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| (above) ESPN2 featured Boone prominently on Saturday's telecast |
Denver Boone's last game on Saturday was a success on all levels except for the final score of the lacrosse game.
Children flocked to Boone between periods for photographs, the mascot led cheers in the DU section and ESPN2 cameramen worked with the mascot's assistant for cutaway shots. Boone signs, sold before the game at the DU tailgate, were seen in the stadium and on TV. The Mega-Boone sign was hoisted after key DU goals.
Every effort has been made to resurrect Boone as the official university mascot.
When those efforts failed, we tried to work with DU's Mascot Steering Committee to incorporate Boone's features into the new mascot. Those ideas were rejected out of hand. Petitions, letters and emails to DU have largely been ignored.
Boone's presence on social media remains stronger than ever. And as we saw on Saturday, the mascot put on quite a final show.
Thanks go out to the four students who managed the Boone program since 2009. No one can deny that thepast five years have been the stongest mascot era in university history. Each year the program expanded and in many ways is better than ever.
To all the students, alumni, fans, children and DU staffers who supported Boone, we say, "Thank You."
The Boone costume has arrived in Houston where it will be cleaned, repaired and stored.
36 comments:
It was a good run, DG, thanks so much. A Boone sign from a game is framed and hangs in our bar downstairs, and we have memories galore. -- Chase
This is a sad ending to a great movement. Thanks go out to DG and all of the friends of Boone who have kept this movement alive.
meanwhile, the Lax team had an excellent season
but doesn't matter, as this is the site about DGs foam friend
Fan blogs follow the action through the eyes of the fans.
Go to the Denver Post, Inside Lacrosse, LaxPower or DenverPioneers.com for more specific info about the team.
"The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated" - Mark Twain
Boone's death, as well, has been stated, re-stated, and exaggerated repeatedly. Just because Coombe says the movement is over, won't make it so.
I don't understand why people are getting on Damien's case.
He clearly cares more about our community more than anyone else.
We have some joke of a committee making a new mascot that clearly the majority of our student body is against, yet being ignored by the school.
We apparently have some kid who's a TRANSFER student leading the way, someone who hasn't even been a Pioneer for three years yet. These people are forcing a change on all of us that most of us don't want.
Damien has been the most vocal of anybody and did his best for our voices to be heard (even though they weren't), so I SAY thank you Damien.
I guess now we will be the Denver Elks or something. Whatever these clowns come up with
Damien, you should "secretly" sneak the Boone outfit into Magness before the first DU CC home game and have someone don it and just make a mad dash for the Student Section. 'Mascot kicked out of stadium' could grab some headlines for Boone. Maybe I'm just living in the past, but I don't want to root for a Cosmonaut or Johnny 5
Has Boone now been banned from campus? I thought he was still recognized as an unofficial mascot....
The kid in Boone outfit isn’t prohibited from attending the DU games. Boone remains the unofficial mascot. DG is just tired of paying the tab. If the University won’t step up to pay for Boone then DG is mothballing the costume.
I, too, would like to extend my personal thanks to DG. Just by reading the passion on this blog, both positive and negative, shows LetsGoDu as a great outlet for people who are passionate about DU.
If this truly is the end of Boone, I am asking that we, collectively, put pressure on the committee for the Red Vested Jackalope. This entire change has been facilitated by Coombe. With that in mind, we should start to exert influence on the artists to incorporate our chancellor’s ‘likeness’ in the new design – red vest, glasses, a bow tie, and a sheriffs badge. After all, the change is not about DU, the alums, or the students. I have posted a Facebook link for the Jackalope on the Create a Mascot Page. Please feel free to visit the DU mascot site and tell them how much you like the Red Vested Jackalope…insist on the features you love (glasses, bow tie, Red Vest).
Let’s all remember, this is not about DG or a mascot. This is about a precious few who are defining how they think others view the world and they are our thought police. All this, based on a cartoon generated Mascot called Pioneer Pete! Intent means nothing to this group and neither does history. Mark this day in your calendars – ‘Pioneers’ will be next to fall along with the Fighting Illini, Syracuse Orangemen, et al.. . It is a select few driving the change on the majority and using sexism and racism as their ‘wedge’. If a smiling cartoon mascot, Denver Boone, is offensive and non-inclusive, ‘Pioneers’ is an outright abomination because the intent of the Pioneers name WAS to celebrate the founding fathers (mostly European) who ventured west.
If I contribute money to bring Boone back, will DG listen to what events I think Bone should attend? I would like to see Boone at all the hockey games even if he has to skip basketball to be there.
No, fool. Nobody will listen to you. Go do something on your own to promote school spirit. Oh, that's right, you probably have zero interest in attempting anything like that.
I echo the comments above--good job, Damien! I can't see Boone being fully retired. But whatever happens, you have shown DU what can be done with a good mascot. I doubt that they will learn from it, though.
DG wants to give the new mascot a chance to succeed or fail on its own merits. It was a great 4 year run for the new Boone and we will see how the new mascot develops.
DG, echoing the thanks of other Pio fans. Boone has made a big difference to school spirit and a coming together of alumni and students.
Now the big question is how long will the "new official" mascot last?
BTW, have you visited WVU's website and seen the Mountaineer? Except for the fact they use a real person who usually grows a beard, the Mountaineer looks amazingly like Boone.
Sorry tim but this really is about DG and the mascot not some conspiracy theory.
DG is tired of being Boone’s sugar daddy.
2 thoughts: If we are in the final 4 next year in Baltimore, DU is not paying to fly the new mascot in. Boone will be there. Bet your bottom dollar. Actually, he'll probably be at an earlier event or events. Does DG seem like a man who will give up? Absolutely not.
