Thursday, May 31, 2007

The Great Boone Debate

Denver is in the middle of a vicious mascot debate. And people say nothing exciting happens over the summer.

The University of Denver is currently holding a survey to find out if people prefer Denver's current mascot, Ruckus, or Boone the Pioneer. Boone was formerly Denver's mascot, but was dropped because the pioneer image wasn't deemed politically correct.

The Boone Movement was started by Denver's Student Athlete Advisory Council, which includes Denver goalie Peter Mannino.

CSTV's Elliot Olshansky hopped on the Boone bandwagon. Let's Go DU is also strongly in favor of bringing Boone back.

I think it's time for a little Nick Bakay-style comparison.

Looks
Ruckus: Looks like a half-eaten jelly donut
Boone: Incredibly short, but still has a beard. Wears a funny hat.
Advantage: Boone. Either the short/beard combo or the funny hat would have put him over the top. The two together are a lethal/hilarious combination.

Name
Ruckus: Unless they're in a Hitchcock movie, or defecating on people, birds don't really create much of a ruckus.
Boone: The names I picked in Oregon Trail for my Pioneers were always much cooler than Boone.
Advantage: Push. I know I always get nervous when birds fly over my head.

Word Association
Ruckus: Uncle Ruckus from the Boondocks.
Boone: Pat Boone.
Advantage: Boone. No more Mr. Nice Guy, indeed.

Greatest Attribute
Ruckus: Razor sharp beak
Boone: Never-say-die spirit to fulfill Manifest Destiny; funny hat.
Advantage: Boone. I like the hat.

So there you have it. I'd say it's pretty conclusive that Boone would make a far superior mascot for DU.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Thank god! It took me forever to figure out what the heck that logo was when watching DU games. Without knowing, there's virtually no way of deciphering its identity. Their nickname is the Pioneers, so a Pioneer is a fitting logo. Don't get me started on the Buffalo Sabres and all their mascot confusion. Their nickname is the Sabres, but their logo is a Buffalo. And their mascot is a sabre-tooth tiger!