Penn Quaker (L); Temple Owl (R)
wack
If there was a battle royale among Philadelphia college mascots,
who would win? earSHOT's Nate Chinen profiles the contenders. Drexel's archeology department still hasn't turned up any solid
historical data on their lascivious lizard. According to legend,
he's been around longer than cellophane. Strengths: He's big, bad and scaly. Exposure to his toxic morning breath
could be lethal. Weaknesses: The drag's getting along in years and putting on the pounds (devouring
too many Drexel damsels). Other gigs: Auditioned but was rejected for Puff. He inhaled. Theme song: Anything from David Lee Roth's Eat 'em & Smile Badass factor: La Salle Explorer Sometime in the 1930s, a sports writer came up with "Explorers"
while covering a La Salle football game. He didn't realize that
the school was named not for the famous adventurer, but for St.
John Baptist de La Salle, French educator and founder of the Christian
Brothers. The name stuck, however, despite halfhearted efforts
to call the team "The La Salle French Educators and Founders of
the Christian Brothers." Strengths: Intrepid and fearless. Weaknesses: Forgiving and merciful. Other gigs: Almost auditioned for the part of Indiana Jones. Got lost on the
way to the studio. Theme song: Iggy Pop's "Search and Destroy" Badass factor: Penn Quaker In the '20s or '30s, the local media referred to all Philadelphia
collegiate sports teams as "The Quakers." Penn was the only school
that didn't bother to shake off the title. Strengths: He's a member of a Christian sect opposed to war and noted for
simplicity of dress and living. Weaknesses: He's a member of a Christian sect opposed to war and noted for
simplicity of dress and living. Other gigs: Freelance work in the oatmeal industry. Theme song: Edwin Starr's "War (What Is It Good For)" Badass factor: 0 St. Joseph's Hawk In 1929, a student named Charlie Dunn initiated a contest for
a school symbol. The submissions were narrowed down to "The Hawks"
and "The Grenadiers" (World War I soldiers who tossed grenades).
We're a bit disappointed that they passed up the opportunity to
go with the grenade-tossing idea (hey, the Phanatic launches hot
dogs...), but the Hawk has been named the nation's top mascot
by Sports Illustrated and ESPN. Strengths: Razor-sharp talons, a steely glare and a deadly aerial attack.
Weaknesses: Doesn't toss grenades. Seriously, how cool would that have been?
Other gigs: Heavily influenced the character Hawk in Spenser: For Hire. Theme song: Joe Cocker and Jennifer Warnes' "Up Where We Belong" Badass factor: Temple Owl The Owl has been Temple's mascot since the school was founded
in the 1880s. Because Temple was originally a night school for
ambitious people of limited means, founder Russell Conwell told
his students that "the owl of the night makes the eagle of the
day." Strengths: Wise. Weaknesses: Older and crankier than Walter Matthau. Other gigs: Symbol of Athena in ancient Greece; appeared in a Tootsie Pop
commercial. Theme song: "Hoot, There It Is" Badass factor: Villanova Wildcat The result of a vote by the 1926 student body, the Wildcat was
first suggested by an assistant football coach. Villanova's athletic
teams were previously known as either "The Blue and White" or
"The Main Liners." Strengths: A lean, alert, ruthless killer, with no sense of remorse. Weaknesses: Serious flea and tick problems. Other gigs: Upcoming animal buddy film with René Russo. Theme song: "Wild Thing" Badass factor: Haverford 'Fords For some reason, Haverford can't decide on a single mascot. The
baseball team calls themselves "The Black Squirrels." Men's Lacrosse
is "The Red Wave." Everyone else goes by "The 'Fords," due, we
suspect, to the large number of LTDs on campus. Strengths: Great American craftsmanship. Virtually indestructible. Weaknesses: Sluggish. Handles like a brick in a tub of Jell-O. Other gigs: Frequent appearances on Starsky and Hutch, T.J. Hooker. Last seen revamped and souped-up in Men In Black. Theme song: "Have You Driven a Ford Lately?" Badass factor:
Badass Mascots
Drexel Dragon 