Mascots. High schools have them. Colleges have them. Companies have them. They are a way to market a brand while reaching the audience on a personal level. I live in a small town. I was born here and I still live here, 53 years later. Our small town, Oxford is home of the University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss.
Ole Miss was chartered in 1844 and admitted its first enrollment in 1848. Ole Miss has a storied history with mascots. Prior to 1937, the athletic teams were called by various names: the Red and the Blue, the Oxfords, the Mighty Mississippians, the Southerners, the Crimson and the Blue and the most popular up to that point, the Flood. In 1936, the Mississippian proposed a contest to produce a new nickname for Ole Miss athletic teams. There were many entries: Rebels, Raiders, Confederates, Stonewalls .... and ultimately Rebels was chosen and officially adopted by the University.
Ole Miss introduced it’s first mascot unofficially in 1937. Colonel Reb. Many believe that Colonel Reb was inspired by James "Blind Jim" Ivy. He was a blind peanut vendor and during a baseball game between Ole Miss and the University of Texas, a student told him that Ole Miss was losing badly. Ivy began cheering loudly for Ole Miss with his loud, booming voice. The team was inspired by Ivy’s enthusiastic cheering and won the game. From that point, he was a campus fixture for the next 60 years and was regarded as one of it’s most passionate fans and was known to proudly tell others that he had "never seen Ole Miss lose". There is no concrete evidence to support this theory but the stories told lend itself to believe that Colonel Reb has the spirit of Blind Jim. Colonel Reb made his first appearance around 1937 in the newspaper and the Ole Miss yearbook. It was an image of a southern gentleman, who in many ways resembled Colonel Sanders without glasses and a red suit jacket. Colonel Rebs mustache was much more of a handlebar and he walked with a cane. The image of Colonel Reb has been modified several times over the course of his tenure. He became the official on-field mascot in 1979 and remained on the sidelines until 2003.
Colonel Reb was a mascot. Colonel Rebel was also a prestigious honor on campus. In 1940, Ole Miss students began voting for Colonel Rebel. The highest honorary position for male students on campus. The title had previously been called "The King of Mardi Gras" but the name was changed by the Associated Student Body executive council in the fall of 1939. The distinction was also made in addition to the female equivalent as Miss Ole Miss.
During the years of Colonel Rebel, known in the early days as Johnny Reb, fans enjoyed seeing this southern gentleman on the field and stands cheering on the teams, shaking hands with adults and kids alike, sharing his good will. The role was filled by a male cheerleader and the Ole Miss cheerleading team gained recognition as one of the top squads in the nation. Colonel Reb was named Best Mascot in the SEC in his first year and he also helped lead the Rebels to thirst and first place distinctions by the National Cheerleading Association and the Universal Cheerleading Association respectively. He was named SEC Mascot of the Year again in 1986 and was named runner up for National Mascot of the Year finishing only behind the mascot of the South Carolina Gamecocks). Colonel Reb was also on hand to welcome former President Gerald Ford when he visited Ole Miss in 1981. He was loved and adored by Rebel fans. During this time, Rebel flags were flown and waved to the sound of the band playing Dixie at the start of every game. It was as southern as you could be during a football game. Ole Miss was rich in southern history and every fan attending the game, waved their flags, sang Dixie and smiled at the antics of Colonel Reb climbing to the top of pyramids, performing stunts and playing along with the other teams’ mascot.
But with all good things.... change happens. In 2003, the administration was concerned that the character of Colonel Reb perceived a connection to the Old South. (Okay folks... Ole Miss is located in Mississippi. It was formed in 1848. Colonel Reb was introduced in 1937. Yes, the Old South was part of our history. Without the history, there would be no school). They made a decision to remove Colonel Reb from the sideline at athletic events as the official on-field mascot. The majority of alumni and fans were upset. Another contest was held to design a replacement for the colonel. There were 2 finalists: Rebel Bruiser and Rowdy Rebel. Fans were encouraged to vote for their favorite. There was limited fan response and there was ridicule from rival schools which prompted the administration to cancel the poll. Colonel Reb was loved not just by Rebel fans, but other schools.
From 2003 - 2010, Ole Miss had no on-field mascot. Colonel Reb would show up during tailgating and other unofficial events and you would see him on t-shirts, or other apparel and his spirit lived on through every fan in the Grove.
In 2010, the University announced it would establish a student committee to choose a new mascot for the schools teams. After months of analyzing responses and feedback, the committee ultimately selected the Black Bear as the new on-field mascot and named the bear Rebel. Again, there was outcry from the fans, other schools and Colonel Reb still remained very much at the heart of Rebel Nation. The Colonel Reb Foundation was founded in support of reinstating the Colonel as the university’s mascot. This group also sponsors Colonel Reb’s unofficial appearances in the Grove. The University of Mississippi reclassified the Colonel Reb trademark as historical and still owns it. The bear was confusing for many as nobody quite understood why it was chosen with no apparent to the university other than there could have been some black bears in Mississippi at some point. It was frustrating and during this time, the love for Colonel Reb only endured.
Fast forward...... 2017. The university announced yet again that the mascot would be changing. This time... to the Landshark. The Landshark is a term that was inspired by Ole Miss football player Tony Fein, who wore the jersey #47. Tony played defense for the Rebels and after an aggressive play on the field resulting in a tackle, Fein threw up a "FINS UP" on his forehead .... almost as a taunt to let the other team know the sharks were swarming. The gesture became widely known and loved and was adopted not only by the football team but also through-out other sports. "Fins Up" has become part of Ole Miss and fans know that it’s as much a part of our university these days as Hotty Toddy. With that gesture and fans near and far throwing up "fins up", the Landshark seemed to be a natural choice, or was it. Today, the mascot was unveiled at the Meet the Rebels Day wearing the #47 jersey and appropriately named Tony in honor of Fein. The mascot itself, was a creation of a lizard, shark, alien and something in between. If you read the information released from the University, they feel they met the expectations with the launch and seem very proud of the unveiling. If you read the blogs and the posts after pictures were posted, once again, it appears Ole Miss will be ridiculed for their mascot.
Personally, for me.... I love Ole Miss. I bleed red and blue. I love Colonel Reb and he will always be my mascot. I grew up knowing right from wrong. I grew up knowing that history shaped our state, our country and our own family. I grew up being proud to be from Mississippi. I don’t know how I feel about the Landshark just yet. At first glance, I thought, at least he has a tie to Ole Miss, to the school and the kids seem to really like him. After further thought, I realized that no other mascot will ever replace Colonel Reb. He’s a part of all of us. He exemplified all that was good about the south. A kind, southern gentleman who greeted everyone with a handshake, pat on the back and had a swagger to him that made his personality magnify. As I thought about this, I realized that one of the issues we have in today’s society is the fact that we get easily offended over everything. My thoughts are we cannot change the past nor history. It is part of every single one of us. We can remove the Rebel flag, we can remove Dixie, we can remove Colonel Reb but they all still live within all of our hearts whether you admit it to yourself or not.
Hotty Toddy, Ya’ll. Good Luck to Tony. I’ll be watching as he throws his first Fins Up in the Vault!
