idea from my letter? I mentioned them in the letter, but in a different context. Hmmm... )

Some UL administrators strongly supported it, but the AD at that time said it was "weird.'

Which, of course, is what people initially said about Ragin' Cajuns...

6) This one is more interesting than compelling: We got our name from Tulane. We got our seal from Tulane (and both of them have a pelican at the head of the seal).

So yes, we wear Tulane's hand-me-downs. The difference?

We make their stuff look good.

[NOCajun]

_ There is some merit there.

So let me modify my comments. Troy University is in the city of Troy. I don't know who used the mascot first, but it should be clear that the mascot is associated with Troy. But when you say "Trojans," people think of USC.

Michigan's helmet was used by Delaware first. But everyone thinks of Michigan when they see it.

And closer to home? Florida calls their stadium "The Swamp." LState uses "Geaux."

So it really doesn't matter who actually came first, but who makes it stick first; the logo needs to appear unique to the public.

Anyway, again:

1) The white pelican and the brown pelican are different species, as different as a tiger and a lion.

2) Tulane hasn't marketed theirs; if we market ours, we win. People don't associate the pelican with Tulane, so because a pelican ties more logically into University of Louisiana and Ragin' Cajuns than it does Green Wave and Tulane, we already have a big advantage.

3) Tulane changes mascots every few years. I got a nickel says they go back to the Green Wave here sooner or later... sooner, if we use the brown pelican.

4) If Tulane drops football, it's a moot point. We win.

5) This is sour grapes, but I proposed the brown pelican in a letter published in The Times back in 1990-- long before Tulane ever thought about it. (Did Tulane get the idea from my letter? I mentioned them in the letter, but in a different context. Hmmm... )

Some UL administrators strongly supported it, but the AD at that time said it was "weird.'

Which, of course, is what people initially said about Ragin' Cajuns...

6) This one is more interesting than compelling: We got our name from Tulane. We got our seal from Tulane (and both of them have a pelican at the head of the seal).

So yes, we wear Tulane's hand-me-downs. The difference?

We make their stuff look good. _

LOL!! OK, when you put it THAT way, I'll buy that!!!