YoUDee featured in ‘Mascot Mania’ exhibit

YoUDee draws adoring fans at the NCAA Hall of Champions “Mascot Mania” exhibition.

11:20 a.m., July 21, 2005--“Mascot Mania,” an exhibition that runs through Sept. 24 at the NCAA Hall of Champions in Indianapolis, showcases the mascots, nicknames and school colors of some 150 NCAA-member institutions, including the University of Delaware’s beloved, award-winning mascot, YoUDee.

YoUDee is represented by a full costume display in the exhibit that also includes nine other mascot costumes and 300 photographs, plus trivia, historical information and anecdotal material.

Joining YoUDee in the exhibit are Sparty from Michigan State University, Big Red from Western Kentucky University, the Butler University Bulldog, Purdue Pete from Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame Leprechaun.

“Throughout planning this, we have found that there are some interesting stories behind what you see on the sidelines at a game,” George Smith, managing director of the NCAA Hall of Fame, said.

“We’ve seen the allegiance that sports fans have to their schools, specifically the athletics programs, so this is a fitting tribute to the many mascots who help generate much of that excitement.”

While several schools share the same mascot (there are 40 Eagles, and Tigers, Hawks, Bulldogs and Wildcats come in as runners-up), there is only one YoUDee and there is only one team that carries the Fightin’ Blue Hens nickname.

UD teams take the name from a Revolutionary War military unit formed as part of a battalion that included eight companies from the three counties along the Delaware River. Troops in the Kent County, Del., unit, which was commanded by Capt. John Caldwell, often amused themselves by staging cock fights with a breed known as the Kent County Blue Hen, easily recognizable for its blue plumage. The fighting birds developed a reputation for ferocity and fighting success, and the unit also acquired a considerable reputation for its fighting prowess during engagements with the British on Long Island, N.Y., and at White Plains, N.Y., and Trenton and Princeton in New Jersey. The Blue Hen Chicken was named the official First State bird in 1939.

Air YoUDee on ice

YoUDee’s proud lineage also extends to the Revolutionary War, where his great-great-grandfather Col. George W. YoUDee, distinguished himself and was cited for bravery in battle. Capt. John Caldwell, commenting after the Battle of Trenton, said, “There’s no yellow streak in that chicken. He’s blue to the bone.” He was given a gold medal of valor, so blue and gold now serve as YoUDee’s official colors.

Joining YoUDee as an official Fightin’ Blue Hen mascot at UD is Baby Blue, who was hatched Nov. 23, 1999, in the Bob Carpenter Center. Like YoUDee, Baby Blue traces its lineage back to the Revolutionary War, when the first blue hens developed their reputation for courage and ferocity in battle--traits seen today in the fighting spirit of UD athletic teams. The latest member of the UD mascot squad, Air YoUDee, began entertaining fans of all ages at UD athletics contests in 2004.

Perennial fan favorite YoUDee, [www.udel.edu/PR/YoUDee], designed by Tom Sapp, chairman and creative director of Real Characters Inc. (RCI), celebrated its 11th birthday this year.

“The exhibition was a lot of fun to put together, and it has gone over well with groups of visiting students and youngsters,” Cade Stockwell, administrative assistant for the Hall of Champions, said. “We really appreciated the help we received from the University of Delaware, including sending us a complete YoUDee costume for the exhibit.”

For more information, visit [www.ncaa.org/hall_of_champions/exhibits/special_exhibits.htm].

Article by Jerry Rhodes
Air YoUDee photo by Duane Perry

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