# Live animal mascots **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 17, 2002, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106 "2002-11-17T01:50:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/41 "2002-11-21T06:47:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MrLegge \* > \*\*Since the teams marching band is celebrating the 20th anniversary of their famous kick return defense, I have to ask the question…what’s up with Stanford and its mascot…a tree. I know they are the Stanford Cardinal…the color not the bird…but whats up with the tree??? \*\* Don’t know if either fact went into the marching band’s decision to create an arboreal mascot, but the campus is adjacent to the city of Palo Alto (Spanish for “Tall Piece of Wood”), and the basketball teams play at **Maples** Pavilion. Here is some background from, ironically enough, a publication of one of the Pac-10 rivals of “The Farm”: [http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/db/issues/97/10.31/sports.tree.html](http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/db/issues/97/10.31/sports.tree.html) ---
**Author:** ![Pythagras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/45deac/32.png) [@Pythagras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pythagras)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 7:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/42 "2002-11-21T07:51:37Z")
Seems like the recurring themes for those teams still with live mascots is that the animals are domesticated in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![FisherQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/58f4c7/32.png) [@FisherQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FisherQueen)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/43 "2002-11-21T12:00:52Z")
My high school team was the Colts. We had a real live colt at every football game. I was in the marching band. Before every game, we would make a tunnel in front of the field house, and the colt would lead the football players through the tunnel and onto the football field. I was the first flute, which means I stood at the very end of the tunnel, and on the side where the whole ensemble would turn to run to their warmup area. I was always convinced that I was going to die under the hooves of that stupid horse, which would always cut that corner as close as it could. The horse never hit me, but I invariably got slammed by at least one football player. I wouldn’t dream of making any perception/ IQ comparisons based on that experience. I’m just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/44 "2002-11-21T15:21:06Z")
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**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/45 "2002-11-21T16:01:17Z")
Wouldn’t an “Aggie” mascot have to be a guy in a plastic bubble representing a huge marble? ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/46 "2002-11-21T20:17:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FisherQueen \* > **… I invariably got slammed by at least one football player…** Before or after the game? 😃 :: rimshot :: ---
**Author:** ![Spavined\_Gelding](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/958977/32.png) [@Spavined\_Gelding](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spavined_Gelding)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/47 "2002-11-21T21:08:47Z")
Years and years ago the Air Force Academy brought their falcon to a football game at the University of Iowa, then the State University of Iowa. The bird was brought out at halftime for an exhibit of falconry. When released by the cadet handler the bird circled high above the stadium and then flew straight north never to be seen again. For all anyone knows the bird’s decedents are flapping around on the Mississippi River bluffs around Dubuque. This is true, I was there. Incidentally, one of the delights of college football is seeing the buffalo drag a dozen strapping undergrads up and down the field at Colorado games. ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/48 "2002-11-21T22:19:12Z")
**EJ’sGirl** , Ralphie lives near me and she is extremely well taken care of. And from the looks of things, tht’s not going to change anytime soon. [Woman’s life savings to benefit CU mascot](http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36%257E53%257E991874,00.html?search=filter) ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2002, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/49 "2002-11-21T22:35:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pythagras \* > Seems like the recurring themes for those teams still with live mascots is that the animals are domesticated in the first place. Good point. Are there any other examples of schools that gave up having live animal mascot, especially non-domesticated ones such as WSU’s cougar? ---
**Author:** ![racosun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bc79bd/32.png) [@racosun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racosun)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2002, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106/50 "2002-11-22T03:13:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Pythagras \* > \*\*Seems like the recurring themes for those teams still with live mascots is that the animals are domesticated in the first place. \*\* Is the Washington Redskins mascot domesticated yet? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/live-animal-mascots/137106.md?page=2)