How the Pepper got its start... and was eventually sauteed

[Turbine]

1982-83

1983-84

2000

2000

[CajunFun]

Turb asked in another thread about the cost of our logo, that he had heard it was $25K.

That was the initial cost.

The pepper was a clusterfutz from minute one.

Someone with the administration (long-timers here can fill you in on 'someone') convinced the highers up that we needed, not a mascot, but a 'spirit leader'. As this person did repeatedly, she already knew what she wanted.

But she pretended otherwise. She met with some students and administrators to discuss possibilities, and she kept nixing ideas until somehow she steered it around to the pepper.

[Aside: Now, some years before I had convinced the CEO of McIlhenny that a ripe tabasco pepper was UL's vermilion which is a bright orange red. I knew this, because McIlhenny ships boxes of sticks painted to the exact color to Latin America, to each new picker. The CEO was very interested, he had been trying to tie Tabasco to Ragin' Cajuns for a long time. Turns out Ray wanted to get the McIlhennys behind UL. This same person who picked the pepper? She screwed the whole deal, from what we could tell, intentionally. A few years ago I started getting Tulane alumni stuff with Tabasco on it. So the irony is palpable.]

So when the pepper comes up, and she's enthusiastic, one of the students says, "You knew what you wanted all along. Why are you wasting our time?"

So we go for the pepper. We hire a former Disney artist. SGA puts up $5K for the designer to come talk to the students.

The costume maker finally gets the design, called us and said it couldn't be made. Obviously, our people were shocked, we had been told the designer was working closely with the costumer maker. Costume guy says, "This is the first I've seen it."

So it has to be redesigned.

They redesign it, deliver it.

A mascot typically costs $5-8K. That one cost $25K, but it was the FIRST expense.

Because the first one looks like a cross between a dinosaur and marital aid on fire. Don't take my word for it, scroll down, judge for yourself.

So they redesign and remake it. It frightens the kids.

They do it all over again. That one scares the kids, too. My then 4 year-old got one eyeful of it, spent the rest of the basketball game craning his neck around, terrified, asking me if the 'evil mushroom head' was anywhere near. Couldn't get him back to another basketball game.

Anyhoo, then SGA says, "We paid $5K for the designer to come here. What happened?"

They were told, "Oh, we'll get him here."

They say, "It's already finished. We want our money back."

Never found out what happened with that one.

Some of you wonder why I hate our current logos so. Forget the fact that the logos are ugly; it was the same song, second verse.

How many of you remember the fiasco with the flaming uniform numbers, we had to keep buying new jerseys, with new number redesigns, until we had some that were legible?

How many of you know that after we paid a lot of money for those flaming letters, all we got were R,A,G,I,N,C,J,U and S? Athletics wanted to do more words with them, couldn't.

The group that designed that ugliness does great work for the pros and other colleges, clean, neat stuff. Our person micromanaged it so much they were disgusted with us, or that's what they told one of our people after. Their website certainly shows little respect for us, where they call us 'Southwestern Louisiana University.' http://www.smebranding.com/full-client-list

Now, I had originally approached this same person with the triple fleur de lis. The design goes back to the 14th century Kings of France, it was on the flag that the Acadians arrived under in 1604 (16 years before the Mayflower sailed), it was on the flag La Salle planted in 1682 claiming Louisiana (making it the first flag for 1/3 of the USA), it's on the UL seal, and it's on the Acadiana flag.

Oh, and it also appears the triple fleurs were the basis for the Saints logo.

Which is, yet again, heavily ironic. Because our mystery guest told the logo people that she wanted something like the Saints logo.

Tell a consultant what you want, guess what you get? Check it out: http://ultoday.com/node/116

She had told me the triple fleur de lis is "too busy." What, our hotwheels logo is a model of understated elegance?

Not long after she was here, someone who worked with her commented, "That woman is more interested in promoting herself than promoting UL." Everything she got hold of she put her sticky fingerprints all over. She changed every tradition she could, made us derivatives of other teams and schools.

But not long ago, she bragged to someone about the logo, "I did that." Which was the point of all the wasted time and money: so she could say "I did that."

I like to think of it as executive-level vandalism.

If you're interested, you can read the fuller account here: http://ultoday.com/node/195

[CharlieK]

OK, who was the someone?????

[CajunFun]

OK, who was the someone?????

Ask at the tent.

[cajunhawk]

Ask at the tent.

Oh god what was her name. It's on the tip of my tongue but at the moment I cannot think of her name.

Edit...Julie Dronet...thanks Cajunstros.

[CajunNation]

Thanks for that Mr. Fun.

Your website is awesome, always was.

Obviously, we need to ditch the pepper, further embrace the FDL including some Tri-Fleur action, no more flames, redesign the logo to something that is deserving of belonging to THE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA, and, finally, incorporate actual Vermilion into our gear and unis.

Let's agree on this stuff first before we start fighting over a new mascot/spirit leader. That is a completely different battle for another day.

[CajunNation]

Oh god what was her name. It's on the tip of my tongue but at the moment I cannot think of her name.

Edit...Julie Dronet...thanks Cajunstros.

Flashback several years.

I'm attending a party at the alumni house for the football staff. It may have been a recruiting bash. Can't remember.

I do remember the hat I was wearing. It was self made. It had UL Cajuns on the front as I was not pleased with what was available in stores.

Upon meeting said person, the first words out of her mouth to me were "That hat is illegal" . At the same time she is raising a finger at me very similar to the last scene of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.




My reply was "I know". Smiled. Walked away.

I may have whispered a few choice words for her. Can't remember that either.

[Cajun90]

For those of us who have been around a while we all have an honorary JD degree. Not that we asked for it.

For the record Aaron Martin will not be leading us down that same path and I hope you like the flower because we will be seeing more of it.

[BlueDawg]

Please, for the sake my Lafayette friends, no Fleur De Lis Mascot!!!!! Since y'all are all about this Louisiana name, why not the state Dog.....the Catahoula?

[VObserver]

Please, for the sake my Lafayette friends, no Fleur De Lis Mascot!!!!! Since y'all are all about this Louisiana name, why not the state Dog.....the Catahoula?

So the tri-fleur has been associated with the Cajun culture and Louisiana for only 409 years... naturally we should discard it for some dog [nice dog, I might add] that has only been a recognized breed for 50 years or so?

[BlueDawg]

I'm not saying discard it.....It needs to be a part of your university logo/branding, etc. however, I don't think it would make for a good mascot. A Catahoula would definitely be unique & kids wouldn't run away from it. Besides, there is way too much Tri-fleur product out there......

[VObserver]

I'm not saying discard it.....It needs to be a part of your university logo/branding, etc. however, I don't think it would make for a good mascot. A Catahoula would definitely be unique & kids wouldn't run away from it. Besides, there is way too much Tri-fleur product out there......

OK.. I was misunderstanding you. Sorry. I agree that we should have a fleur or a tri-fleur on our helmets and a dog on the sidelines.