Eric the Red
Team HuskerBoard
Herbie's smile captures voters to win Capital One Mascot of the Year
By BEN GOULDSMITH
January 19, 2006
If mascots have egos, Nebraska's Herbie Husker might be having a difficult time keeping his in check.
On Jan. 2, Herbie was named the Capitol One Mascot of the Year, edging out Sam the Minuteman (Massachusetts) in the championship round.
Herbie's crowning was the culmination of 11 weeks of head-to-head match-ups against opponents such as Big Jay of Kansas, Bruiser of Baylor, Buzz of Georgia Tech, Joe Bruin of UCLA and Butch T. Cougar of Washington State, just to name a few.
The 12 finalists were chosen by a panel of judges based on interaction with fans, originality and pedigree - including awards and accolades. The panel of judges included mascot historian and guru, Dr. Roy Yarbrough, and representatives from both ESPN and Capital One.
After the judges picked the finalists, it was up to the fans.
A record 17 million votes were cast, with Herbie eventually emerging as the winner.
Because the University of Nebraska Athletic Department is secretive about the identity of Herbie, he was unavailable for comment.
``This is about bragging rights,'' Capitol One spokesperson Pam Girardo said. ``Everybody loves a mascot. Whether or not you're into athletics, everybody can appreciate the mascots for what they do.''
This is the fourth year Capitol One has sponsored the mascot competition. Montana's Monte won in 2002 and 2004, with South Carolina's Cocky winning in 2003.
As part of this year's competition, Herbie and fellow finalists posed for a photo shoot, filmed a round of commercials that aired throughout the fall, made an appearance on ``Wheel of Fortune'' and did a segment with Al Roker on NBC's ``The Today Show.''
Herbie made his debut as Nebraska's mascot in the 1973 Cotton Bowl.
Aside from a few changes, including a makeover that gave Herbie bigger muscles and a more stylish outfit in 2003, NU's mascot has remained mostly the same.
Yarbrough, a mascot historian and author of the book, ``Mascots: The History of Senior/Junior College and University Mascots and Nicknames,'' said Herbie is a good mascot because he has longevity and is easily recognizable.
``He represents the winning tradition that Nebraska has had,'' Yarbrough said. ``Herbie the Husker is the only Herbie around, and that's very unique.''
Yarbrough, who started his research on mascots in 1995, said Eagles is the most common nickname among college teams.
As for his personal favorites, Yarbrough said he prefers unique mascots such as the California-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs and the Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College Fighting Artichokes.
Girardo said that although she doesn't play favorites, she has an idea of why Herbie won this year.
``This is my personal opinion, but you can't resist that smile,'' she said. ``Obviously, Herbie's just the friendliest, most engaging guy out there.''
By BEN GOULDSMITH
January 19, 2006
If mascots have egos, Nebraska's Herbie Husker might be having a difficult time keeping his in check.
On Jan. 2, Herbie was named the Capitol One Mascot of the Year, edging out Sam the Minuteman (Massachusetts) in the championship round.
Herbie's crowning was the culmination of 11 weeks of head-to-head match-ups against opponents such as Big Jay of Kansas, Bruiser of Baylor, Buzz of Georgia Tech, Joe Bruin of UCLA and Butch T. Cougar of Washington State, just to name a few.
The 12 finalists were chosen by a panel of judges based on interaction with fans, originality and pedigree - including awards and accolades. The panel of judges included mascot historian and guru, Dr. Roy Yarbrough, and representatives from both ESPN and Capital One.
After the judges picked the finalists, it was up to the fans.
A record 17 million votes were cast, with Herbie eventually emerging as the winner.
Because the University of Nebraska Athletic Department is secretive about the identity of Herbie, he was unavailable for comment.
``This is about bragging rights,'' Capitol One spokesperson Pam Girardo said. ``Everybody loves a mascot. Whether or not you're into athletics, everybody can appreciate the mascots for what they do.''
This is the fourth year Capitol One has sponsored the mascot competition. Montana's Monte won in 2002 and 2004, with South Carolina's Cocky winning in 2003.
As part of this year's competition, Herbie and fellow finalists posed for a photo shoot, filmed a round of commercials that aired throughout the fall, made an appearance on ``Wheel of Fortune'' and did a segment with Al Roker on NBC's ``The Today Show.''
Herbie made his debut as Nebraska's mascot in the 1973 Cotton Bowl.
Aside from a few changes, including a makeover that gave Herbie bigger muscles and a more stylish outfit in 2003, NU's mascot has remained mostly the same.
Yarbrough, a mascot historian and author of the book, ``Mascots: The History of Senior/Junior College and University Mascots and Nicknames,'' said Herbie is a good mascot because he has longevity and is easily recognizable.
``He represents the winning tradition that Nebraska has had,'' Yarbrough said. ``Herbie the Husker is the only Herbie around, and that's very unique.''
Yarbrough, who started his research on mascots in 1995, said Eagles is the most common nickname among college teams.
As for his personal favorites, Yarbrough said he prefers unique mascots such as the California-Santa Cruz Banana Slugs and the Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College Fighting Artichokes.
Girardo said that although she doesn't play favorites, she has an idea of why Herbie won this year.
``This is my personal opinion, but you can't resist that smile,'' she said. ``Obviously, Herbie's just the friendliest, most engaging guy out there.''
