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YoUDee inducted into Mascot Hall of Fame
12:54 p.m., Aug. 16, 2006--YoUDee, the University of Delaware's Fightin' Blue Hen mascot, was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame at a colorful ceremony at Philadelphia's Love Park on Tuesday, Aug. 15. As a member of the Mascot Hall of Fame Class of 2006, YoUDee received the Golden Silly String Award and a $100 gift certificate from Great Big Stuff. The honor is the latest addition to YoUDee's accomplishments. The mascot was the 2002 UCA national mascot champion, made the Top 8 at the UCA national mascot championships for the past 10 years and was selected by ESPN as one of the "Top 25 Mascots We Love." YoUDee also was featured in the NCAA Hall of Champions Mascot Mania exhibition, was selected to the Capital One Mascot Bowl in 2003 and appeared in an ESPNEWS commercial and an ESPN Magazine commercial in 2002. The mascot has appeared on numerous television shows including Wheel of Fortune, Hardball with Chris Matthews and Good Day Philadelphia. “It's a great tribute to the University and to the mascot program to have YoUDee recognized on a national stage,” Edgar Johnson, UD director of athletics, said during the induction ceremony. “YoUDee's visibility has certainly enhanced the visibility of the University and its programs, and we take pride in what YoUDee has achieved over the years.” Johnson gave credit to UD President David P. Roselle for his support for the YoUDee mascot program, to Sharon Harris, director of the program, and to Mary Hempel, the late director of public relations for the University, who worked closely with Tom Sapp of Real Characters Inc. of Atlanta, to devise the desired look for the character. Ms. Hempel also worked with David Raymond, a UD alumnus, originator of the Phillie Phanatic character and now owner of his own mascot company, the Raymond Entertainment Group, to develop the character's personality. George Mallet, UD alumnus and cohost of Good Day Philadelphia, introduced YoUDee to a cheering crowd of about 300, including dozens of children attending summer camps at Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia and 65 college and professional sports team mascots. YoUDee was escorted to the stage by Nicole Gentile, a sophomore political science major and member of the UD dance team.
YoUDee joined the Hall of Fame along with two other college mascots in the Class of 2006. They are Bucky Badger of the University of Wisconsin and Aubie the Tiger of Auburn University. The ceremony marked the first time that college mascots have been inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Three professional mascots, one a graduate of the YoUDee mascot program, also were inducted. They are Clutch the bear of the Houston Rockets, made famous by former YoUDee Bob Boudwin BE '97; K.C. Wolf of the Kansas City Chiefs football team; and Jazz Bear of the Utah Jazz basketball team. It was the second major award in recent months for Boudwin, the first student to appear as YoUDee, as Clutch was named the National Basketball Association Mascot of the Year in November 2005. UD alumna Heather Craden said she took an extended lunch break from her accounting job in a nearby building to attend the ceremony. “I'm a huge University of Delaware fan,” Craden said. “When I heard about this, I decided to come and support the mascot. To be picked as one of six from all the colleges and the professional sports teams is fantastic, and YoUDee is better than the Phillie Phanatic.” YoUDee first appeared on the UD campus in fall 1993, drawing an enthusiastic reaction from fans attending a Fightin' Blue Hens football game at Delaware Stadium. Since then, the mascot program has earned many awards and has grown to include a Baby Blue character and an inflatable Air YoUDee. Article by Martin Mbugua
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