What the UNH Football Program Needs

What is one thing that many big time college football schools have that we don't, other then a suitable stadium, that is? 

A live mascot! I am proposing a plan for the University of New Hampshire to purchase a live mascot. Throughout the history of UNH athletics there have been four live mascots to grace Durham with their presence. The fourth and final mascot died in 1940 and since then we have only had the wonderful Wild E. Cat and the newly added Gnarlz. However, because of the recent steroid allegations filed with Gnarlz I believe it is time that our university add a live wildcat to the sidelines. Many major college football teams have live mascots such as The Georgia Bulldogs "Uga" and The University of Southern California Trojans "Traveler." 

The first live mascot here at UNH was "Mazie" who was captured on a farm in Meredith in 1927. Mazie remained the mascot until she died in 1929. The second mascot was "Bozo", who first was bought in 1932, but went missing the next year and was never seen again. In 1933 the third live mascot, "Butch III" was purchased and served as a living mascot longer then all the others. In 1939 Butch III was stolen the day before a football game against Harvard and was later found in a garage in Woburn, Massachusetts. Butch III was retired after the incident. The fourth and final live mascot was Butch IV who died after only a week on the job in 1940. Since then UNH has been without a live mascot. 

I think that it is time for UNH to purchase a new live mascot in hopes of rejuvenating the sport fans here at UNH. I attended many football and hockey games, along with a few basketball games and other sports events, and overall I was pretty disappointed with the enthusiasm from the student sections. Even at many of the hockey games, student fans were quick to turn their back on the team if they were playing poorly. This type of "fare-weather-fan" attitude is not acceptable for a student section. I believe that a live mascot, along with a new football stadium, would help attract more highly touted football student-athletes and it is something the school should look into if they want to continue the upward trend with the recent success of the football program. 

Let me know what your thoughts are on this issue. Feel free to comment by clicking the comment button. You can remain anonymous! 

Until next time.