Quote of the day

"What we were trying to do is have a timeless tiger head”

--LSU spokesman Michael Bonnette on the end of a decade's long controversy over a logo design. 

Not that I care very much about this but I never minded "Toonces."  Probably because I don't go in for this theory of mascoting. 

Theriot purposely avoids buying merchandise with the logo on it, its cartoony visage not tough enough for his liking.

"I look at the mascot being fierce,” Theriot said. "A fighting tiger rather than a cartoon character. You expect your sports teams to be fierce, competitive.”

Theriot said he has just one piece of merchandise featuring the Toonces logo. "I have purchased a seat cushion with that logo on it,” he said, "but I’m covering it up when I use it.”

Mascots are supposed to be cartoonish because.. well.. they are, in fact, cartoons.  They're this fun thing everybody buys into in order to remind themselves how unserious and goofy and good natured athletic competition is supposed to be. 

Wishing for the thing to be "fierce" or intimidating is how we end up with Pierre the Pelican fiascoes.  And those are kind of fun in their own way so maybe we should spend more time fighting about mascots.