Where does the phrase "War Damn Otto" come from?

[JackBauer44]

I've heard many fans say it, hell I've said it many times. Got to thinking, where did it come from? Where did it start? Any information would be really appreciated.

 

[CuseTroop]

Tomcat, I believe.

 

[All4SU]

It was in The Dead Sea Scrolls.

 

[iommi]

I've heard many fans say it, hell I've said it many times. Got to thinking, where did it come from? Where did it start? Any information would be really appreciated.

I think it stemmed from us playing Auburn and their fans saying "War Eagle" and it was adopted from there (I guess by Tomcat?).

 

[orange79]

I think it stemmed from us playing Auburn and their fans saying "War Eagle" and it was adopted from there (I guess by Tomcat?).

Correct. Most fans shout "War Damn Eagle!!" And I think Troop was right. I think it started with Tomcat.

 

[MadNY3]

I've heard many fans say it, hell I've said it many times. Got to thinking, where did it come from? Where did it start? Any information would be really appreciated.

It was a cold, bitter day in January 1988. An awful man called "Die" killed the Orange's hope for an unblemished season by opting for a wuss-like field goal instead of risking losing to a team from the North...where according to our "friends" down South, football just wasn't played.

We were all ticked. Many still are. But no one took it as rough as one Tom T********y (aka TomCat) who took a leave of absence from his work to go into a Pyramid-subsidized bunker. Some say he was with Congel himself for those two months. We may never know...

...anyway, while secluded watching that wuss-like chip shot field goal go through the nets - aside Ace Ventura the movie was based on all this - TomCat drew up the most scornful thing possible. By taking Auburn Nation's battle cry of "War Damn Eagle" and transposing it with Orange mascot to birth "War Damn Otto", it was TomCat's way of forever mocking Auburn fans with a simimar phrase - a tie some may say - that takes an amazing creature like the Eagle and reduces it to hte same level as, well, a fat fruit.

Since that time, we have had major economic woes, wars and Milli Vanilli exposed. Some may equate it to "evolution" or "the ways things happen" or "MadNY3 you are insane"...but those in the know KNOW it is due to what Auburn did that horrible day...and TomCat forever haunts those fans for eternity.

War.
Damn.
Otto.

 

[JackBauer44]

It was a cold, bitter day in January 1988. An awful man called "Die" killed the Orange's hope for an unblemished season by opting for a wuss-like field goal instead of risking losing to a team from the North...where according to our "friends" down South, football just wasn't played.

We were all ticked. Many still are. But no one took it as rough as one Tom T********y (aka TomCat) who took a leave of absence from his work to go into a Pyramid-subsidized bunker. Some say he was with Congel himself for those two months. We may never know...

...anyway, while secluded watching that wuss-like chip shot field goal go through the nets - aside Ace Ventura the movie was based on all this - TomCat drew up the most scornful thing possible. By taking Auburn Nation's battle cry of "War Damn Eagle" and transposing it with Orange mascot to birth "War Damn Otto", it was TomCat's way of forever mocking Auburn fans with a simimar phrase - a tie some may say - that takes an amazing creature like the Eagle and reduces it to hte same level as, well, a fat fruit.

Since that time, we have had major economic woes, wars and Milli Vanilli exposed. Some may equate it to "evolution" or "the ways things happen" or "MadNY3 you are insane"...but those in the know KNOW it is due to what Auburn did that horrible day...and TomCat forever haunts those fans for eternity.

War.
Damn.
Otto.

 

[IthacaMatt]

I've heard many fans say it, hell I've said it many times. Got to thinking, where did it come from? Where did it start? Any information would be really appreciated.

From the first Auburn game, at the Dome. It was the first game played after 9/11 and it was major TV hoopla, topped by an Orange win. We loved their fans, their tradition, especially War Eagle. I believe it was Tomcat who coined War Damn Otto, although others may step up to dispute the title. I suggest a ginger ale jello wrestling match to determine the true source of the infamous phrase. I believe CTO arranged for the production of 200 limited edition t-shirts, which all of us who still have them surely hold near and dear to our hearts.

