Butch T. Cougar has won the Pac-12 Mascots Death Match. Congratulations to the affable, albeit deadly feline of the Pacific Northwest. And, if you’re asking me, no matter his seeding (#11), he deserved this honor.
In a battle that saw anthropomorphism tossed around like names in a coaching hunt, Butch eliminated a Tree, Devil, Bruin, and a Buffalo. A live Buffalo. He received 2802 votes, was represented by two different writers (Michael Preston of CougCenter and moi), and is now the last anthropomorph standing in the fiercest mascot death match the world has ever known.
So congratulations Butch T. Cougar! What are you going to do next? He’s going to own the PacHoops facebook cover image for the foreseeable future:
We shall call it Butch and Ernie.
Thanks to every writer who contributed to the Death Match. They were witty, brilliant, swift, and terrific. This is them:
With four remaining we find ourselves a few firsts. Wilbur and Ralphie feature the first rematch – in some regards – that we’ve ever seen in a death match. Which is actually completely contradictory because intrinsic to a ‘death’ match is that someone dies and is no longer. Perhaps our matches aren’t so morbid? Whatever the case, when the coaches squared off, our championship bout saw Whooping narrowly edge the Colorado Cranium, 440-403. Lofty numbers that were Butch T. Cougar nearly beat. But seeing as this is a tournament, survive and advance is all that matters. Butch, Wilbur, Joe Bruin, and Ralphie have survived. They’ve advanced.
The Semis:
#1 Wilbur vs. #5 Ralphie
Two years ago, this was our title match. Look. At. Those. Punims.
Wilbur from Roommate Pete of That Poor Architect
Wilbur ‘Fists-of-Furry’ Wildcat – He doesn’t roam the open range, don tribal headdresses or eat his weight in fresh water salmon. Nor does he traverse the Iditarod, chase after younger men or sit motionless and dormant in a Northern Californian forest. He won’t protect you from STD’s, quack at your principal or build you a dam, and he most certainly won’t prance around with a pitchfork wearing red and yellow tights calling himself ‘Sparky.’ Wilbur Wildcat won’t do any of these things because Wilbur Wildcat ain’t no paperback bitch. The man in the navy blue cowboy hat will hunt with guile in grassy lowlands, perch confidently atop desert mountains, and sit comfortably and notoriously atop the Sonoran Desert food chain. Wilbur don’t mess around, and neither do his Wildcats.
Ralphie from Ben Burrows of Rumblin’ Buff
Thankfully, someone called the cops on Oski, and he’s off to enjoy the the fruits of our judicial system, saving us all another uncomfortable second under his perverted gaze. Ralphie, as she is wont to do, just keeps thundering forward, onto the semifinals and a date with Wilbur the Wildcat. The first thing I see when I look at Wilbur is his stupid hat. (Seriously, a hat?) What does that signify to me? Domestication. This Wildcat is ‘wild’ no longer. He has given up his natural advantages for the comfort of human society. What a loser. Ralphie, on the other hand, remains a buffalo, yearning to stampede and conquer the plains. Her handlers? A mere annoyance; she only tolerates their presence out of pity. Given enough reason, she’s off to the races, God knows where to. Meanwhile, there’s Wilbur, on the couch with his hat, watching the television. Domestic and boring. What. A. Loser. Give me the buffalo and freedom.
#1 Wilbur vs. #5 Ralphie
#5 Ralphie (not Chip) (56%, 642 Votes)
#1 Wilbur (44%, 501 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,143
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#2 Joe Bruin vs. #11 Butch
Joe Bruin from Luc of The Stoop Kids
After a comfortable rout over Puddles in the last round, it’s onward and upward for Joe Bruin. I mean did you see that game Saturday afternoon? If there was ever a time to be coming into one’s own, this is really it. Joe’s hot at the right time, and won’t think twice about bowling over the Wildcats as they confusingly bear down before him. Ralphie has the awesome sprint across the field thing, but if we’re talking death match, Joe will be feasting on Rocky Mountain Oysters once he’s through with the Buffs. The Cougs had an impressive showing in the last round, and were even rumored to knock off Joe in some faraway locale a few weeks ago, but memory is short and time will prove that their last meeting was an aberration. Joe’s poised for the big stage, and ready to bring home Championship #110 to Westwood.
Butch from Yours Truly
Look at me. It’s been noted that I rub elbows with Gosling and could wear a suit like Clooney. But instead I run with Pirates. Like that brand of being that does as they wish and leaves no survivors. Have you ever seen Pirates of the Caribbean? Only Brad Pitt (Troy) and Johnny Depp have flipped the script from damsel trying to kill him to…well you know where this is going. Look, the “T” is an abbreviated definite article (the). Butch abbreviates the simplest of words because he doesn’t need you worrying your pretty little heads with too much. When Butch wears ‘sex panther’ it works 100% of the time. He is, Butch T. Cougar.