Bradley's new mascot "Kaboom!" the Gargoyle

[tornado]

Olbermann embarrasses himself tremendously -
first, by acting like the mascot has to fit his predetermined rules - and acting like he's never heard of a masciot that isn't the same as the team nickname - even though there's tons of such examples... Example - Example - Example - Example

then by showing that hideous, grainy, blurry, cell-phone-looking video to a national TV audience...

then by ignorantly alleging that Bradley's Athletic Department got "ripped off by their marketing or consulting firm"

[lefty]

Olbermann embarrasses himself tremendously -
first, by acting like the mascot has to fit his predetermined rules - and acting like he's never heard of a masciot that isn't the same as the team nickname - even though there's tons of such examples... Example - Example - Example - Example

then by showing that hideous, grainy, blurry, cell-phone-looking video to a national TV audience...

then by ignorantly alleging that Bradley's Athletic Department got "ripped off by their marketing or consulting firm"

Olbermann is an *****.....and tomorrow everyone will forget about it anyway

[lefty]

Also....who ever runs a piece on universities presenting what they think is a great mascot?........

[tornado]

Olbermann has morphed from a sports reporter/commentator into a sports-version of a cross between TMZ & People mag ....
he does precisely what us "petty morons" who "need to get a life" () do on message boards - find the most ridiculous and irrelevant topic and gripes about it...

[battlebasset]

Nope, this is worse.



For those of you that are familiar with the King Cake, they are literally making the baby Jesus their mascot. A creepy baby Jesus. Looks more like Chucky. That's just wrong on a lot levels, but here's the full creepy story. But we do get a mention in the comments.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/when-it-comes-to-creepy-mascots-pierre-the-pelican-has-nothing-on-this-guy-022514

[spenoit]

I guess I'm an old fan (71), but I like the gargoyle and the name. The pregame festivities were great and the excitement was like the glory days of a few years back. That is the way it came across on TV for me anyway.

[Toyota12]

mascott

I totally agree! It just goes to show you no matter what happens you can not please everyone. There is always going to be the chronic bitchers who have a negative opinion about everything just so they can get somebody to listen to them. Welcome to BU basketball!

[BUBraves2006]

I totally agree! It just goes to show you no matter what happens you can not please everyone. There is always going to be the chronic bitchers who have a negative opinion about everything just so they can get somebody to listen to them. Welcome to BU basketball!

Wow, one of the best comments I've read on here in awhile amid the sea of negativity ... Well done!

Ah, if only we could only go to the good old days of kool aid and rose colored glasses ...

[dsteven2222]

Embarrassment

As am alum living out of town, I am completely embarrassed by this ridiculous attempt at political correctness by the university. We are the Bradley BRAVES. This thing looks like something from the clearance rack at a K-Mart after Halloween sale. The rest of the country is laughing at us...trust me. My friends have all commented, asking what kind of a hick-town is Peoria? It is time to focus on why a once proud powerhouse program would struggle in division II play. Bury this mascot and bring back the Brave. Get out the check book and find a coach who knows what he is doing. And while we're at it, explain to all the politically left *****s the history of the names Peoria and Illinois.

[Da Coach]

As am alum living out of town, I am completely embarrassed by this ridiculous attempt at political correctness by the university. We are the Bradley BRAVES. This thing looks like something from the clearance rack at a K-Mart after Halloween sale. The rest of the country is laughing at us...trust me. My friends have all commented, asking what kind of a hick-town is Peoria? It is time to focus on why a once proud powerhouse program would struggle in division II play. Bury this mascot and bring back the Brave. Get out the check book and find a coach who knows what he is doing. And while we're at it, explain to all the politically left *****s the history of the names Peoria and Illinois.

The reaction to Kaboom! from people not attached to the Bradley program has been universally negative.
The opinion writers at the PJ Star cited this negativity-
Make the best of beaten up mascot

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140225/OPINION/140229369/2011/OPINION

And Phil Luciano wrote almost exactly the same thing-
Kaboom! debuts to laughter, confusion, ridicule

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140225/NEWS/140229380/10925/NEWS

And just to be sure we didn't miss it, Kirk Wessler wrote almost exactly the same thing-
ESPN’s Olbermann skewers Bradley’s gargoyle

http://blogs.pjstar.com/wessler/2014/02/25/espns-olbermann-skewers-bradleys-gargoyle/

Don't they ever check with each other to see what they are railing about?

Is this what they wanted when they paid somewhere above 6 figures to consult, design, market-test, and create this thing? Did it meet the goal they set:
“A mascot needs to convey a message about Bradley as an institution, and to do so in a meaningful and tasteful manner.”

[molar50]

Personally, I do not care either way about Kaboom. I think the costume looks okay and I understand that the kids generally like it. If Bradley did spend over $100,000 for this, it was way too much money spent. Maybe it is a diversion for our fans to give them something to talk about instead of thinking about how bad our basketball program has regressed. I noticed that several students brought plumber's plungers to the last few games. I believe they are stating that our basketball program is in the toilet.

[Chico]

Personally, I do not care either way about Kaboom. I think the costume looks okay and I understand that the kids generally like it. If Bradley did spend over $100,000 for this, it was way too much money spent. Maybe it is a diversion for our fans to give them something to talk about instead of thinking about how bad our basketball program has regressed. I noticed that several students brought plumber's plungers to the last few games. I believe they are stating that our basketball program is in the toilet.

Maybe the team ought to bring plungers to state that our student attendance is in the toilet also unless the game is on ESPN.

[Da Coach]

For those who haven't seen these-

Peoria Journal Star opinion column from Wednesday 2/26-
Our View: Make the best of beaten up mascot

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140225/OPINION/140229369/10949/OPINION

Kirk Wessler's blog-
ESPN??™s Olbermann skewers Bradley??™s gargoyle

http://blogs.pjstar.com/wessler/2014/02/25/espns-olbermann-skewers-bradleys-gargoyle/

Then there are a couple back to back, self-serving columns by Phil Luciano-
Luciano: Kaboom! debuts to laughter, confusion, ridicule

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140225/NEWS/140229380/10925/NEWS

Luciano: Kaboom! isn't the only one drawing Olbermann's wrath

http://www.pjstar.com/article/20140226/NEWS/140229234/10925/NEWS

[PapaBear22]

As am alum living out of town, I am completely embarrassed by this ridiculous attempt at political correctness by the university. We are the Bradley BRAVES. This thing looks like something from the clearance rack at a K-Mart after Halloween sale. The rest of the country is laughing at us...trust me. My friends have all commented, asking what kind of a hick-town is Peoria? It is time to focus on why a once proud powerhouse program would struggle in division II play. Bury this mascot and bring back the Brave. Get out the check book and find a coach who knows what he is doing. And while we're at it, explain to all the politically left *****s the history of the names Peoria and Illinois.

Agree dsteven--- Bringing back the Brave will not happen--but I wish we had followed the path of UIUC after the Chief was laid to rest--and just continued without a mascot--this futile attempt to be politically correct is a huge failure & will not instill pride or respect or support for our alma mater IMO

[LongTimeFan]

Next year no one not living in Peoria will have forgotten all about it. I will admit to missing Tommy Hawk but he is not coming back.

As some as said, winning would change what most think think about the Gargoyle. No one complains about the shockers mascot. Being an old farmer I realize that their mascot is a shock of wheat.