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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > July > 02
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Why the emotional fallout over Uga?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Can we talk?
Why does the Bulldog Nation (and apparently large parts of the whole nation) hug these Uga mascots so much?
I’m serious.
What IS it?
Other colleges have lovable mascots, and that includes Georgia’s dreaded rival in the Flats, where Buzz has ranked among the top of his profession for years. I grew up in South Bend, Ind., where that leprechaun is sort of the rage, but not like this.
The same goes for Bucky Badger, the Sooner Schooner, Stanford’s Tree, Sparty, Mountaineer.
I mean, is it a four-legged thing?
That can’t be it, either. Florida State and Southern Cal have famous horses, and Colorado has that 1,300-pound buffalo named Ralphie. Then you have LSU with Mike The Tiger, and you have that longhorn steer in Texas and that mule for Army.
So maybe it’s a dog thing, but that can’t be it, either. Washington has its (ahem) “Husky,” Texas A&M has its collie and Tennessee has its bloodhound. Even so, none of those dogs would come close to inspiring folks to do the following: Fly their remains on a private plane to campus, bury them in a fancy vault and have a funeral service that includes a Baptist minister presiding and the president of the university speaking.
So why are the Ugas such a huge cut above the rest when it comes to generating these kinds of emotions?
Help me out.
Please.
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