November 10, 2008
GW, George Mason Get New Mascots
Looks like there are some changes on the sidelines at some local schools. George Washington had the first appearance of their new Little George mascot during Saturday's exhibition basketball game, and George Mason will be getting a mascot to replace Gunston, the furry green thing, on Monday.
Gunston, named for George Mason's house, rose to prominence after the Patriots' improbable Final Four run in 2006. The guy even had his own Myspace page and pretty funny YouTube videos. The plan had been to phase him out, but he was saved from the chopping block then, with a university spokesperson saying "he is very much here to stay." Until now, that is.
Dan Steinberg at the Post's Sports Bog reports that Gunston will be replaced on Monday by a mascot "closer to a person than to a muppet." Steinberg goes through the history of the mascot situation, including a blue ribbon panel recommending he go away. Gunston will still appear at university events.
And over in Foggy Bottom, GW's Little George mascot, a life-size likeness of George Washington, has been replaced with a hatchet-wielding foam version (at left). Little George, with his blank stare and kind of Michael Myers-ish face, was twice named one of the worst mascots in the country. The new one looks more like the Commodore from Vanderbilt and is "intimidating, not old and creaky" according to the university's spirit director. We think he looks pretty good, though he has kind of a puffy face.
Now we'd like to see these two mascots face off at basketball games between their schools, plus ones with the Hoya and Terp.
Photo of Gunston courtesy gomason.com/Photo of new GW mascot by Andrew Wiseman
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Little George looks more like a demonically possessed Quaker Oats guy. GW shoulda just bought a second-hand George Washington mascot suit from the Nationals. Either that or go with a quarter or dollar bill mascot costume.
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The Terp is not as much fun now that he has a soft turtle shell. It was awesome when the other mascots used to push him over on his back...and he'd be unable to get up.
(We had a slightly manic and unbalanced Cavalier in the 90s, ok? And I won't even mention the Demon Deacon's bad behavior...)
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For historical accuracy, it should be called Virginia's Envy (as Washington insisted, and Jefferson, as a result of a wager, confirmed), not Little George.
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who cares, none of them can match sparty for sheer mascot goodness!
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As a graduate of GMU, this is really heartbreaking. I loved that furry monster...whatever it was.
If Mason goes with something like this , I'll be really embarrassed.
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GW has a spirit director?
I want my money back.
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I love how the GW mascot scans the crowd in that pic: 'I'll track down the tart who gave me syphilis and destroy her with my laser vision. So it is said, so it shall be done!'
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All fuzzy mascots bow to Xavier's Blue Blob
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Doesn't the GW mascot look like he's looking down ominously at the girl in the blue shirt?
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G-Dub kids don't even deserve a cool mascot. I went to a few men's basketball games when I was in grad school there and the student section was pathetic. And that was a couple years ago, when they were ranked.
But there was this gung-ho male cheerleader that ran around with his flag at half-time like his $40 grand tuition depended on it.
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You're being ridiculous econosize
GW is $50 grand a year
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Georgetown has a real-life dog for a mascot, Jack the bulldog. Boo-yah. Always the highlight of halftime when Jack is given an effigy of the opposing team's mascot to chew up.
As for Gunston at GMU, all he needs is a good dry cleaning.