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| Vol. 18, No. 17 | Jan. 21, 1999 |
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| Vol. 18, No. 17 | Jan. 21, 1999 |
Everyone's favorite mascot, YoUDee, is a winner-big time! The Fightin' Blue Hen mascot who cheers UD teams on to victory won second place at the 1999 College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship at Walt Disney World this month, the World Series or Super Bowl of mascots.
The competition among 12 mascots was tough-pitting the incomparable blue bird against such characters as the University of Kentucky Wildcat, the third place winner; Michigan State's Sparty the Trojan Warrior; Gus the Gorilla from Pittsburgh State University; and Cam the Ram from Colorado State. YoUDee took them all on, yielding only to Aubie the Tiger from Auburn University.
To enter the competition, each mascot submitted a video with highlights from the past year; the best were invited to participate. YoUDee was ranked second, and the Universal Cheerleaders Association funded its trip to the competition.
The prize-winning skit was devised with assistance from UD alumnus Dave Raymond, vice president of Acme Mascots Inc., who graduated from UD in 1979 and enjoyed a successful career as the Philly Phanatic. For the skit, YoUDee assumed the role of a physician. An ailing patient on the gurney was in serious shape but was quickly diagnosed by Dr. YoUDee as lacking in school spirit. With encouragement from the audience, who joined in chanting "UD," a large transfusion of school spirit was injected into the patient, who recovered immediately.
The University took other honors as well. The UD cheerleading squad came in third in the competition and the Precision Dance Team garnered fourth place. All the winners will be recognized at the Delaware-Maine basketball game in the Bob Carpenter Center on Friday, Jan. 22, with game time at 7:30 p.m.
YoUDee will repeat the award-winning performance at the game.
In recent years, the University of Delaware has become a mecca of sorts for mascots. One former YoUDee is employed as Clutch, bear mascot for the Houston Rockets, as Hailey, the comet for the Houston Comets women's basketball team and as Thunderbear, the mascot for Houston's indoor football team by the same name.
Another former YoUDee works part-time as Allen-one of the Baltimore Ravens' three mascots- Edgar, Allen and Poe.
A third former YoUDee was employed as Winger, the eagle who represents the Washington Capital's hockey team and as Hoops, the walking basketball that represent the Bullets, now the Wizards, basketball team. Another former YouDee is currently employed as Boomer, the mascot for the Trenton Thunder, and a current student works as Rocky Bluewinkle for the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
-Sue Swyers Moncure
Photo by Robert Cohen
