The Syracuse Clown Mascot? (stolen from r/cfb)

[texascpa]

I do not recall this but apparently SU had an official mascot in 1982 that was a clown. It's up for creepiest mascot on r/cfb. Anyone recall this and why the university went this direction:

 

[CuseLegacy]

"In the early 1980s, after the retirement of the Saltine Warrior mascot, Syracuse University 'auditioned' a variety of new mascots before settling on the iconic Otto The Orange."

 

[blizz]

Pennywise. The real thing.

 

[nzm136]

I do not recall this but apparently SU had an official mascot in 1982 that was a clown. It's up for creepiest mascot on r/cfb. Anyone recall this and why the university went this direction:

Why did they go in that direction? They felt like clowning around.

 

[sutomcat]

I do not recall this but apparently SU had an official mascot in 1982 that was a clown. It's up for creepiest mascot on r/cfb. Anyone recall this and why the university went this direction:

I don't believe the clown was an official mascot of Syracuse. I don't remember it at all, and I was a student then and attended every game.

When the university decided to pull the plug on the Saltine Warrior after 1978, there was a 2 year gap with no set mascot (this first article is wrong; Otto debuted in 1982). The university decided on a gladiator, but it didn't make sense (it looked a lot like Sparty only worse), was hated and died a quick death. There are pictures of it in the second and third articles linked. I remember Egnaro (orange backwards), the weird troll. It was just weird. Can't find any pictures.

I think it was during this weird period that some fans decided to fill the mascot void by coming to games in outfits they designed. They weren't official but some became kind of popular. You can see the 'Beast of the East' in the clown video; he was the tall weird beast walking around. The Dome Ranger was pretty popular and the university tolerated his antics (when he was younger, he ran around the basketball court to try and get fans to make noise). Dome Eddie survives to this day but has never done much except occasionally try to dance, very badly.

I don't believe the clown was an official mascot. Just someone who decided to wear a Halloween costume to a game. It is interesting to see how the Otto outfit has improved over the years. It was pretty bad early on and perhaps that is why the university didn't adopt it as the official mascot for what, 13 years?

Origins of Orange: Colors, nicknames and mascots of Syracuse sports over the years (from the archive)

Syracuse University's mascot: From dog to goat to warrior to gladiator to an orange

Survival of the citrus: SU weeds through weak crop of mascots, grows a real winner with Otto

Syracuse University Archives: Syracuse University History - Syracuse University Mascots

Maybe we should bring back Vita the goat as a supplemental mascot?

 

[DoubleDee]

I vividly remember the “gladiator” at the Domes opening night.

Does anyone else wish they had stuck with that theme in lieu of the “Indian” Saltine Warrior? Liverpool did it and seems to have worked.

Otto works, but I’ve never been a fan. I know it won’t change, but wish it had never been.

 

[RandomGuy]

For the nightmare seasons

 

[PhatOrange]

 

[SUFaninNJ]

I don't believe the clown was an official mascot of Syracuse. I don't remember it at all, and I was a student then and attended every game.

When the university decided to pull the plug on the Saltine Warrior after 1978, there was a 2 year gap with no set mascot (this first article is wrong; Otto debuted in 1982). The university decided on a gladiator, but it didn't make sense (it looked a lot like Sparty only worse), was hated and died a quick death. There are pictures of it in the second and third articles linked. I remember Egnaro (orange backwards), the weird troll. It was just weird. Can't find any pictures.

I think it was during this weird period that some fans decided to fill the mascot void by coming to games in outfits they designed. They weren't official but some became kind of popular. You can see the 'Beast of the East' in the clown video; he was the tall weird beast walking around. The Dome Ranger was pretty popular and the university tolerated his antics (when he was younger, he ran around the basketball court to try and get fans to make noise). Dome Eddie survives to this day but has never done much except occasionally try to dance, very badly.

I don't believe the clown was an official mascot. Just someone who decided to wear a Halloween costume to a game. It is interesting to see how the Otto outfit has improved over the years. It was pretty bad early on and perhaps that is why the university didn't adopt it as the official mascot for what, 13 years?

Origins of Orange: Colors, nicknames and mascots of Syracuse sports over the years (from the archive)

Syracuse University's mascot: From dog to goat to warrior to gladiator to an orange

Survival of the citrus: SU weeds through weak crop of mascots, grows a real winner with Otto

Syracuse University Archives: Syracuse University History - Syracuse University Mascots

Maybe we should bring back Vita the goat as a supplemental mascot?

IIRC, Dome Eddie was a janitor at LeMoyne. I was also partial to the Dome Knitter.

 

[Cuse1992]

I don't recall the clown being a SU Student. All the Saltine warriors and other sorta official mascots were lambda chi's. We had the gladiator outfit and we would throw it on. The year I split duties as Otto (1990) I wore the gladiator suite in the pregame against Michigan State. I had otto come out and clothesline me. That went over pretty well especially since he hit my damn adams apple...

 

[Cusefan95]

I vividly remember the “gladiator” at the Domes opening night.

Does anyone else wish they had stuck with that theme in lieu of the “Indian” Saltine Warrior? Liverpool did it and seems to have worked.

Otto works, but I’ve never been a fan. I know it won’t change, but wish it had never been.

The best thing about Otto is he’s a unique mascot, immediately identified with Syracuse. Years ago I was walking a beach in Rio de Janero with a hat with only Otto on it, and some locals playing on the beach yelled “Go Orange”.

