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Rebel Black Bear

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Rebel Black Bear
File:Rebel black bear.jpeg
UniversityUniversity of Mississippi
ConferenceSEC
DescriptionAnthropomorphic Black Bear
First seen2010
Related mascot(s)Colonel Reb

Rebel Black Bear is the official sporting mascot of the Ole Miss Rebels, the collegiate athletic teams of the University of Mississippi. The anthropomorphic black bear replaced Colonel Reb as the official mascot in 2010.

In 2003, Colonel Reb was removed from the sidelines at Ole Miss athletic events as the on-the-field mascot[1] due to its racial connotations as a Confederate soldier.[2] A contest was held in which fans were invited to design a replacement. The athletic department chose two finalists, Rebel Bruiser and Rowdy Rebel,[3] and invited fans to vote on their favorite. The limited fan response[3] prompted the administration to cancel the poll. Many still supported Colonel Reb as the school mascot.[2] Many[who?] support the unofficial mascot going by the name Colonel Black Bear who bears resemblances to Colonel Reb.[citation needed]

In 2010 Ole Miss students voted to choose a new mascot for the school.[4] An internet campaign to replace Colonel Reb with fictional 'Star Wars' character Admiral Ackbar gained popular, but not universal, support.[5] However the students that began the campaign insist that Admiral Ackbar is not their ideal choice for the school's mascot. Instead they intended the character as "the face of a push to start a fresh mascot search at Ole Miss."[6] Additionally, Lucasfilm, which owns the Admiral Ackbar character, declined to give Ole Miss the rights to use his image for their mascot.[7] The student-led committee that led the process of choosing a new mascot was formed Monday, 29 March 2010. The committee did not set a definitive time frame regarding the revealing of the new on-field mascot, but the time frame was tentatively set for the 2010 football season. A website was established by the committee to help ensure transparency throughout the entire process.[8][9]

The field of suggestions was reduced to 11 candidates: Hotty and Toddy, a black bear, a blues musician, a cardinal, a fanatic, a horse, a land shark, a lion, the Mojo, a riverboat pilot, and a titan.[10] The committee held a poll of Ole Miss students, faculty, staff, alumni, and season ticket holders of the three finalist candidates: the Rebel Black Bear, based on the legend that Theodore "Teddy Bear" Roosevelt refused to shoot a bound black bear in Mississippi;[8][9] the Rebel Land Shark; and Hotty Toddy, from a popular cheer.[2][9] Based on its support throughout the process, including the final poll, the committee selected the Rebel Black Bear as the new on-field mascot.[11]

The University reclassified the Colonel Reb trademark as historical and still retains ownership of the trademark.[12]

Trivia

The black bear has no significant population in Mississippi, and the sub-species that is present some numbers, is in fact commonly known as the black bear.

References

  1. ^ Dawn Russell (18 June 2003). "Colonel Rebel Gets the Boot". WLBT. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  2. ^ a b c Robbie Brown (19 September 2010). "Ole Miss Shelves Mascot Fraught With Baggage". New York Times. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  3. ^ a b "Ole Miss is Without a Mascot". WLBT. 10 October 2003. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  4. ^ "Ole Miss students vote for new mascot". Fox Sports. 23 February 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  5. ^ "Admiral Ackbar for Ole Miss mascot spurs backlash". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. 1 March 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010. {{cite news}}: Cite uses deprecated parameter |authors= (help)
  6. ^ Jeff Greer (25 February 2010). "Star Wars Figure Gains Steam as Ole Miss Mascot". US News and World Report. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  7. ^ Castillo, Michelle (September 8, 2010). "The Saga of Admiral Ackbar's Bid to be Leader of the Ole Miss Rebels". Techland. Time. Retrieved 2010-09-11.
  8. ^ a b "Homepage". Ole Miss Mascot Selection Committee. 14 October 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  9. ^ a b c Matt Shelley (30 October 2010). "It's not a trap, just a new mascot". The Randolf Letter. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
  10. ^ "Ole Miss Rebel Mascot Concepts" (Press release). Ole Miss Mascot Selection Committee. Retrieved 31 October 2010.
  11. ^ "Home" (Press release). Ole Miss Mascot Selection Committee. October 14, 2010. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  12. ^ "Colonel Reb Merchandise Phaseout Plan" (Press release). University of Mississippi. 11 March 2010. Retrieved 30 October 2010.
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