Ole Miss - Now The Rebel Black Bears

Ole Miss Mascot: Rebel Black Bear Over Admiral Ackbar (And Others)

10/14/2010 3:15 PM ET By Ryan Wilson



Finally, Ole Miss has a new mascot. The Rebel Black Bear emerged victorious in a hotly contested race that also included finalists the Rebel Land Shark and something called Hotty Toddy. Unfortunately, Admiral Ackbar, an early frontrunner, was taken out of the running in September when Lucasfilm declined to give the rights to Ole Miss.

The bear received 62 percent of the vote in the final poll and replaces Colonel Reb, the university's long-time mascot who embodied the "Old South" and was banned from the sidelines seven years ago.

More details via the Associated Press:

"I know there was a lot of people emotionally invested in Colonel Reb and everybody might not completely agree with the bear, but I think everyone can be proud of how our students went about the process," said Sparky Reardon, the university's dean of students.

Margaret Ann Porter, a co-chairman of the student mascot selection committee, explained that the bear was recommended because it has a Mississippi connection, would appeal to children and would be unique to the Southeastern Conference.

FanHouse's Clay Travis writes that, "The bear, a subtle nod to William Faulkner's, The Bear, the best short story of the 20th century, is a solid selection. It's not William Faulkner, the best potential selection of all, but you should give the bear a handlebar mustache to make up for that. The selection is even better because, much to my surprise, there are still 75 black bears that live in the state of Mississippi."

Not everyone is excited about the change. Brian Ferguson, a 2007 graduate and member of the Colonel Reb Foundation, told the AP that, "I think it's hypocrisy. I think the fans of Ole Miss still want Colonel Reb. We have a petition with 3,500 signatures of students who still want Colonel Reb as their mascot and that's the way it should be."

"It's been a passionate topic and it's often evoked an emotional response -- right or wrong," Athletics Director Pete Boone said. "Change is certainly difficult. But I appreciate the passion from our people. They say indifference is the worst emotion out there, and I don't think we're guilty of that."

What a crock.

They'll always be the Ole Miss Admiral Ackbars in my mind.