Access Atlanta > The Newcomer > Archives > 2008 > July > 01 > Entry
Georgia’s finest, fiercest, freakiest college mascots
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Uga VI in 2003.
I guess I just didn’t realize how big a deal Uga, the bulldog, was. I’ve read “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil!” I attended a Big Ten university! I’ve lived here for a few months now! I should have known how important college mascots here, especially here.
Instead, I was surprised to see 141 pages of tributes to the pup on Legacy.com. That’s serious adoration. (Update: make that 173 pages as of 10 a.m. OoooK. Wow.)
Lest you also be caught unawares, I’ve posted a list of Georgia’s public university mascots and nicknames, assembled with the help of AJC librarian Sharon Gaus. (Honest: I didn’t even know most of these schools existed until now.)
- Georgia is home to both Fighting Geese and Fighting Owls! Who knew?
- We seem to love our cats. We have two Jaguars, Cougars, two Bobcats, Wildcats and two Tigers. Also, there are Red-Eyed Panthers, and Pounce, the blue Panther. (Rawr.)
- University of Georgia keeps a live mascot in Uga, but also the absurdly tall, back-flipping, wave-to-the-kids kind. His name is Hairy Dawg. Not as cute as Uga, but easier to maintain, I guess. (By the way, there are 33 Division 1A schools with live mascots, including Georgia. USA Today built this map of mascots. Suffice to say, bulldog is a bit more reasonable than Baylor’s black bear.)
- I suspect all these mascots have names, but I the most interesting I found was ENAC, the mascot for Georgia Southwestern State University in Americus. It’s Cane, as in Hurricanes, spelled backward.
- I think the nomination for the weirdest one — not including the Fighting Owls — goes to the Waycross College Swamp Foxes. Indeed, the mascot is a big smiley fox. I wonder if he knows he shares a nickname with Francis Marion, the father of guerilla warfare?
- Wait, I take that back. How about Clayton State University’s mascot, Loch. There’s a legend written on the Clayton State Web site that asks “Is it a beast? Is it a friend?”
So what’s the fiercest and favorite of them all the public schools? You can pick from the list below…
Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton: Stallions
Albany State University, Albany: Golden Rams
Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah: Pirates
Atlanta Metropolitan College: Red-Eyed Panthers
Augusta State University, Augusta: Jaguars
Clayton State University, Morrow: Loch (a Laker supporter, apparently)
College of Coastal Georgia, Brunswick: Mariners
Columbus State University, Columbus: Cody, the Cougar
Dalton State College, Dalton: Roadrunners
Darton College, Albany: Cavaliers
East Georgia College, Swainsboro: Bobcats
Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley: Wildcats
Gainesville State College, Gainesville: Fighting Geese (Laker the Goose)
Georgia College & State University, Milledgeville: Bobcat
Georgia Gwinnett College, Lawrenceville: Grizzlies
Georgia Highlands College, Rome: Chargers
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta: Buzz, the Yellow Jacket. (And, I stand corrected, the Ramblin’ Wreck.)
Georgia Perimeter College, Decatur: Jaguars
Georgia Southern University, Statesboro: Eagles
Georgia Southwestern State University, Americus: Hurricanes
Georgia State University, Atlanta: Pounce the Panther
Gordon College, Barnesville: Highlander
Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw: Fighting Owls
Macon State College, Macon: Mustangs
Middle Georgia College, Cochran: Warrior
North Georgia College & State University, Dahlonega: Saints
Savannah State University, Savannah: Tigers
Southern Polytechnic State University, Marietta: Hornets
South Georgia College, Douglas: Tiger
University of Georgia, Athens: Bulldogs, Uga and Hairy Dawg.
University of West Georgia, Carrollton: Wolves
Valdosta State University, Valdosta: Blazers
Waycross College, Waycross: Swamp Foxes
Comments
By Vince for prez
July 1, 2008 8:36 AM | Link to this
You forgot Reinhardt College Eagles
By Tech Girl
July 1, 2008 8:48 AM | Link to this
It’s “The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets” NOT “The Georgia Tech Buzz”.
By Dead Dawg Is Better Than No Dawg At All
July 1, 2008 8:49 AM | Link to this
I have a great suggestion for Agnes Scott, but, unfortunately I’m at work and can’t say it!
By Sherrie
July 1, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this
The Clayton State mascot is the Laker. The mascot’s name (the one like you mention for Hairy Dawg) is Loch.
By chewyandrw
July 1, 2008 8:57 AM | Link to this
Wow what about all the Private schools in Georgia. What happened to them? Oh well you would only have to add about 20 or 30 schools. The best of them would be the Andrew College Fighting Tigers or the Oglethorpe University Stormy Petrels. But we do not have time to add those in do we AJC?
