Biased Bowl Blusterings - Mascot edition

It's almost (okay, a week or so) time for the bowl games to begin! Here are the super superior true predictions for the PtPgRfV* games...

*(Prior to PSUgirl Returning from Vacation)

San Diego
Dec. 20, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

Utes v Midshipmen

A Ute is a native american - the University's animal interpretation is, with permission of the Ute Tribal Council, a red-tailed hawk named "Swoop" who sports crimson and white.

The midshipmen, in their Navy (really? cause you never know - look at Bowling Green) and gold, are sailors/military folk - but Annapolis' mascot is the Goat, Bill.

Since I'm not going to get into a "Native American vs US Military" analysis - I'll stick to the animals.

It's difficult to assess the prowess of a bird - hawks can be pretty darn big and powerful - a goat is, generally, a vegetarian but can deliver a pretty nasty blow when provoked. If a hawk were to attack goat I'd say that it could probably do some damage - but could possibly get injured if it hooked onto the goat's horn(s) - once on the ground, I think the goat would stomp him.

Therefore - I pick: Bill the Goat and his Navy Midshipmenphoto from wikipedia.org

New Orleans
Dec. 21, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)

Owls v Tigers

Florida Atlantic's mascot is the Burrowing Owl which, per FAU's website, is a small ground-dwelling Owl. They have many natural enemies, including snakes, cats and dogs and are listed as an endangered species.

Memphis Tigers - The Tigers wear blue and gray as a symbol of unity following the civil war - once called the "Normals" (which I suppose is better than irregular) the mascot is now a Bengal Tiger.

I'm going to have to go with the Tigers - because, all though the owls have the backing of the WWF, one of their natural predators is a cat - and a Tiger is a pretty big cat.


Photo from Wikipedia.org

Birmingham, Ala.
Dec. 22, 1 p.m. (ESPN2)

Can I just tell you - the last pizza I had from Papa Johns was terrible - I don't just mean disappointing because it was cold and we'd waited 2 hours - but just terrible tasting - like they'd doused it in chlorine bleach.

Anyway - the bowl game pits the Cincinnati Bearcats versus the Golden Eagles of Southern Miss.

So, the bearcat is really a made-up mascot. The origin of the nickname hails back nearly 100 years to when Cincinnati star, Leonard "Teddy" Baehr was called "Baehr - cat" (cause he was tougher than a wildcat). Today the Bearcat has evolved into a fuzzy moderately fierce looking morphic bear-cat.

And then there is Seymour d'Campus - the Golden Eagle.

I'm not so sure how a mythical hybrid would fare against an eagle - but, if a bearcat really did exist in the wilds of Cincinnati - It would probably be pretty tough - fyi, a bearcat "roars" like a mountain lion - yeah, it's a little frightening. Bearcats win.

If you don't think this guy is ferocious

Photo from www.libraries.us.edu

Albuquerque, N.M.
Dec. 22, 4:30 p.m. (ESPN)

This is a brilliant match up! The Lobos (ie wolves) of New Mexico verses the Nevada Wolf Pack. So - do we think that "Lobos" means more than one wolf - because I'd guess that a pack of wolves would beat just one - but, since the game is being played in New Mexico - I'm going to give the Lobos the edge.

Photo: Wikipedia.org

Las Vegas
Dec. 22, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Again, a classic match-up - the mormon mountain cat versus the movie star bear - in Sin City.

I believe that unless the bruin has worked out his identity problem(s) - Is he Boo Boo is he Yogi? Is he in love with Grizzly Adams? Until he figures it out - I'm going to give the edge to the Cougars -


Photo from Wikipedia.org

Honolulu, Hawaii
Dec. 23, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

Sea faring bandits versus wild horses - on an island. hmmm.

I'm going to have to go with the Broncos on this one. Pirates are so last year.

Photo from Wikipedia.org

Dec. 26, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)

Chippewa, a proud Native American versus a bunch of engineers.

Central Michigan, the back to back MAC champion, does not have an embodied mascot (seems to be a trend in that state) -

As for Purdue, some may think that the sledge hammer toting Purdue Pete is the school's mascot, he is not. The school's official mascot is the Boilermaker Special, a train.

If we want to get all historically philosophical, the locomotive was instrumental in the history of the Native American.

I think that the Chippewa are going to play a tough game especially as the game is in Detroit - but I think that the Boilermakers will get the gravy.

Photo from (you guessed it!) Wikipedia.org

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