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Best Animal Mascots

Boo didn't make our top 10, but is a great mascot

Best Animal Mascots in the South

Earlier this week the organization PETA asked Auburn to discontinue their tradition of having their Eagle, Spirit fly around Jordan-Hare Stadium. To a normal person this might seem like a good idea. After all an Eagle being around 90,000 screaming fans can be dangerous, evident by the bird flying into the stand. Problem is that College Football Fans like myself aren't normal and we love having live mascots inside of our stadiums.

With that said here is a list of the best animal mascots in the South for all of us abnormal people.

Note: Vanderbilt if you bring back George the Bassett Hound then we will have to include you
on this list. Read for more http://www.dixiefriedsports.com/Bring_Back_George_to_VU.html

10. Blitz(Wofford)- Yes, we give some love to the FCS Schools too. Blitz is a Boston Terrier that hangs out on the Wofford sidelines during gamedays. When Blitz gets tired on gamedays he can always rest up in his log cabin that Wofford has built for him on the sidelines. The name Blitz is used because terriers are so quick and come at you like a full out blitz in football.

9. Reveille(Texas A&M)- Typically my lists don't include schools outside of the South(Texas is its own region), but since A&M is going to be in the SEC I decided to include The First Lady of A&M. Reveille is actually a Cadet General, the highest ranking member of the Texas A&M Corp of Cadets. Reveille is a pure bred Collie, but this wasn't originally the case. It wasn't until 1975 that the first collie was used by A&M. Prior to that A&M used a Shetland Sheepdog and a stray mutt.

8. Ramses(North Carolina)- Ramses is the horned dorset sheep that North Carolina uses. With his horns painted Carolina Blue, the sheep has been on the UNC sidelines since 1924. Why a ram? Well, in 1922 star fullback Jack Merritt was named the "battering ram", so UNC thought it would be a good idea to use a horned dorset sheep as its mascot

7. Bully(Mississippi State)- Bully has been used by Mississippi State since the 1930s. The original Bully was killed in 1939 when a campus bus hit it. For days the campus mourned the loss of Bully and a half mile funeral procession led Bully to the football stadium led by the MSU band and 3 ROTC battalions. Bully I was then buried at the 50 yard line of Scott Field. Since then MSU has buried other Bullys at frat houses and other campus buildings.

6. Renegade(Florida State)- Renegade is the Appaloosa Horse that Osceola rides onto the field each Saturday at Doak-Campbell Stadium. Since 1978 there have been 5 Renegades to help with one of the best Gameday Traditions in College Football.

5. Smokey(Tennessee)- Since 1953 Tennessee has used a blue tick hound as its animal mascot. The Hound has been stolen by Kentucky students, involved in an incident with Baylor's Judge Bear, and even bit Alabama WR Mike McCoy. Smokey VIII has been the most successful dog for UT with a 91-22 record and a National Championship in 1998.

4. War Eagle(Auburn)- The original Eagle used by Auburn was a wounded Eagle found by a Civil War Soldier in battle. The soldier helped nurse the Eagle to health and brought it to Auburn events. In their first ever college football game against Georgia, the bird started to circle the field and eventually landed to his death. Auburn won this game and the War Eagle became the official animal mascot of Auburn.

3. Tusk(Arkansas)- A Russian Boar is used as Arkansas' mascot. This Wild Hog can be seen in a cage pulled by a truck before, during, and after each Razorback game. Often times cheerleaders are on top of the cage leading Hog Calls. Arkansas has used a live mascot since the 60s. A couple times these mascots have gotten free from their handlers and killed coyotes, farm pigs, and rattlesnakes in the area. One of the Arkansas mascots that escaped was shot and killed by a local farmer.

2. Mike the Tiger(LSU)- In 1935 some LSU students and athletic trainer Mike Chambers brought the original Bengal Tiger from the Little Rock, AR Zoo to Baton Rouge, LA. The Tiger was named "Mike" in honor of Mike. Since then there have been 6 Mikes. The current Mike lives on a $3 Million 15,000 square foot habitat near Tiger Stadium. Before each game Mike will be placed in front of the opposing teams section to strike fear into the opponents.

1. UGA(Georgia)- There isn't a more recognizable mascot in American Sports than UGA. The English Bulldog has been used by Georgia since 1956, but the grandfather of the original UGA was actually used at the 1942 Rose Bowl by Georgia. Each UGA mascot is buried in a mausoleum near the entrance of Sanford Stadium. Recently the UGAs have had some health issues and currently there isn't an UGA being used by Georgia. Instead a substitute mascot named "Russ" is on the Georgie sidelines.
Matt Barber
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