If you have read my blog for any length of time, you have probably deduced that I am a Virginia Tech alum. You have also probably learned that the Virginia Tech mascot is the Hokie Bird.
Recently, I ran the inaugural Hokie Half Marathon (with Deb & Co.!). As usual after a race, I wrote a race report. One of the comments was submitted by Holly:
Let us focus on that second paragraph there, shall we. I will admit, the Hokie Bird they used on the finisher’s shirt was the “fit” Hokie Bird and he is a little weird looking. However, I do think that the regular Hokie Bird mascot is cute. But obviously I am biased. So I am bringing it to a vote! You have seen Holly’s opinion above and you know my opinion. I get the extra advantage of submitting the following Hokie Bird pictures, because it’s my blog.
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| Hokie Bird leading the wedding party’s entrance to the reception while Enter, Sandman played in the background. |
Exhibit B:
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| Hokie Bird finishing the Hokie Half |
Exhibit C:
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| Hokie Birds over the years. Look how far we’ve come! |
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| Hokie Bird posing with Barry and me at our wedding. Yes, we invited our school mascot to our wedding and yes, he was coo enough to accept. |
I mean all of this lightheartedly and I am not asking folks to take sides (this is not me vs. Holly). But I am curious to see what people, especially those not affiliated with Virginia Tech, think of our mascot. Choose wisely.
Hokie Bird: Cute or Weird??
Turkey Runner 
Well, you know where my vote (and heart!) lies. LOVE the Hokie Bird! And wish he’d come to our wedding (we got married in the Chapel).
Yes, I knew what your opinion would be 🙂
Mascots are a big part of college teams. Animals, Pirates, Native Americans, Devils, Leprechauns, unidentifiable furry things, a Banana Slug and a Tree? That said, I wouldn’t call the Hokie Bird weird, but cute is in the eye of the beholder.Now, you want to see the weirdest? Go check out the Rhode Island School of Design. Their basketball team is called the Balls and their motto is “when things get hot the balls stick together”. Now you have to go check out their mascot!LUD.
OMG I looked up the RISD mascot on Google images. Is that for real!? There is no way!!
Haha totally bias here as well but i think he is pretty darn cute!!! I think some animated logos of him turned out to be funny looking but I think in person he’s a cutie 🙂
Another vote for Hokie Bird being cute 🙂 The only funny one I’ve seen is the muscular Hokie Bird they like to use for athletic events and gym functions. Kinda like Hokie Bird on steroids.
Wait wait wait!!! I said the bird on the SHIRT was weird. [Clearly you agree, as you opted to leave that photo out entirely. ;-)] I stand by that assertion. I even stand by “Thanksgiving on crack.” Sorry, VT. I believe that I described the actual mascot to be, at worst, “odd”. And frankly, isn’t any 7 foot tall fake fuzzy animal that…uhhh…dances around a stage or stadium or across a finish line slightly….odd? [Come on, Jeano, where are you? I have a feeling you’ll be with me here. Right?]Meagan, I had no idea this was what I was going to find when I opened your post. You are cracking me up tonight. Even if my words are being twisted. OH the injustice!!!! *dramatic sob* 😉
Holly, I used a screen shot of your comment so there would be no question! 🙂 Of course I neglected to include a picture of the shirt…. my blog, my rules. Haha. I am glad it cracked you up! I meant it as a funny post 🙂 And I so did not twist your words.
Holly, the mascot on the left in the picture of the three Hokie Birds was the mascot when I was a student at VT. He was definitely odd looking and even down-right ugly!
Hahahaha way to call out Holly. I’m going to have to agree, but not because the mascot himself looks odd, but rather a turkey is just an odd mascot to have. That being said, our cross-town rivals in high school were the Lambkins. That’s right…a lamb is a baby sheep, so a lambkin would be a…baby lamb? infant? newborn? It’s confusing…and who ever thought that a “lambkin” is a fierce mascot was kidding themselves. Also in Hokie’s defense, my parent’s owned a one-legged turkey once (her leg got eaten by a coyote that killed all their other turkeys/chickens) and she was MEAN..like..they had to distract her on one side of the yard so that the other person could run through to the backdoor without getting attacked. They did end up eating her for Thanksgiving…
You should know that a Hokie Bird is not actually a turkey. And if you ever ask me what a Hokie is, I will only respond “I am.” So you will have to figure out that mystery on your own :)Haha the lambkin does not sound like a very fierce mascot. Sometimes I wonder what schools were thinking when they chose their mascot. Of course that one-legged turkey was mean. She kind of had to be to have survived a coyote attack and she’d have to be mean to make sure no one took her other leg! Although it does sound like she was much better being served for Thanksgiving than living in the backyard and trying to attack people.
This is hilarious! I agree with Holly that the one on the shirt was probably a disappointment for you die-hard VT fans. As for the regular mascot, hmmmm. It is a bit weird as a mascot, but I like the weird and the different. Your pictures here are certainly cute, though. My college mascot was an alligator…in the middle of Pennsylvania. Odd, but it worked!
Yes, the one on the shirt was our Hokie Bird on steroids. But I conveniently forgot to include a picture of that in this post 🙂 I like weird and different, too. You can’t help but look at the regular Hokie Bird and not smile. Alligator mascot for a Pennsylvania school is a bit random… but like you said, it works!
This is the most ridiculous post for a running blog and a complete waste of time
You seem like a know nothing meanie im shocked that you would say something like that. Myself and P, H, Z and K loved the post. Dont pay any attention to Q he has an image problem what with U always following him around
Clearly you haven’t read many running blogs, Q, or you would know you always get a wealth of information above and beyond the topic of running 🙂 You seemed to enjoy my Chick Days series just fine. This is what happens when Barry decides to comment on my blog….
I’m dying laughing the the mascot was at your wedding!! That hysterical!
And by hysterical you clearly meant totally awesome!
Hokie Bird is so cute and cuddly, and I have a big crush on him! I’m still jealous that he came to your wedding! 🙂 I’m sure that I’ve told you that the “Gobbler” (on the left in the picture) was the mascot when I was a student. Now he WAS creepy looking! My friend Michelle and boyfriend shared the mascot duties. I can’t believe that I never got a picture of me with the Gobbler.
Yea, I remember you telling me about how the Gobbler would scare a 10 year old! I had to include that picture of VT mascots past, so that people who don’t already think the Hokie Bird is cute would realize that he is, in fact, cute! 🙂