By Joshua Barlowe
July 1, 2008 9:14 AM | Link to this
You call it impressive.
I call it worthy of hospitalization. Georgia fans are complete morons and they prove it each and every day.
By jgumbrecht_0508aa
July 1, 2008 9:58 AM | Link to this
Stormy Petrels! I love it! Sorry we couldn’t get to the private school mascots in time for this post. Alas, blogging is a sliver of the day’s work, but we’ll get to work on it.
By PETRELPOWER
July 1, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this
How could you forget to include Oglethorpe University’s STORMY PETRELS! ESPN named it one of the best school nicknames.
By Old Grad
July 1, 2008 10:16 AM | Link to this
Georgia Tech has two mascots, the Yellow Jacket and the Rambling Wreck - the only mechanical mascot of any D-1 school. Buzz is the yellow jacket mascot’s name. You must be new and already influenced by the UGA journalism grads at the ajc. Tech only got one line and it was not correct.
By DAWG
July 1, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
Hmmmm…. North Avenue Trade School wants a mention in an article that first points out the death of the beloved UGA VI.
I’ve been on the campus of the Trade School, wearing red and black no less - at an official function of the school, where I had to speak in front of a few hundred of their biggest nerds - and trust me, it AINT worth mentioning.
The only people that go there are geeks and nerds that couldn’t get a date from anyone other than another guy or female geeks that pull trains all night, every night.
Anyone else ever wonder why it is so close to Midtown???
By Stephen
July 1, 2008 10:34 AM | Link to this
A bulldog at heart (or by blood, I should say), but a Hurricane by alma mater…I have to go with Georgia Southwestern.
By ispeakthedrewth
July 1, 2008 10:43 AM | Link to this
So, Emory University doesn’t exist? I guess an eagle for a mascot isn’t flashy enough. Thanks for the shout out AJC. Another example of riveting journalism.
By Where Do They Bury The Yellowjackets?
July 1, 2008 10:50 AM | Link to this
UgaVI doesn’t refer to the name of the mascot dog - it refers to the number of football players arrested so far this summer!
By Stan Kasten
July 1, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this
Is Emory a state school? I don’t know anyone in state who would willingly go there without any financial incentive…
But hey, they’ve got as many wins as Ga Tech does vs. UGA the past 7 years…
By sandra
July 1, 2008 11:34 AM | Link to this
No, one more Bulldog gets arrested and they will be the Geogia Inmates.
By StatesboroBlues
July 1, 2008 11:37 AM | Link to this
A vicious Georgia Southern Eagle will peck your eyes out! Who’s house, our house!
By sandra
July 1, 2008 12:13 PM | Link to this
Hey dawguy, let’s settle this between the cell block I mean between the hedges.
By Tech Girl
July 1, 2008 12:20 PM | Link to this
Right dawguy - cause NO UGA player has EVER gotten in trouble for that reason.
By Emory '03
July 1, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this
Emory’s actually in the process of changing it’s mascot to the Whiny JAP. It’s new logo will consist of a skinny brunette holding a cell phone with one hand and a giant, overpriced handbag with the other.
By Emory '03
July 1, 2008 12:23 PM | Link to this
“Its,” not “it’s.”
By Tech Girl
July 1, 2008 12:24 PM | Link to this
And DAWG - no, we don’t want a mention. The fact is we were already mentioned. We just would like to be mentioned CORRECTLY. To Hell with Georgia!
By UGA Grad
July 1, 2008 1:20 PM | Link to this
Shut up DAWG. You don’t act like any other UGA grad I know. Quit making us look bad.
By dawguy
July 1, 2008 1:22 PM | Link to this
Just getting my jokes from today’s news, tech girl
By auggie
July 1, 2008 1:43 PM | Link to this
To Tech Girl, As an UGA alumnus, I apologize for the offensive nature of DAWG’s comments and his unforgivable breach of etiquette. Most UGA folks are not as rude and actually have social tact.
By Tech Girl
July 1, 2008 2:14 PM | Link to this
Thanks auggie. I have several friends who are UGA alums who represent UGA the way you do.
Cheers and here’s to an exciting football season!
By Cuz
July 1, 2008 3:05 PM | Link to this
Tech girl you have my apologies also. There is a difference in smack talk about football before a game and personal insults. I can take the first, I despise the second. All Dawg fans are not cut from the same cloth, as are not all Tech fans.
Good luck with Coach Johnson. It may take a couple of years for him to get the right players for his system and then we will see if it works at this level.
