subject: Friday Night Lights And Custom Mascot Costumes [print this page] From the time that I was in the fourth grade, high school football was a passion. My dad would always take us to the local high school's home games on Friday nights. We would cheer until we didn't have voices left to cheer anymore and then when we got home, we'd warm up our chilled bodies with some hot chocolate and chili. After years of watching high school football, I still am surprised on occasion by the custom mascot costumes worn at some of the games.
I remember the first time that I rode the rooter bus down to a game in Ridgefield to watch our team play against the Spudders. I had to do a double take to see if that was really our opponent's name because as far as I knew I hadn't crossed the state line into Idaho.
On the way down to the game we started making up creative cheers mocking the team represented by Mr. Potato Head, but when we got there I was surprised to see that even a Spudder can be an intimidating mascot when the costume design is right.
After my encounter with the Spudders I was pretty sure I had heard of the wimpiest mascot ever, but I was so wrong. In moving to Utah I discovered a high school where the team was called the Beet Diggers. Talk about an embarrassing mascot. They might as well be called the Pansy Flowers.
Again, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that their mascot is pretty cool to look at. If you have to be called the Beet Diggers, at least you can make up for it by having the coolest looking beet digger ever as your mascot.
Personally I'm still somewhat partial to Thunder Birds and Wolves when it comes to the world's best mascots, but that's just because when I started going to football games with my Dad in the fourth grade it was the Thunderbirds that I was rooting for.
Then my second year of high school, a new school opened and I was instantly transformed from a Thunderbird to a member of the wolf pack. These mascots hold great memories for me that I will cherish for a life time.
I think there are too many schools that don't have enough pride in their teams and their mascots. Whether you're a Spudder, a Beat Digger, a Thunder Bird or a Wolf, when you make the best of your situation and have pride in your team these custom mascot costumes can become parts of memories that will last a lifetime.
