 | "Mugsy's" classic Bulldog appearance and crowd-pleasing qualities won him the post of Yale mascot. |
Yale's search for a new mascot came to a conclusion on May 26 with the selection of "Mugsy," an English Bulldog from Hamden, Connecticut, as Handsome Dan XVI.
Mugsy was picked from a field of 10 as part of Spring Fling festivities on Old Campus.
"I think his large size (69 pounds), and the fact that he's fearless and enjoys crowds makes him a great Handsome Dan," said owner Bob Sansone. "Personality-wise, you won't find a more lovable dog."
The festivities began shortly after 3 p.m. with emcees Satya Bhabha '06 and Erica Shumate '06 explaining the history of Yale's mascot: The first Handsome Dan patrolled the Yale sidelines starting in 1889. Yale is known as the first university in the United States to adopt a mascot. One previous Handsome Dan was tended by a head cheerleader who went on to become the Secretary of State. Another was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
Mugsy made it through several rounds of competition, including a strut, interaction with the Yale Precision Marching Band and the chance to come face-to-face with one of Yale's biggest rivals -- a (stuffed) Princeton tiger. The way he handled himself in front of the crowd of several hundred, along with his classic Bulldog appearance, gave him the edge, noted the judges, who included Chris Getman '64, Yale's mascot caretaker for the previous 21 years; Steve Conn, director of sports publicity; Christie Yang '06, Yale cheerleader; Jeff Mroz '05, Yale football captain; and Costa Lapaseotes '08, a member of the Yale Band.
Getman announced the winner, and Mugsy then affixed his paw print to a contract "to serve as the Yale University Athletics mascot, to be patient with young and old alike and to bring good fortune to the playing fields of Yale."
The event attracted attention from several major media outlets, including ESPN, Sports Illustrated and USA Today. Sansone and Mugsy took part in several interviews and were on ESPN's "Cold Pizza" the next morning.
Mugsy then celebrated with a round of fetch with a football Sansone had with him -- a reminder that the dog's first major event will be Yale football's home opener against Cornell Sept. 24.
Mugsy succeeds Louis, a.k.a. Handsome Dan XV, who passed away this past winter.
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