Inflatable Joe, bouncing mascot, needs
      to go

      
By Ruth Snow
   Sports Editor

      
The
      University of Idaho used to have a mascot that was interactive.
      This year's freshmen class is probably wondering why I used the
      words "used to" when we still apparently have a mascot.

      


      I use those words to signify my personal belief that the new
      Joe needs to have an early retirement. Last year the Argonaut
      questioned the decision to abolish the old Joe. In response,
      the old Joe was brought back to be the interactive mascot everyone
      knew and loved. 

      


      This year, I have barely seen old Joe, but maybe I haven't been
      paying attention at the games. Perhaps old Joe is taking a breather
      for the first half of the football games, or maybe the old mask
      reeked so badly the athletic department couldn't find a student
      willing to take on the role for more than an hour at a time?

      


      At Saturday's massacre against Montana State, I found myself
      wandering through the alumni section. As usual, I spotted some
      active alumni and decided to stop and chat for a while about
      how boring the game was (the score was 42-0 at this point). 

      


      As I was chatting away, the new Joe Vandal appeared to be lying
      down on the sideline. Since I usually watch the action on the
      field, I have never before noticed the trick of Joe bouncing
      on his head. 

      


      This action got the attention of the alumni I was chatting with,
      and they mentioned how ridiculous looking the new Joe is. Being
      of sound mind, I whole-heartedly agreed with their sentiments.
      The new Joe not only waddles around like a duck on the sideline,
      the crowd usually laughs at him.  

      


      Notice I said laughed at, not with. I remember the old Joe Vandal.
      He would sit beside fans; crowd surf and even help start the
      wave. The best thing the new Joe

      
 can do is bounce on his head while getting
      laughed at by the opposing team and their fans.

      How hard would it be to get a new mascot mask made? I am sure
      that a design team from the theatre department would be more
      than happy to make a new mask. The athletic department could
      pay these creative geniuses to create a mask (perhaps two, so
      Joe could go on the road simultaneously) similar to the old one.

      


      Since the athletic department is not going to voluntarily rid
      our university of the embarrassment of new Joe, we need to take
      matters into our own hands. I am sure that if a nail were strategically
      placed on the sideline, that would at least keep new Joe out
      of one game. One suggestion I received was a blow dart gun. A
      smart person could smuggle it in.

      


      A pocketknife would be a risky deflator, but perhaps a person
      could attack while Joe is walking through the tunnel to the field.
      Instead of pumping Joe up with air, perhaps a little helium would
      help him float away into oblivion.

      


      The last suggestion received was the most obvious. Joe seems
      to struggle to find a way to get up after falling. Maybe if a
      Blow Joe enemy could push him over, or down some stairs, he wouldn't
      be able to get back on his two little plastic feet.

      


      Regardless of the method, the new Joe should go. I can no longer
      stand by and watch this blow-up doll represent our school.

      


      We are the Vandals.

      


      We need old Joe to sit beside small children and shake alumni
      hands. Bring back our beloved mascot.

      


      Go Vandals.
 

      
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