Aubie and other mascots are interviewed in Playboy this month (yes, I subscribe). The online link is:

http://playboy.com/on-campus/mascot/

Pretty entertaining reading.

"Aubie's a big flirt with the girls. Everyone loves Aubie; he's a man's man and a ladies' man at the same time."

Could it be Aubie goes both ways?????

Great feature! And I'll bet he likes Gator tail...it sure worked for BikeJocks!

I was not aware that Aubie was picked as the #1 mascot four times in the 90's. Chalk it up to the comedic nature of the mascot - while some schools have changed the actual costume, Aubie has remained the same. The reason why was explained to me by a former Aubie mascot. Its the outfit.

So many schools have adopted the behemoth, bad-boy costume. UGA is a good example. Great costume, but it limits the flexility of the occupant. Aubie, meanwhile, is little more than a big head and a form fitting plush body suit. It frees the mascot to leap from podiums onto effigy opponents, perform crazy dance moves, and behave in a Chris Farley-style manner. Aubie always entertained me throughout my college years, and the I believe AU's refusal to update the outfit has been the primary reason why.

Buzz at Ga Tech is similarly entertaining, though less nimble. The same can be said for UF and Bama's mascots, which have remained very comedic, but are somewhat encumbered by all that padding.

CrocJamie, you must have missed this question from the article:

PB: Is there a specific pre-game meal that you partake in?

Aubie: Alligator tails, preferably from the University of Florida...

And the question before that suggests that he may have had the same kind of gator-tail that I did...

PB: Do you invite the cheerleaders over to the Aubie Shack?

Aubie: No. Aubie is a very mysterious character -- no one can ever see him get ready. The only ones allowed in the Aubie Shack are Aubie and the opposing mascot.

But to back up the "man's man" theory, there is this:

PB: Do you ever fear for your safety with all these keyed-up players around?

Aubie: No, all the players love Aubie. If they're really focused on the game, they may not say anything, but they don't get upset with Aubie. If the players ever see Aubie out, they always give him love.

Hmmm... I wonder what kind of love he's getting.

Overall, it really is a good set of articles. (Although I did have to take some Maalox after seeing so many breasts on the site. Ugh - CrocJamie must have loved it though.) It was interesting how the responses seemed to be coming from both the mascot personality and the guy inside the suit. There are some provocative quotes from the other interviews.

Minnesota's Goldy Gopher says he is a "nut-eater". Granted he was talking Buckeye nuts, but I prefer to think of other kinds of nuts. However I was distressed that he referred to Goldy's participation in the Minnesota Gay Pride Parade as being done by the "PR Goldy" - his evil stepchild.

Northwestern's Willie the Wildcat says he is "the league's most effeminate mascot." He was saying that because he doesn't use intimidating poses, but I think we now know who the "Queen of the Big 10" is.

This from Stanford's Tree:

PB: Who's your favorite mascot besides yourself?

ST: Actually, the assistant women's volleyball coach of Oregon State University is my favorite mascot. He stays in character, and he really is mascot-like in his tendencies. I'd like to see that ass**** made into a big foam costume.

Hmmm.... you're close enough to San Francisco that you could probably find one already done.

Oh, and ATL Jock, I won't even ask about your subscription..........

Jim
(who will always have a soft spot in his heart for Chief Osceola riding Renegade, but loves watching "Knightro" at UCF games now.)

[ August 25, 2003, 11:21 PM: Message edited by: BikeJocks ]

Jim,

Thanks for startin' my day of with a grin. Actually my comment was in direct response to the "tail" reference, but I'm glad you read the rest of the article to get the "nuts" reference. Now I'll never get the visual outta my head of Aubie and the Colonel makin' the sweet love in the Aubie Shack. But nope, I didn't like all the silicone "breasts" that I had to wade through to get to the mascots. blecccch....

AU Tiger - agreed re padding, etc. I've always liked Aubie for his playfulness - almost like a basketball mascot. As for that dumb "Bulldog," you know what they say about ultra-macho guys and what they're making up for... (sorry, DCBucky, must end that sentence with a preposition wink ).

FOUR MORE DAYS!

GatorJ

p.s. Jim - first the semi horse, now the Knight - what's this with you and horses? wink

Today's Knightro isn't a riding mascot, although the original mascot chosen by the Florida Technological Institute students in 1970 was "Knights of Pegasus" - which was a reference to the prominent presence of the mythological horse on the University Seal. In years past, the people at Medieval Times provided a mounted knight to prowl the sidelines (like FSU and USC) and even participated in the band's pre-game show with another knight (dressed in the opposition's colors). Last year, though, the mounted knight was not present. Knightro's typical mascot antics made up for the absence.

Jim