| Rebel Black Bear | |
| University | University of Mississippi |
|---|---|
| Conference | SEC |
| Description | Anthropomorphic Black Bear |
| First seen | 2010 |
| Related mascot(s) | Colonel Reb |
Rebel Black Bear is the official sporting mascot of the Ole Miss Rebels, the collegiate athletic teams of the University of Mississippi. The anthropomorphic black bear replaced Colonel Reb as the official mascot in 2010.
In 2003, Colonel Reb was removed from the sidelines at Ole Miss athletic events as the on-the-field mascot[1] due to its racial connotations as a Confederate soldier.[2] A contest was held in which fans were invited to design a replacement. The athletic department chose two finalists, Rebel Bruiser and Rowdy Rebel,[3] and invited fans to vote on their favorite. The limited fan response[3] prompted the administration to cancel the poll. Many still supported Colonel Reb as the school mascot.[2]
In 2010 Ole Miss students voted to choose a new mascot for the school.[4] An internet campaign to replace Colonel Reb with fictional 'Star Wars' character Admiral Ackbar gained popular, but not universal, support.[5] However the students that began the campaign insist that Admiral Ackbar is not their ideal choice for the school's mascot. Instead they intended the character as "the face of a push to start a fresh mascot search at Ole Miss."[6] Additionally, Lucasfilm, which owns the Admiral Ackbar character, declined to give Ole Miss the rights to use his image for their mascot.[7] The student-led committee that led the process of choosing a new mascot was formed Monday, 29 March 2010. The committee did not set a definitive time frame regarding the revealing of the new on-field mascot, but the time frame was tentatively set for the 2010 football season. A website was established by the committee to help ensure transparency throughout the entire process.[8][9]
The field of suggestions was reduced to 11 candidates: Hotty and Toddy, a black bear, a blues musician, a cardinal, a fanatic, a horse, a land shark, a lion, the Mojo, a riverboat pilot, and a titan.[10] The committee held a poll of Ole Miss students, faculty, staff, alumni, and season ticket holders of the three finalist candidates: the Rebel Black Bear, based on the legend that Theodore "Teddy Bear" Roosevelt refused to shoot a bound black bear in Mississippi;[8][9] the Rebel Land Shark; and Hotty Toddy, from a popular cheer.[2][9] Based on its support throughout the process, including the final poll, the committee selected the Rebel Black Bear as the new on-field mascot.[11]
The University reclassified the Colonel Reb trademark as historical and still retains ownership of the trademark.[12]
The state is home for two types of bear bear subspecies: the American black bear and the Louisiana black bear. The American black bear (Ursus americanus) occurs in the more northern counties of the state, which is the location of the university. The Louisiana black bear (Ursus americanus luteolus) is found in the southern half of the state. The two subspecies of bears are basically indistinguishable to the naked eye. The Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks estimates that the bear population in Mississippi has doubled in the past 10 years.
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