From Student to Mascot: How Baylor's Bruiser Represents the University

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Baylor University, located in Waco, Texas, is known for its strong athletic programs and vibrant school spirit. One of the key figures in promoting this spirit and representing the university's athletic prowess is their beloved mascot, Bruiser. Bruiser, a bear, has been the official mascot of Baylor since 1914. He symbolizes the strength, tenacity, and determination that Baylor athletes bring to the field or court. The choice of a bear as the mascot is also significant, as the bear is recognized for its power and ferocity. Bruiser's appearance has evolved over the years.



BU's Bruiser Named to All-America Mascot Team

McLean, VA. - "Bruiser" from Baylor University has been named to the fourth annual Capital One All-America Mascot Team, made up of 12 lovable, hard-working and oddly-proportioned characters deemed the best of the beasts. Now, Bruiser is up for an even bigger challenge as he goes on to compete for the most coveted title in the land -- "Capital One Mascot of the Year."

Starting Sept. 1, fans can begin casting votes online for Capital One Mascot of the Year, who will be announced during the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 2, 2006.

"We at Baylor University are thrilled to be a part of this dynamic nationwide event that promotes school spirit," said E.J. Williams, Baylor's spirit coordinator. "We have much to be proud of at Baylor, with our most recent accolade being home to the 2005 Women's Basketball National Champions. Bruiser is the picture of school spirit and Baylor Bear pride at our university."

"This is such an honor to be among the 12 best college mascots in the country for 2005," Bruiser said. "Last year, Baylor had its best athletic year to date. and we're only getting better. so watch out, America! Baylor is back!"

Bruiser will be competing in a weekly head-to-furry-head face-off among this year's All-Americans:

The Contenders

Auburn University - Aubie
University of Miami - Sebastian
Baylor University - Bruiser
University of Nebraska - Herbie Husker
UCLA - Joe Bruin
Purdue University - Pete the Boilermaker
Georgia Tech - Buzz
University of South Carolina - Cocky
University of Kansas - Big Jay
University of Tennessee - Smokey
Univ. of Massachusetts - Sam the Minuteman
Washington State - Butch T. Cougar

"We created this contest to celebrate the unsung heroes of college football," said Pam Girardo at Capital One. "These lovable characters have been cheering on their teams relentlessly, and now they need the favor returned."

The fan vote is the sole determinant of the winner; the people choose. Voting consists of 11 weekly match ups between the All-Americans. The mascots with the best win/loss records face off in online playoffs in December. The winner will be pronounced Capital One National Mascot of the Year on Jan. 2, 2006, during the Capital One Bowl.

"Mascots work as hard as anyone on the field, but are lost in the shadows of the flashy all-star quarterbacks and running backs," said David Raymond, mascot expert and original Phillie Phanatic. "This is a great tribute to them, and fans should show their support. Bragging rights are on the line."

This year's fuzzy crew was chosen from Division IA and IAA athletic programs with college football teams. They made the squad after being ranked on mascot musts such as interaction with fans, originality and pedigree. The panel of judges included mascot guru and historian, Dr. Roy Yarbrough, and representatives from ESPN and Capital One.

Over the past three years, Capital One has helped thrust the spotlight on these unsung heroes of the gridiron. Bruiser will be starring in a national advertising campaign, which this year features the mascots participating in the M Games, a series of unusual (and fictitious) competitions. In addition to the hoopla, Bruiser received $5,000 for the school's mascot program. The Capital One Mascot of the Year receives an additional $5,000 scholarship.

MASCOT MOBILE TOUR

Get ready for mascot mayhem. Capital One's Mobile Mascot Tour will be traveling across the country throughout the Fall, stopping at each All-American's campus to offer fans the ultimate mascot experience, including photo opportunities, mascot facts and statistics, voting stations, interactive games and more. "The mascot tour is a celebration of mascots, and should inspire more fans to support their mascot and vote," said Girardo. The tour will be in Waco on Oct. 15.

About Baylor University

Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas and affiliated with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, Baylor is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state and the largest Baptist university in the world.

While remaining true to its heritage, Baylor and its 735-acre campus on the banks of the Brazos River in Waco, Texas, is home to nearly 14,000 students, who come from all 50 states and some 70 countries. Its nationally recognized academic divisions provide 146 baccalaureate, 73 master's, and 22 doctoral degree programs through 11 academic units: College of Arts and Sciences, Hankamer School of Business, School of Education, School of Engineering and Computer Science, Honors College, Law School, School of Music, Louise Herrington School of Nursing, School of Social Work, George W. Truett Theological Seminary and Graduate School.

