Have you guys thought about making your blog UCLA specific? Would love to see another Bruin sports specific blog out there. The more diversity the better I believe.

It’s great to learn more about the mascot. I wonder what percentage of the Stanford alumni would prefer an Indian (Standford’s previous team name) to a tree as a representative.

I do wish the writers of that blog would clean up their language, though. Sprinkling obscenities into an article is a practice unworthy of UCLA.

On a side note, “The Cardinal” may be a pretentious rip-off of “The Crimson”, but at least it’s more distinctive than “The Green” for Dartmouth. Dartmouth used to be known as the Indians, too. I believe the whole color thing started when future Harvard president Charles Eliot and his buddy wanted to distinguish their varsity crew team from others. The two students selected crimson scarves from a store on the morning of the race, and years later, the student body officially chose Crimson as the school name. The alternative name under consideration was Magenta. Imagine that.

A certain other wannabe Ivy Leaguer also tries to capitalize on the color theme. U$C* proponents like to say they’re “The Cardinal and Gold”. Another choice of color would be more relevant. Since U$C* is swimming in $ green, has students green with envy toward the Ivy League, and has a way of slipping green under the table, the appropriate color choice is obvious. On the other hand, Trojans may still harbor nightmares about a blue and gold running back named Green.

I like the idea of UCLA’s colors representing the ocean and the California state flower, the golden poppy. That’s kind of poetic. As for mascots, the average Bruin in the wild can run up or tear down a tree, or in one fell swoop, turn a Trojan into a sea of cardinal.

A high school friend of mine was a Freshman at Cal sitting in the student section prior to kickoff ( or was it halftime?) at the Cal/ Stanford game. The tree came over and started taunting the Cal student section. For some reason, this guy thought it was a good idea to go beat up the tree. He looked at the bottom of the student section…too much security. He looked around the perimeter of the stadium and saw a hole in the security on the other side’s 50 yard line. He quickly went around to that side of the stadium, took a deep breath, and jumped down on to the field.

He sprinted through the Stanford band, which was playing on the field at the time. The tree was still too busy taunting the Cal student section to see him coming, and this guy just leveled the tree from behind. He got in a few quick punches before he got hit over the head with, what he said, was a Stanford band member’s tuba. Then he got dog-piled by security and taken away in handcuffs.

That night, SportsCenter showed him being taken off the field in handcuffs (something they would never show now). When I saw whho it was, I couldn’t believe I knew the guy!

Anyway, the guy in the tree suit sued him and he was banned from ever going to another Cal sporting event.

I can’t help but think of this story everytime I see that tree.
 

The drunk tree. Love her comment at the end of the article. “I’m so f***ing burnt out.”

http://sanjosestate.scout.com/2/500110.html

I always thought their team mascot should be “The Robber Barons”