Mascot or no Mascot?

The following was from Ryan Craig's column this past week:

If you were to visit our Web site this week you’ll see history in the making. If you were at the high school Monday night for

“Meet the Rebels” you were a witness to history.

You were the first to see “Rebel: Todd County’s Biggest Fan.”

Rebel is a bullish-looking dog and he’s grey, of course.

Rebel also has red britches and a white shirt with a gigantic “R” on the front.

The administration at Todd County Central High School say he is a fan — a representative of the school’s spirit.

He is a symbol.

He is different.

He can also dance like nobody’s business.

He is a lot of things, but one thing he’s not is a mascot.

“It is not a mascot. It might have been called a mascot, but it is not a mascot,” Todd Central Principal Joe Nell Waters said. “It is Todd County Central High School’s biggest fan. What we want Rebel to do is to show the good, old spirit this high school can have.”

Waters said she wanted something for the students to see as a focal point for school spirit and pride.

The suit was anonymously donated to the school by someone in the community.

The idea actually came from questions asked by the student council about what exactly is the mascot for the school.

That question is as explosive as a box of hand grenades on a hot skillet.

I remember the old mascot — the fat, bugle-playing Confederate soldier who looked like he had a Moon Pie and a RC for breakfast, lunch and supper.

I also remember the dark days after an old high school friend, Michael Westerman, was shot over a Confederate Battle Flag.
It took some time, but the fat bugle player and the flag gave way to new layers of paint and varnish.

The students, most who weren’t born or were small children when Westerman was killed, don’t remember a time when the flag was on the walls and the gym floor.

Say what you want about “Rebel the Fan” dog, but it seems like mascots that don’t exactly go along with the team name (or non-mascots in Rebel’s case) are part of sports lore.

Take, for instance, my favorite mascot of all-time Western Kentucky University’s Big Red.
What is Big Red? Who knows?

He’s 1,000 Elmo’s stitched together. He’s E.A. Diddle’s towel lint come to life. He’s a blood clot.

By the way, what in the world is a Hilltopper anyway?

The Auburn Tigers have an Eagle on the sidelines because of a fight song.

The Tennessee Titans have a Raccoon.

Speaking of Rebels, Ole Miss has a rebel mascot that looks like the Colonel at Christian County High School. UNLV has a Running Rebel mascot that looks like a white-mustached Yosimitee Sam/ Grizzly Adams hybrid who doesn't run.

The point isn’t what the mascot looks like. Instead it’s how it helps focus team spirit. Rebel the Fan Dog seems to be able to do that just fine.

Who knows what will eventually be the school’s mascot or if there ever will be one.

Perhaps the Fan Dog will be as close as we get, but as long as whatever we have makes everyone (and I do mean everyone) feel like they can root just a little harder then it wouldn’t matter if the new focus of spirit was a shaved skunk.

OK, that might matter.

Still, LET’S GO REBELS!

LET’S GO, REBEL THE FAN DOG!