By: Kelton Brooks
Despite last year’s ongoing, sizzling debate about the University of Mississippi’s next on-field mascot, the new era of the “Black Bear Nation” may have gone unnoticed.
It depends on who you ask however.
“Yeah I noticed him, but the Black Bear received a poor reception in my area,” said Andrew Wheatley, sophomore at Ole Miss.
Even though Wheatley didn’t clarify his area, he did point out that his section was crowded, which made the mascot hard to spot.
Last year the UM created the “Ole Miss Mascot Selection Committee” to determine who would represent the university on game days.
This committee consisted of faculty, students, medical faculty, medical students, alumni and season ticket holders.
Michael Thompson, senior associate athletic director for marketing and communications, lead the voting process.
Thompson said the overall reception of the Black Bear’s first game day appearance was successful.
Out of a total of 13, 365 participants in the voting committee, 62 percent of the polls supported the Black Bear and 8,321 loved, liked or said they could accept this mascot, according to Mascot Poll Results.
Compared to the other two finalists, the Land Shark and “Hotty Toddy,” the Black Bear received more overall positive votes, 3,420 and less negative votes, 5,044.
However, students and Ole Miss medical students in Jackson were more in favor of the Land Shark mascot, voting 1, 095 and 69 respectively.
This statistic coincides with the feeling and opinion of Brea Pauling, sophomore biology major at Ole Miss.
“When I saw him, I didn’t think too much but that Ole Miss was better off with the original mascot,” Pauling said.
Pauling also said she could “care less” about seeing the new mascot.
“I kind of didn’t pay attention to him because I was into the game, but when I did see him I told my friend that we should have kept the old mascot,” Pauling said.
Wheatley also shared similar feelings.
“It wasn’t like he didn’t do a good job, it just wasn’t up to the level of performance that you would expect from a new mascot,” Wheatley said.
The mascot himself said his reception was very positive.
The Rebel Black Bear is a student, but his identity is kept secret for various reasons.
Thompson said that concealing the Black Bear’s secret is actually an easy task.
“It’s very common to keep the mascot’s identity a secret,” he said.
“It makes the character really come to life.”
“Rebel,” a name the Black Bear goes by, said the fans reacted to him well and said his first experience went great.
When asked if he felt he went unseen or unnoticed, Rebel said, “absolutely not.”
Whether Ole Miss fans cheered for the Black Bear or rooted against him, Wheatley made the feelings clear of all students.
“I was just glad to see someone out there, it’s been a while.”
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