Committed unalterably to character and leadership development with a service orientation, Baylor encourages students to become involved in one or more of the 303 student organizations on campus. Exemplifying Baylor's commitment to lead the way in both learning and living, Baylor's alumni serve as ministers and judges, doctors and teachers, artists and business leaders.

For more information about Baylor, visit the web site at www.baylor.edu.

About Capital One
Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Capital One Bank and Capital One FSB, offer consumer lending products. Capital One, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in McLean, Va., trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 500 index. Capital One's affiliation with college football began with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN's Bowl Week. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC College Football Halftime Report and numerous other college football programs.

Media Contacts: Pam Girardo, Capital One, (703) 720-2351 or [email protected]
Lori Fogleman, Baylor University, (254) 710-6275 or [email protected]

Osler's Razor

Rants, mumbling, repressed memories, recipes, and haiku from a professor at the University of St. Thomas Law School.

Tuesday, September 04, 2012

Bruiser's appearance has evolved over the years. Originally, the mascot was portrayed as a live black bear, often brought onto the field during games. However, due to safety concerns and animal welfare considerations, Baylor transitioned to having a costumed mascot representing Bruiser.

Green Bear? Sailor Bear? Bruiser the Bear? Live bears? The Too-Many Baylor Bears.

In the comments to Sunday's post, OsoGrande made a reference to Baylor's "Green Bear" mascot, which got me to thinking about that whole thing. Previously on the Razor, I have given a detailed history of Baylor mascots up to about 1934. Since that time, though, things have gotten a little weird. During the ten years I worked at Baylor (which coincidentally, were the dark years for Baylor's mens sports), there were about five different versions of the Baylor Bear rolling around:

1) Sailor Bear

How could you not love Sailor Bear? The jaunty sailor cap, the challenging visage, the bearlike demeanor, and the totally bizarre idea of having a sailor mascot for landlocked Baylor. It made no sense at all-- which meant it made all the sense in the world. Sadly, Baylor apparently does not own exclusive rights to Sailor Bear, so they no longer use him.

Having a mascot floating around without proper trademark protection can be risky. According to one history, Sailor Bear ran into some problems during the war years, "when it was dropped due to the fact that a German U-Boat which terrorized trans-Atlantic shipping was reportedly named (without Baylor's approval, obviously) “Baylorsgebang- bruindasboot,” with a picture of the Baylor mascot stenciled on its side next to the Nazi swastika."

2) Green Bear

So, what makes even less sense than Sailor Bear? That would be the very odd "Green Bear," which may well remain Baylor's symbol (they do own the rights, after all). Why, exactly, is the bear green? My guess is Aramark food, but there may be some genetic mutation involved, or Waco water (which always turned me a little green, too).

I have a hunch that Green Bear was a product of the 1980's, which gave us a number of baffling cultural icons, like "The Simpsons" and Journey's Song That Won't Go Away, "Don't Stop Believing." Green Bear is pretty much the "Don't Stop Believing" of college mascots.

3) Inflatable Bear

Appearing exclusively at Baylor basketball games, inflatable bear (who was also green) was gigantic and wobbled around unsteadily before performing various antics: pulling his head inside his body, bounding on his head upside-down, appearing to gobble up a cheerleader, etc.

At least once, I saw the inflatable bear in a parade, terrorizing children as he lurched unpredictably from one curb to the other. Confusingly, the inflatable bear, like the live bears, is named "Judge."

4) Live bears

For several decades, Baylor has had live bears living on campus, and at times (many years ago) they were brought out at football games to drink Dr. Pepper to promote one of the team's sponsors. Some people had a problems with forcing Dr. Pepper down a chained bear's throat, so they stopped doing that and now they just stroll about with students and live in a very nice zoo in the center of campus. They are all, like the inflatable bear, named "Judge" for some reason.

Some sources have reported that the new Baylor stadium might contain a glassed-in area where the bears can comfortably watch football games, but others think that money might be spent instead on academics. we'll see.

5) Bruiser the Bear

Bruiser appears at many Baylor games-- and, apparently, is enrolled full-time as a student who attends class in full bear suit. At least he is the right color, not too nautical, and eats an appropriate omnivorous diet! Still, he creeps me out a little.

Which one is best? My vote is for Sailor Bear.