By Larry
July 1, 2008 3:43 PM | Link to this
Emory used to be the “Doolies” (not Vince) and its mascot was a skeleton. Also, the Georgia Tech “Golden Tornado” used to roll in the 30’s through the 50’s.
By jgumbrecht_0508aa
July 1, 2008 4:02 PM | Link to this
Thanks to those you who jumped in with a little reason in your voices. Fandom is one thing. Rivalry is OK, too. No need to get ugly. It’s just a blog.
By Villa Rica DAWG
July 1, 2008 4:11 PM | Link to this
Man this is funny! :)
Hmmmm…. North Avenue Trade School wants a mention in an article that first points out the death of the beloved UGA VI.
I’ve been on the campus of the Trade School, wearing red and black no less - at an official function of the school, where I had to speak in front of a few hundred of their biggest nerds - and trust me, it AINT worth mentioning.
The only people that go there are geeks and nerds that couldn’t get a date from anyone other than another guy or female geeks that pull trains all night, every night.
Anyone else ever wonder why it is so close to Midtown???
By Saint alum
July 1, 2008 4:19 PM | Link to this
The North GA College teams are called the Saints but the mascot is a Saint Bernard.
By clay
July 1, 2008 4:26 PM | Link to this
It was funny last year when a Techie crashed the Ramblin’ Wreck in Savannah. Savannah is, ironically, the home of all the UGAs. I bet ole UGA VI had a good chuckle that day.
By shane #1
July 1, 2008 4:44 PM | Link to this
Is Mercer still the “Bears”? They had a football team years ago, when My Dad went there. He said They would ride to Athens on a train to play the Dogs. After getting Their butts beat they would collect a nice check. The rest of the weekend would be spent partying with Their Frat Brothers at UGA. Those were the good old days!
By I drink my semen clear
July 1, 2008 4:56 PM | Link to this
Tech only got one line and it was not correct.
I agree, we’re so accustomed to getting multiple lines.
Or is it doing multiple lines? I’ll have to ask the baseball team.
By ADL
July 1, 2008 4:59 PM | Link to this
Well, we know Villa Rica Dawg didn’t attend UGA. Chances are he didn’t even finish high school. Say, isn’t the GT player in trouble from out that way ???
By Maniac is accurate
July 1, 2008 6:27 PM | Link to this
Here’s one that makes me smile nearly 30 years later. When I was going to South Georgia College in Douglas, the ABAC women’s basketball team was announced as the Lady Stallions. Oops.
By Zeb
July 1, 2008 6:29 PM | Link to this
Guys, dam, act like ya been there before. You don’t have to answer every stupid post. That goes for both sides. College kids can make bad choices…..remember some of the things YOU did in college but didn’t get caught for. These kids are in a big time spotlight and under a microscope. I would hope that Richt and Co. and their teammates would have let them know that. This happens in every program. You take a chance on a kid because of his football talents, but sometimes you don’t really understand their background. I actually think Richt needs to hire a pitbull for punishment. We’re not privy to ALL of the punishment’s for their indescretions, but I would hope it would be pretty severe. We ran gassers in high school til most of us puked because of 1 guy, and that sent a pretty good message. Who knows what it will take. I don’t think Richt is necessarily soft because of his Christian background, but I think he needs a hired gun to do his dirty work. These idiot kids need to have some fear put into their azzes. I agree with some of you about possible removal of their schollys.
By Call 'em as you see 'um
July 1, 2008 6:33 PM | Link to this
In researching SI’s selection of the best mascot for the major college football schools (119 schools), everybody knows UGA was Number 1. What you may not know is what the number 115-119 mascots were…115: Vandals, 116: Owls, 117: Hens, 118: Terrapins, and last and least…Yellow Jackets!
By GA Tech wife
July 1, 2008 6:53 PM | Link to this
Dawg, (what a fitting moniker for you)
I’m married to one of those “geeks” from Georgia Tech, and he’s an engineer who probably makes more in a day than you do in a month. I came into this Tech/UGA rivalry later in life, but I must say that you “dawgs” have quite an inferiority complex. “How ‘bout them dogs? P** on ‘em!!”
By 2Dawgs
July 1, 2008 7:38 PM | Link to this
My father went to Tech. My brother and I both went to Georgia. That broke his heart!
Have to call’em as you see’em. Would be nothing other than a Dawg. RIP UgaVI, long live UgaVII.
