Anyone Remember When USF Almost Got A Live Mascot?

[slick1ru2]

I was digging around trying to find out what happened to the notion of having a real Rocky rumble down the sidelines like Ralphy at Colorado.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article968493.ece

Mascot was too real to prowl the sidelines at USF football games

Kevin Smetana, Times Staff Writer

In Print: Sunday, January 18, 2009

Facebook

0

Email

Share

0

[special to the Times]

The Brahman bull was to charge out of the tunnel at USF football games. He’s now 1,200-pound Suva Wolfe at Auburn University.

RIVERVIEW — He was supposed to be Rocky II, a hulking Brahman bull mascot prowling the sidelines during University of South Florida football games.

But then he lost his mascot-in-waiting title, his name, and his cushy life at a local ranch.

Rocky II is now Suva Wolfe, tipping the scales at 1,200 pounds and living on a hilltop pasture — at Auburn University.

Suva, called the pick of the litter by a local rancher, was cut before ever hitting the field. Three other bulls picked to be USF mascots weren't so lucky. They'll likely end up on someone's dinner plate, if they haven't already.

Riverview rancher Robert Newsome offered to donate a bull after USF alumnus John Massaro approached him several years ago. Massaro envisioned a live bull charging out of the tunnel on game days.

"I think it would've built excitement for the school to have a real, live mascot on the field," said Massaro, an owner of several local Beef O' Brady's restaurants who pushed the idea for several years.

Newsome and Massaro's plan was to take a 300-pound calf and get him used to being around people. When he reached 500 pounds, the bull would hit the field like Bevo, the University of Texas' Longhorn steer, or Ralphie, the American bison at the University of Colorado.

In summer 2006, USF officials were close to approving the idea. Then the discussions between Massaro and USF's athletic department dragged out, and Rocky II and his three body doubles got too big. The talks ended before the 2007 football season — the same year that USF upset 17th-ranked Auburn on the road.

"I had one bull picked out four times," Massaro said, noting that several local businesses had pledged thousands of dollars in products to maintain the bull. "That was the problem — we never were able to get the approval. I was always ready with a bull in line."

USF assistant athletics director Chris Freet said only that "largely due to the liability issues related to having a live bull at Raymond James Stadium, USF athletics does not have any current or future plans for a live mascot at sporting events."

Still, things could be worse for 2-year-old Suva Wolfe. Of the other three dethroned, would-be mascots, two were sold as commercial cattle and one was sold at market.

Suva, whose first name is derived from his bloodline, would've made the best mascot of the four because of his calm temperament and superior quality, Newsome said. So rather than sell the bull to another rancher and not know his ultimate fate, Newsome shipped Suva to Auburn, where he serves as a beef cattle breeder at the JT Vaughn Large Animal Teaching Hospital.

"I think he's quite happy," said Dwight Wolfe, a professor at the teaching hospital where veterinary students get hands-on training.

Suva spends most his time in a pasture with a Brangus steer that was donated to the program after suffering a broken leg. Twice a year, for about 60 days at a time, Suva performs his breeding duties in an adjacent pasture.

Wolfe, from whom Suva got his last name, said the bull "would make quite a showman" and would've loved it as USF's mascot.

"He's structurally sound," Wolfe said. "To put it in athlete terms, his legs and his back are straight where they should be, and he has a proper amount of muscle everywhere he should have it."

He's also got a lucky streak: Unlike his three counterparts and most breeder bulls, Suva likely won't see the slaughterhouse when his breeding days are over.

"He's kind of special," Wolfe said. "We'll probably let him live his life out here."

[Bull Martin]

Glazers and TSA would never allow it in Ray Jay. USF doesn't have a program that could care for a Bull. Although I believe care for the Bull was offered.

If we ever get an OCS, it should be rehashed.

[charsibb]

Our very own Dixie/Bubba was involved in this, we should get a comment from him.

[gibbsak]

Still won't happen, even with OCS. USF not prepared for liability, maybe out front, but never on the field.