# posted by Mark Osler @ 12:01 AM Comments:

So you're saying it's a coincidence that your decade at Baylor was also the darkest period for men's sports? And you expect us to believe that, after you leave and Baylor has its greatest sports year ever? What conclusions are we to draw?!

# posted by Chris Hansen : 12:10 AM This comment has been removed by the author.
# posted by Mark Osler : 7:46 AM

There is also this one:

Which are probably my favorite versions of the Baylor Bear.

# posted by RRL : 9:55 AM

Sailor mascots are always the best option. This goes for Baylor's bear, LSU's tiger, and Oregon St's beaver (which, admittedly, makes the most amount of thematic sense). The sailor mascots look awesome.

Inflatable mascots are inherently terrifying. I'd rather be trapped in a cage with the live bears than the inflatable bear. It haunts my dreams, though Nebraska has the most terrifying inflatable mascot. It's like Bob's Big Boy slowly coming to kill you.

Live mascots for the win. Sure, PETA will protest you, but they are really cool. Remember, everyone loves Uga.

# posted by Poseur : 10:01 AM

The Green Bear was launched in 1997, I believe. I was a sophomore, and the announcement of the bear pictured above along with this logo: http://content.sportslogos.net/logos/30/613/full/2433.gif and this. thing: http://www.signvibe.com/image/cache/NCAA%20Baylor%20Bears%20B%20Paw-400x400.jpg

There was a minor revolt on campus when they introduced this new logo scheme. They called the Sailor Bear "wimpy" or something like that, which made the 27 students that actually cared pretty upset.

As for my favorite, I personally love Sailor Bear and Bruiser. I don't know that I could choose between the two. Inflatable is rather hilarious, though I wonder if he has a condition of some kind.

# posted by Pope : 10:02 AM

The green bear was ushered in right after we entered the Big XII. It was embarrassing and foreshadowed our horrible first decade of Big XII play. It exemplified that Baylor's leadership at that time didn't understand what it took to be a first class university.

All copies of the green bear should be burned, then their ashes buried in Hell (aka College Station).

# posted by Hamilton : 10:29 AM

You have to go with Sailor Bear.

The Professor leaving and the athletic team's ascension in the polls calls to mind a recent slogan: Change We (the fans) Can Believe In. Dump the Dr. Pepper and consider the benefits of fresh spinach and 'Green' Giant as a corporate sponsor.

Baylor's new found athletic strengths harken to another sailor who wore his jaunty sailor cap with the same tilt and swagger - and who also loved spinach. Popeye and Sailor Bear roaming the sidelines would be the perfect 'Dynamic Duo!'

I have heard the Batman series movies will next be starting over. Baylor already has Sailor Bear - add Popeye and a movie script may be on the horizon in time to christen the new football stadium.

# posted by New Christine : 11:54 AM

I should consider changing my practice of no internet activites during long holiday weekends - I miss to many good discussions.

As the topic of the day seems to include color, may I include a comment to PTC's wonderful question:

What about the disappointments that don't lead to anything?

Life’s journey is a sojourn through light and darkness, experiences more defining than perceived. We can harden our hearts, unable to accept, embrace and share all that is encountered. Walls and barriers erected to protect often hold back the light resulting in a darkness that diminishes sight, sheltering us from experiences intended to nurture; holding us fast to known valleys blanketed with shadows – adding crayons to our coloring box representing the sullen shades of life.

Or we can embrace our new todays with an open heart, letting light shine through, courageously experiencing life in the moment, nurturing with reverence all its brightness. We can add an array of crayons, the addition of white, creating tints not shades, savoring moments experienced in the light - crayons representing the peace, happiness and joy of life’s journey.

When light shines brightly, illuminating the spectrum of colorful experiences of life’s journey; we will have more crayons to color with, more treasured moments to share. We will enjoy abundance, secure in the knowledge more will be given, that His blessings will continue, adding more crayons to our coloring box.

# posted by New Christine : 12:41 PM

I don't know if New Christine was joking when she said Baylor should dump Dr. Pepper, but some things are just so sacred they shouldn't even be joked about.

Dr. Pepper is as crucial to the foundations of Baylor as God, Aqua Buddah, bears named Judge, the NoZe Brotherhood and the Baylor Line. Dr. Pepper forever!

# posted by Anonymous : 1:04 PM

Just playing with all the Baylor Bears and Alums.