 

[4evaOrange]

MadNY3 is looking to get Tee'd up...

 

[rrlbees]

I'm pretty sure Tom came up with War Otto and then CTO's had some t-shirts made up with a badass Otto on it and the words War Otto. Can't remember who came up with the damn part. I know I used a sharpie to write damn on my shirt to make it say War Damn Otto.

Sent using my Commodore 64

 

[007]

War Damn Tomcat

 

[AirForceOrange]

It was a cold, bitter day in January 1988. An awful man called "Die" killed the Orange's hope for an unblemished season by opting for a wuss-like field goal instead of risking losing to a team from the North...where according to our "friends" down South, football just wasn't played.

We were all ticked. Many still are. But no one took it as rough as one Tom T********y (aka TomCat) who took a leave of absence from his work to go into a Pyramid-subsidized bunker. Some say he was with Congel himself for those two months. We may never know...

...anyway, while secluded watching that wuss-like chip shot field goal go through the nets - aside Ace Ventura the movie was based on all this - TomCat drew up the most scornful thing possible. By taking Auburn Nation's battle cry of "War Damn Eagle" and transposing it with Orange mascot to birth "War Damn Otto", it was TomCat's way of forever mocking Auburn fans with a simimar phrase - a tie some may say - that takes an amazing creature like the Eagle and reduces it to hte same level as, well, a fat fruit.

Since that time, we have had major economic woes, wars and Milli Vanilli exposed. Some may equate it to "evolution" or "the ways things happen" or "MadNY3 you are insane"...but those in the know KNOW it is due to what Auburn did that horrible day...and TomCat forever haunts those fans for eternity.

War.
Damn.
Otto.

You sir get the honor of the AFO Medal:

 

[Scooch]

 

[storange]

I consider myself a fanatical 100 % bleed orange fan and those that have watched games with me would probably concur, but that is one more reason why Tomcat IS THE MAN !!

 

[RF2044]

Was it from that 2001 football game?

I remember it really gaining legs and taking off in 2003, when we played Auburn in the NCAA tournament.

 

[Chip]

The original phrase was War, what is it good for.

 

[PeteCalvin]

View attachment 3547

But he has the "SJ" logo on his hat!! What?!

 

[Scooch]

But he has the "SJ" logo on his hat!! What?!

The old Otto logo had that overlapped SU, which was different than the hideous SJ that came later.

 

[Chip]

The old Otto logo had that overlapped SU, which was different than the hideous SJ that came later.

But in SJ's defense, the color of it was almost orange. If you were part color blind and didn't know the alphabet, I'm sure that logo worked.

 

[KaiserUEO]

The old Otto logo had that overlapped SU, which was different than the hideous SJ that came later.

But in SJ's defense, the color of it was almost orange. If you were part color blind and didn't know the alphabet, I'm sure that logo worked.

for about 6 years early 00s Syracuse mustve spent about 5million a year (or 2mill more than they were getting from that ridiculous conf we just left) trying to come up with a logo, and then all they did was go back to the block S.

the same S that michigan state has, but is green...and the same one stanford has, but is red with a tree up the middle.

genius

that said, i like the Orange block S.

 

[Scooch]

for about 6 years early 00s Syracuse mustve spent about 5million a year (or 2mill more than they were getting from that ridiculous conf we just left) trying to come up with a logo, and then all they did was go back to the block S.

the same S that michigan state has, but is green...and the same one stanford has, but is red with a tree up the middle.

genius

that said, i like the Orange block S.

Given my graduation year I have too many of these on Syracuse items:

I'll take the block S.

 

[orange79]

Given my graduation year I have too many of these on Syracuse items:

I'll take the block S.

For me, This and the goofy SU, as I call it, (below) were the worst. SJ was a close 3rd.