By Zeb
July 1, 2008 7:44 PM | Link to this
Come on GA Tech wife, do you really believe that every Tech grad makes more than every GA grad? I didn’t even go to UGA and work with my great Tech friends, but we all make the same in this huge telephone company. My immediate boss is a GT grad and his boss is a GA grad. They’re both great people with great minds for business. Why can’t we just stop this stupid contest on who has the best job or the best salary. And I’m saying this to both schools. One of the big wigs went to Tech for engineering, then to UGA for the business side of it. You see, it all works together in our economy. So stop the bullsh!t. Both schools are great. They just offer different curriculum. Dam, I feel like Rodney King.
By Mercer Alum
July 1, 2008 8:15 PM | Link to this
To the person who asked about Mercer. Mercer is still the Bears and hope springs eternal that we will have a decent basketball season. No football anymore but hope goes on for that too. Mercer was both Georgia and Tech’s first ever football opponent. Lost to UGA beat Tech! (1895-96) Prior to being the Bears we were the Mercer Baptists. Now that the fundamentalists kicked us out of the Baptist Conv. maybe we could be the heathens.
By bubbaGeek3
July 1, 2008 8:57 PM | Link to this
By Stan Kasten
July 1, 2008 11:25 AM | Link to this
Is Emory a state school? I don’t know anyone in state who would willingly go there without any financial incentive…
oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Emory is private along with Mercer which has 2 campuses, the main campus in Macon and 1 in Atlanta.
By Oglethorpe Alum
July 1, 2008 10:47 PM | Link to this
I hope you do a listing of all the private school mascots. The Stormy Petrels of Oglethorpe University will definitely WIN as most unique!
By Amos Alonzo Stagg
July 1, 2008 11:55 PM | Link to this
Re: Mercer, Oglethorpe, and Tech (in reverse order): — I’d be ashamed to have an insect as a mascot. — I’d be ashamed to have been beaten by the Oglethorpe Stormy Petrels in football, as Teck was - the score is still etched on their stadium fronting Peachtree Road. — I’d be ashamed to have been beaten by the Mercer foot-washing Baptists, as the insects apparently were, according to another poster.
By majordawg
July 1, 2008 11:57 PM | Link to this
New plan for these blogs.
Headline only: “UGA and Tech fans, start acting like idiots…NOW.”
By MUTT_H8R
July 2, 2008 12:31 AM | Link to this
majordog: LOL…post of the month!
Go Jackets
By JennyL
July 2, 2008 1:10 AM | Link to this
Everyone is making a fuss about poor Uga. Emory University and Oxford College have had a dead mascot for decades! Dooley the skeleton is WAY COOL!!!
By Road Scholar
July 2, 2008 8:14 AM | Link to this
Hey Dawg:
So you addressed a Tech function wearing your Red and Black!!! Were you working and wearing your Varsity uniform? What ya have? What ya have?
As for those majority of Dawg fans who have manners and pride, congrats to your B-Ball teams. They palyed there hearts out as they played as a TEAM. Something we all need to try to do.
GT 74
By JC
July 2, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this
though shall have no false Gods before me!
By BADDAWG
July 2, 2008 12:45 PM | Link to this
GT wife….please dont be so bitter….my God lots of people make bad choices in life….
By UGA Wife
July 2, 2008 1:29 PM | Link to this
Ga Tech Wife,
P** on you!
By Gadawg
July 2, 2008 2:47 PM | Link to this
I love the fact that the Buggies wives are now trying to stick up for their boys. Give them credit though, looks like one of them still has his wife thinking he makes more than a UGA graduate.
By Mike
July 2, 2008 5:54 PM | Link to this
Yep , UGA players get arrested for DUI and Tech players get arrested for RAPE and DRUG USE. Get off your high horse Tech. The coach was even arrested for drugs so you need to wake up and smell the coffee before you make comments about UGA players getting arrested.
By zdawg
July 2, 2008 7:24 PM | Link to this
Atlanta Christian College are the “Chargers.” A private school obviously, just letting everyone know.
By Tech Stud
July 2, 2008 8:12 PM | Link to this
Tech guys have plenty of girls. I’m making a robot girl to take to homecoming this year.
This is gonna be the best homecoming EVER!
By Laurie
July 2, 2008 9:03 PM | Link to this
You’ve left off several….I know they are private schools, but they should count! Shorter College, Rome, Hawks Piedmont College, Demorest, Lions
By AJC Poor Journalism
July 2, 2008 9:19 PM | Link to this
don’t forget the: -Berry Vikings -Shorter Hawks -Brewton-Parker Barons -Emmanual Lions -Brenau Golden Tigers
and last but not least: -The Terence Moore Idiots
By jdjd`
July 2, 2008 9:52 PM | Link to this
Can YOU imagine have a gay (literally) bumble bee as your mascot?
By S.E. Dawg
July 2, 2008 10:05 PM | Link to this
Once a dawg always a dawg. How sweet it is.