I would not survive many a 16-hour design marathon without my Diet Dr. Pepper and handfulls of Hershey's Pieces (milk chocolate with almonds)

I concure - Dr. Pepper forever!

# posted by New Christine : 1:54 PM

Truly, there is something rich and heartwarming about a blog thread about Bear mascots, in this otherwise busy and serious world. Thanks. It's been a day filled with challenge.

# posted by OsoGrande : 12:48 AM This comment has been removed by the author.
# posted by OsoGrande : 12:48 AM

I'm 75 years old, and the Baylor "sailor" bear was the bear I grew up with. To my knowledge no one referred to it as "the sailorbear," just the Baylor Bear. It was, and always has been my favorite mascot/symbol of Baylor, and I sincerely hope those of you who over-analyze the subject
would not be SO critical of my favorite Baylor Bear.
Sic 'Em Bears !!

# posted by Anonymous : 11:02 AM

I'm 75 years old, and the Baylor "sailor" bear was the bear I grew up with. To my knowledge no one referred to it as "the sailorbear," just the Baylor Bear. It was, and always has been my favorite mascot/symbol of Baylor, and I sincerely hope those of you who over-analyze the subject
would not be SO critical of my favorite Baylor Bear.
Sic 'Em Bears !!

# posted by Anonymous : 11:09 AM There is a school in Ohio that has had the green bear mascot since way before the 80's. Just saying.
# posted by Anonymous : 1:52 PM

There is a school in Ohio that has had the Green Bear as their mascot since way before the 80's.
Just saying.

# posted by Anonymous : 1:53 PM

Name: Mark Osler Location: Edina, Minnesota, United States

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Baylor mascot bruiser

This change allowed for a more consistent and controlled representation of the mascot's character and allowed for better interaction with fans and spectators. Today, Bruiser can be seen at Baylor sporting events, rallying the crowd and energizing the fans. He is always seen wearing Baylor's green and gold colors, and his costume includes a bear head, a muscular body suit, and large paws. Bruiser's friendly demeanor and energetic antics make him a favorite among fans, both young and old. In addition to his presence at sporting events, Bruiser plays an important role in the Baylor community. He participates in parades, charity events, and school functions, representing Baylor's commitment to service and community engagement. Overall, Bruiser is an iconic symbol of Baylor University's athletic prowess and school spirit. As the official mascot, he embodies the strength, determination, and energy that Baylor athletes bring to their respective sports. Whether it's leading cheers, interacting with fans, or attending community events, Bruiser continues to be a beloved figure at Baylor and a source of pride for the university's students, alumni, and fans..

Reviews for "How Baylor's Bruiser Engages with the Community"

1. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I was really disappointed with the Baylor mascot Bruiser. I found his appearance to be quite creepy and his movements were jerky and unnatural. It completely took away from the overall game experience for me. Additionally, his interaction with the crowd was minimal, and he lacked the enthusiasm that I would expect from a mascot. Overall, I think Baylor University can do better with their choice of mascot.
2. Tom - 1/5 stars - I couldn't stand the Baylor mascot Bruiser. Not only was he unappealing to look at, but his antics during the game were just obnoxious. He seemed more interested in showing off and getting attention for himself rather than supporting the team. I found him to be a distraction and it took away from the enjoyment of the game. I really hope Baylor reconsiders their choice of mascot.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars - The Baylor mascot Bruiser left me feeling underwhelmed. His costume lacked creativity and looked outdated. I didn't feel any connection or excitement when he made an appearance. It felt like he was just going through the motions, without any real purpose. In comparison to other mascots I've seen, Bruiser fell flat and I think Baylor could benefit from a fresh and energetic mascot choice.
4. Mark - 1/5 stars - I was not impressed with the Baylor mascot Bruiser. His presence at the game felt forced and his interactions with the audience were lackluster. I expected a mascot to bring energy and enthusiasm to the game, but Bruiser failed to do so. His appearance was also quite unimpressive and didn't generate any excitement. I believe Baylor should consider reevaluating their mascot selection to enhance the overall game experience.
5. Jessica - 2/5 stars - The Baylor mascot Bruiser was forgettable and uninspiring. His costume was outdated and his movements were stiff. I found it hard to get excited or feel any connection to him during the game. He lacked the charisma and charm I would expect from a mascot, and his presence was easily overshadowed by other mascots on the field. I hope Baylor considers a more engaging and dynamic mascot in the future to enhance their school spirit.

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