 Six down, six to go. That’s where we stand right now, as the bottom half of the 12 ACC mascots have been ranked, leaving only Virginia, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech, Florida State, UNC, and Duke (in no particular order, I promise). By now, you know the drill; if not, check out the other rankings, and the criteria used in making them. Also, please leave your comments about anything at all related to this column! So, let’s get down to business. As given away by the title (with the math based on the two stellar sophomore’s jersey numbers), the Duke Blue Devil comes in at sixth place in the ACC…something that will never happen in basketball under Coach K.
What hurts Duke in the rankings – as compared to those mascots who are still alive – is the origin of their nickname. According to the university library’s archives website,
“As the campus leaders from the Class of 1923 made plans for their senior year, they decided to select a name since the desired results by democratic nomination and vote had been inconclusive. The editors of The Archive and The Chanticleer, two of the other student publications…began the academic year 1922-23 referring to the athletic teams as the Blue Devils. Their class had been the first post-war freshmen and the student body was full of returning veterans so the name needed no explanation…Much to the editor's surprise no opposition materialized, not even from the college administration. The newspaper staff continued its use and through repetition, Blue Devils eventually caught on.”
Yawn. And you think this is long winded? Check it out without the ellipses. It may not be a good thing to bash a name that came out of war, but I don’t see the Blue Devil being too patriotic a name. The website, at least, doesn’t do a great job convincing me of this. After all, the Blue Devils were the French soldiers, not the Americans. And, the name came out of a vote on Blue Titans, Blue Eagles, Polar Bears, Blue Devils, Royal Blazes, or Blue Warriors; I am not convinced “Blue Devils” was the best name out of all those.
Some additional information: Three other teams share the Blue Devil nickname: Central Connecticut State University, SUNY Fredonia, and University of Wisconsin at Stout. Unfortunately for Duke, which is clearly the athletic power among all Blue Devils, sharing a nickname detracts from a school’s points in the mascot rankings.
Nonetheless, it is a good nickname, and the students must get credit for persevering with the nickname in spite of some (questionable) opposition from the administration. That is why Duke receives a grade of 3 out of 5 in the “interesting history” department, and salvages a spot in the top six.
As for the Blue Devil himself, Duke’s standing in these rankings is helped by his presence at athletic events. The costume is phenomenal, especially at basketball games, as the devil head and Duke jersey combo is intimidating for both reasons. Let me explain: the devil usually has a “headband” on, which has a message that can be either pro-Duke or anti-opponent. For example, during senior night, the phrase is usually “Thank you seniors!” However, the message can often target the team Duke plays, saying something witty and/or denouncing the opposition. (The picture to the left includes an anti-UNC sentiment.) As far as energy goes, the Blue Devil is usually running or jumping around, trying to pump up the fans (as if the Cameron Crazies needed any boost). Moreover, it can be said with confidence that the Blue Devil is out in full force during college basketball’s best rivalry among powerhouses, the Tobacco Road games between Duke and UNC. And, as for the other part of the costume…who isn’t at least a tiny bit intimidated by DUKE and Cameron Indoor? This is why the Blue Devil receives the coveted 5 out of 5 for “coolness” among mascots…only a few can top this creature.
All in all, the lack of points based on the Blue Devil’s history and origin leaves Duke at sixth place out of the 12 Atlantic Coast Conference teams. The nickname is not unique to the school, either, which does not help the Dukies’ cause. But, the mascot itself is awesome. I can only hope that the Crazies won’t attack my rankings with the same energy they use against opponents at Cameron Indoor. Check back next week to see who sits at the bottom of the Top Five.
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