Rhody the Ram

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Rhody the Ram is the official mascot of the University of Rhode Island. His mascot status was given on March 8th, 1923, and he made his first appearance on November 21st, 1929. At one time a real ram was housed at a dairy barn across from the campus, but that stopped in the 1960s, and was picked up for one year in 1974. Unlike other popular universities, the Rhody the Ram mascot program is run by the URI Student Alumni Association, a student run organization which serves the university by organizing many popular events on campus.

[edit] Controversial incidents

February 3, 1998 - Rhody the Ram tried to prevent the St. Joe's Hawk from his eternal flapping by putting an inner tube over its head, temporarily immobilizing his arms. While trying to remove the tube, the Hawk's head (costume) fell off. The incident was televised and repeated on ESPN.

December 2, 2006 - Rhody the Ram was assaulted by a fan at the Dunkin Donuts center during halftime of the annual URI-Providence College game, a fierce in-state rivalry. The assailant was never found, but Comedy Central talk show host Stephen Colbert has claimed responsibility for the attack.^{[citation needed]} The Ram was taken to the hospital for minor injuries, making this another incident in the long and sometimes ugly rivalry between the two teams.^[1]