Friday, March 23, 2012

Some mascot fun from my recent trip to Miami!!



Just hanging out with Billy The Marlin in Miami...he didn't like that I was a Phillies fan!  Good thing I didn't tell him that the colors of his outfit are hideous! :)

     
 


Also, while in Miami visiting the campus of the University of Miami, I learned what an ibis was....since Sebastian the Ibis is the mascot for the Hurricaines...
    
The ibis was chosen as Miami's unofficial mascot in 1926 when the school's yearbook chose its name to be "The Ibis."[1]
"Miami adopted a native marsh bird called the Ibis as the official mascot in 1926. The Ibis is known for its bravery as a hurricane approaches. Folklore maintains that other birds look to the Ibis for leadership. The Ibis uses its instinct to detect danger. It is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane hits, giving warning that danger is imminent. As the storm passes the Ibis is the first to reappear, a sign that clear skies are approaching."[1][2]
The first official mascot for the Miami Hurricanes was a 65-pound brown and white boxer named Hurricane I. Chosen in 1950, the canine wore a ceremonial orange and green blanket with his name lettered in white.[3]
Sebastian was created in August 1957 and was used as a homecoming competition entry. The next year, student John Stormont performed at Hurricanes football games dressed up in a makeshift ibis costume.The current costume dates from the 1980s.[1]

The mascot was named after the San Sebastian building, which became a University dormitory in 1939. The building, now an apartment building, still stands at the intersection of LeJeune Road and University Drive in Coral Gables.

From 1984 through 1992, Sebastian was portrayed by John Routh, who also portrayed The Miami Maniac at baseball games, and later Billy the Marlin for the Florida Marlins. Routh created what is now Sebastian's signature: the C-A-N-E-S cheer, where Sebastian forms the letters with his body.[4]
Sebastian typically leads the University of Miami football team as it enters the field.

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