Monday, December 01, 2008

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!

7 Comments:

Blogger Something to say said...

I remember when Todd Central DID have a big (huge) stuffed St. Bernard looking dog for a school symbol.

It used to sit on the stage at the basketball games. I'm sure there are pictures of it in the some of the earlier school annuals.

I don't see anything wrong with it. "Rebel" has some good spirit and funny antics, and I'll look forward to seeing him at future ballgames.

9:01 PM, December 01, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How about changing the tcchs name from the tcchs rebels to the tcchs wildcats.This bulldog is a joke for a mascot for tcchs high school.

9:24 PM, December 02, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

How bout we discuss more issues, like the jail? Why can't the jail keep more employees? Is it because we have a jailer who does not know what he is doing? Our county taxes pay this man to train all the deputies. Then he can not keep them. Why? It's not because of the inmates he is housing, maybe its because of how he is running it????

1:15 PM, December 03, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I hear he's not running it at all. I here he is letting that Chief run it.

1:17 PM, December 03, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What does everyone think about the tcchs rebel fan ? Is this a fan or a very weak attempt by tcchs and todd county schools to created a new logo and name and mascot for tcchs high school ?

10:52 AM, December 04, 2008  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I was a student (Freshman) at Todd County Central when the Westerman incident took place. Yes, I was very upset that the students were upset and scared by the fact that K.S.P and other law enforcement officers were at the school on a daily basis checking students for weapons and there fights after the shooting took place. I actually missed school one day because things were getting so bad. Did we get through it after the last was over? Yes, we did. Will be be a scar on the history of TCCHS and Todd County in general? It will always be a part of history.

As far as removing the rebel as mascot of Todd County Central High will be a slap in the face to those who graduated from TCCHS and future classmen who roam the halls of the high school.

Ask yourself this question, if you graduated from TCCHS and decided to remove the Rebel as the mascot, would you have peace in your conscience to do something like this or would it bother you to death? Think about it......

9:51 AM, January 05, 2009  
Anonymous Neko said...

Wait..... There was a school shooting at TCCHS??? How come I have never heard of it? Right now, we have a new principal, Mr. Marshall. I don't think we have a mascot. I asked about the bull dog, but I was told that he was just a filler. A am a senior now and all this news is a surprise to me. I've been here the whole time and I never heard of anything....

12:40 PM, September 26, 2011  

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