I have a hard time seeing that happen if it was a gladiator.

Anyone else remember when they tried to replace Otto with a wolf back in the mid-90s? The Wolf was universally reviled by the students and died a quick death, too.

 

[blizz]

I don't believe the clown was an official mascot of Syracuse. I don't remember it at all, and I was a student then and attended every game.

When the university decided to pull the plug on the Saltine Warrior after 1978, there was a 2 year gap with no set mascot (this first article is wrong; Otto debuted in 1982). The university decided on a gladiator, but it didn't make sense (it looked a lot like Sparty only worse), was hated and died a quick death. There are pictures of it in the second and third articles linked. I remember Egnaro (orange backwards), the weird troll. It was just weird. Can't find any pictures.

I think it was during this weird period that some fans decided to fill the mascot void by coming to games in outfits they designed. They weren't official but some became kind of popular. You can see the 'Beast of the East' in the clown video; he was the tall weird beast walking around. The Dome Ranger was pretty popular and the university tolerated his antics (when he was younger, he ran around the basketball court to try and get fans to make noise). Dome Eddie survives to this day but has never done much except occasionally try to dance, very badly.

I don't believe the clown was an official mascot. Just someone who decided to wear a Halloween costume to a game. It is interesting to see how the Otto outfit has improved over the years. It was pretty bad early on and perhaps that is why the university didn't adopt it as the official mascot for what, 13 years?

Origins of Orange: Colors, nicknames and mascots of Syracuse sports over the years (from the archive)

Syracuse University's mascot: From dog to goat to warrior to gladiator to an orange

Survival of the citrus: SU weeds through weak crop of mascots, grows a real winner with Otto

Syracuse University Archives: Syracuse University History - Syracuse University Mascots

Maybe we should bring back Vita the goat as a supplemental mascot?

This just strengthens my theory.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

The best thing about Otto is he’s a unique mascot, immediately identified with Syracuse. Years ago I was walking a beach in Rio de Janero with a hat with only Otto on it, and some locals playing on the beach yelled “Go Orange”.

I have a hard time seeing that happen if it was a gladiator.

Anyone else remember when they tried to replace Otto with a wolf back in the mid-90s? The Wolf was universally reviled by the students and died a quick death, too.

The football team once wore t-shirts with the following Rudyard Kipling quote...

“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

...and everybody lost their minds that we were changing mascots.

 

[CuseLegacy]

The football team once wore t-shirts with the following Rudyard Kipling quote...

“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

...and everybody lost their minds that we were changing mascots.

We could have had dueling wolves pre-game when we played NC State.

 

[Scooch]

The best thing about Otto is he’s a unique mascot, immediately identified with Syracuse. Years ago I was walking a beach in Rio de Janero with a hat with only Otto on it, and some locals playing on the beach yelled “Go Orange”.

I have a hard time seeing that happen if it was a gladiator.

Anyone else remember when they tried to replace Otto with a wolf back in the mid-90s? The Wolf was universally reviled by the students and died a quick death, too.

That wolf debacle is what led to Otto finally becoming the official mascot. Jake C hated Otto (and our teams being called Orangemen) and had a group suggest replacements. I believe a name change to “Orange Pack” was suggested with a wolf as a mascot, along with “Orange Pride” with a lion mascot. They also suggested “Chargers” as a name too I believe. They all sucked, hard. The students launched a Save Otto campaign and Buzz Shaw ultimately relented.

Otto is awesome. He’s recognizable and ours. There are dozens of wildcats, eagles and tigers, but just one Otto.

 

[Scooch]

The football team once wore t-shirts with the following Rudyard Kipling quote...

“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

...and everybody lost their minds that we were changing mascots.

We were. That was a trial balloon.

 

[OrangeXtreme]

We were. That was a trial balloon.

So was the Hindenburg.

 

[Scooch]

So was the Hindenburg.

Oh the huge manatee.

 

[UnknownOrange]

The football team once wore t-shirts with the following Rudyard Kipling quote...

“For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”

...and everybody lost their minds that we were changing mascots.

It was also the team poster that year

 

[Chip]

I do not recall this but apparently SU had an official mascot in 1982 that was a clown. It's up for creepiest mascot on r/cfb. Anyone recall this and why the university went this direction:

They all float down here Jimmy!

 

[CousCuse]

I don't call him Otto, I call him Orangey.

 

[GoSU96]

I don't call him Otto, I call him Orangey.

Of course you do

 

[sutomcat]

I vividly remember the “gladiator” at the Domes opening night.

Does anyone else wish they had stuck with that theme in lieu of the “Indian” Saltine Warrior? Liverpool did it and seems to have worked.

Otto works, but I’ve never been a fan. I know it won’t change, but wish it had never been.

I wasn't a fan of the gladiator. It was a decent costume but it wasn't Syracuse.

We have been the Orangemen, Orangewomen and the Orange forever. It makes sense to have a mascot that is an orange. Otto is unique, distinctive and the goofiness is kind of endearing.
In one of the articles I posted, there is a note that Nike wanted to redesign Otto as part of the infamous butcher job they did to try and destroy the Syracuse athletic program. Thank God it didn't happen. Can you imagine what they would have done?

 

[CousCuse]

Of course you do

The only Otto that ever comes to mind when I hear that name is Otto Von Bismark. A real warm humanitarian.

 

[nzm136]

Otto is the perfect name for the perfect mascot for the perfect school.