What is the UNC mascot?

[EastStang]

Is it a heel with a black spot on it, or is it a ram? If its a ram shouldn't we bring Peruna to the game? After all, the last time Peruna met a ram on the field, he killed it and we went on to win the football National Championship. I'd love to see that Sportcenter. "Our lead story, the UNC ram was tragically killed when he was mauled by SMU's Mustang, and oh, by the way, SMU won the soccer game." How great would that be at least until PETA started protesting or something!!!

[jkflamebo]

please elaborate on the ram slaying, i haven't been around long enough to know about this

[abezontar]

I don't remember the exact year (was it 35?) but Peruna kicked the Fordham Ram in the head and killed it. Don't nobody mess with Peruna the midget wonder horse.

[Corso]

Is it a heel with a black spot on it, or is it a ram? If its a ram shouldn't we bring Peruna to the game? After all, the last time Peruna met a ram on the field, he killed it and we went on to win the football National Championship. I'd love to see that Sportcenter. "Our lead story, the UNC ram was tragically killed when he was mauled by SMU's Mustang, and oh, by the way, SMU won the soccer game." How great would that be at least until PETA started protesting or something!!!

I'd rather see SportsCenter talk about how SMU won the national championship!

[No Cal Pony]

I agree with you there Corso!! Go Ponies! As a point to the point, the unc teams are, as most know, the tar heels. The "tar heels" refer to the fighting and steadfast nature of the troops from nc.

The ram was introduced by a cheerleader of unc in the early 1920s. They thought that unc should have an animal for a mascot. Actually the first Ramses (as he is known) came from Texas.

All I know is I look forward to our boys taking it to the tar heads.

Go Ponies!

[MustangSally]

Funny how every school is so defensive about their old traditions, as confusing as they may be. SMU has several, the band and its style and uniforms, why we have a miniature horse for a mascot, why the fight song and the mascot are both named Peruna, etc

Here's a few schools to bug about their mascot choosings, although they have usually memorized the paragraph from their freshman orientation pamphlet to explain it:
UNC- already mentioned, Rams, tar heels, whatever
Auburn - War Eagle/Tigers ?...yes I know "war eagle" was a yell of troops from alabama or something, but it's still silly in a football game. Adds to the traditions and pageantry though I suppose.
Alabama - Crimson tide/elephants I've never had this one explained to me and never cared to look it up. Must be a pain to explain to every person not from your school if you are the elephants or the tide
Tulane - similar situation Green Wave/Pelican, although the Pelican is I think the state bird of LA, and they were officially the first state university, so there's a tie-in.

I really do respect the traditions and appreciate that they aren't cheapened to be more marketable, but it's still fun to rub in. One of my best high school buddies went to Auburn and I'll always ask him "so wait, aren't you guys the war eagles?" or "so it wasn't even called Auburn University until the 60's? that's dumb".

[EastStang]

To follow up, SMU was playing Fordham in 1935 in NYC (This was the Seven Blocks of Granite Fordham team that included a young Vince Lombardi). They brought Peruna to the game on the train from Texas. They stuffed him in a cab (yes a cab) in NYC for a ride to the Polo Grounds. A New York cab ride would of course rattle a human, but Peruna seemed alright. When he got to the stadium they paraded the competing mascots to midfield, and Peruna hindkicked the ram in the head and killed it. Fordham had to drag its mascot off the field. SMU won the game, and later beat TCU for the National Championship. So eat lamb chops this weekend guys. And I agree with trying to keep track of multiple names for schools mascots. I remember Keith Jackson saying one time when Alabama took the field, "Here come the Red Elephants of Alabama". I think Alabama kind of steered away from their official name in the 50's when "red" and "communism" were synonymous. Now they just refer to Republican states (Why did the networks make republicans red anyway?)

[SmooPower]

To follow up, SMU was playing Fordham in 1935 in NYC (This was the Seven Blocks of Granite Fordham team that included a young Vince Lombardi).

Alas, SMU did not play Fordham in 1935. I believe this happened in 1934.