2nd thought: So as I understand it, the name "Boone" is what is offensive to the administration and 4 students. If so just change the name of the mascot to Pio. Lots of people change their names; very few schools change mascots..
Oh, and thank you DG.
At 2:23 Lulz for real? Very few schools change mascots? You may want to use your internet for things other than praising DG
LetsGoDU has been supporting school spirit long before [2005] one of our readers came up with the crazy idea to build the mascot [2008].
The mascot costume was purchased by 20 alums and donated to the student volunteers who ran the program. When the student volunteers needed help with the administration, feedback or support many, many alumni stepped forward.
It was very important to us that if Boone was going to be railroaded out of town, we come up with a massive last show of support. Thanks to the success of the lacrosse team, Philadelphia provided that opportunity.
DU has not banned Boone from Magness or campus [at this time], but having our first class mascot play second fiddle to an elk, jackalope or mountaineer is not going to happen.
More and more restrictions were placed on Boone in Magness this past season due to the political climate on campus. One example was TV cameramen were instructed to not zoom in or feature Boone prominently. Seems pretty petty when the whole point of Boone was to support our students, fans and players.
With Boone out of the picture, all the attention will be on the Mascot Steering Committee. From an insiders point of view the entire mascot selection process has been interesting to say the least.
Boone had a great five year run.
If the university changes its mind, pressure makes the new mascot unviable or the students are able to hold an election we'll be happy to donate the Boone costume to DU.
Thanks for everything DG
Now we just sit and wait as the school wastes money on these artists, minus the cheesy looking, snob Will Guy kid who I wouldn't consider an artist
What a waste of money to spend on these guys ripping us off, for something we don't want
But hey at least Elk's don't offend anyone!
The decision to hide Boone away in DG’s closet seems seedy and wrong. Shouldn’t we all get to vote on this? Who were the volunteers that were given the responsibility for taking care of Boone? How were they picked? Just somebody DG talked to at a bar? His old frat brothers? Seems like their failure this past season has hurt all the fans. The result seems to be the administration calling for a new mascot. This process sucks worse than the one the administration is using to pick the new mascot. At least they have some accountability. This is just one pudgy dictator ruining it for all of us. Maybe it is a better idea to have this run by the University. At least there is some modicum of transparency. Maybe the administration will actually be able to get the mascot to our flagship sport. Less youtube videos and more attendance at the games.
Maybe YOU should go to the games. Seems like you don't get out of your mom's basement nearly enough.
Keeping Boone in Houston storage is the right move. Boone will not be welcome at DU events and competing wiith the new mascot will hamper everyone. Someday, the climate may be different but for now, having a renegade mascot running around while DU is trying to install a new mascot seems like sour grapes. Someday, when a new chancellor wants to embrace tradition instead of running from it, Boone will be ready for return.
Farewell Biouxn we hardly knioux ya. Good idea to stash that lame get-up - may come in handy for the next Pride parade
Elk? Like in Elks Club? It's a drinking club with potato chips and potato salad for poorly educated racists. No minorities. Heck, it's even anti-semitic. Walk into one some time. I don't want to be associated with an elk.
DG and team Boone: thanks for the school spirit push. It is troubling it feels Boone's passing is the end to it.
I'm glad you have seen the error of your ways and are no longer a racist homophobe. Thank you for not picking on my son despite his "differences"
Giving Boone a rest is the right thing to do. If he is around interfering with the new mascot, the anti-Boones will blame us for the lack of success of their new mascot. Let their mascot fail without Boone to push it. Then when it fails, they'll know who to call...
Agree totally with previous comment.
The Mascot Steering Committee has made several serious blunders already.
1). Refusing to compromise with the Boone majority and incorporating some of Boone's features into the new designs.
2). Sending out the email to alumni without have some firm candidates in place setting off an unnecessary firestorm.
3). Not hiring any minority artists was insanely stupid.
4). Ignoring all their own data showing Boone's popularity.
5). Spending $40,000 soon to be $100,000 in a year when faculty received no pay raises and students were hit with a 3.8% tuition hike.
6). Doing this while firing the best coach in DU history.
I'm sure more follies will be available soon.
Bye Boone!! It was a great run! Who knows what the future will give us!!
If you should choose to wear the costume of the new mascot, please make sure DU promises to send you on meaningful road trips for hockey, hoops, and lax. If they won't do this, what is the point of a mascot.
You had me 'till #6 DG. LOL. Seriously, we're all grateful that for once, someone took the lead and helped pump up school spirit at DU. Let's hope this new mascot fiasco doesn't result cause a loss of momentum. Thanks. And well done.
We can argue about George vs. Murray. Different eras to be sure.
DU's 2004 National Championship is looking particularly amazing in retrospect when you consider that not only did DU beat the #9, #1, #4 & #2 teams in the tournament [Mia, UND, UMD & ME].
But Zack Parise, Jimmy Howard and Junior Lessard as well.
30-1-1
There you go using facts again.
You wouldn't last two minutes in Coombe's administration.
Two minutes is about all I could stand. Besides, I'm "burdened with a DU degree" so I'd never have the chance.
Murray's place in DU history is more than just wins and national titles, although there were plenty of those. Canned Heat did a song years ago called "Rockin' with the King," it was about Little Richard. There's an appropriate line that goes: "they call him the innovator he ain't no imitator." That was Murray, to a "T."
We should all be so lucky that Jim Montgomery winds up as successful and classy as Gwoz. Jim's got about the same task ahead of him as Phil Bengston (the guy who succeeded Lombardi) did. I'm optimistic, as we all are, that he can get the job done. Gwoz has set the bar very high indeed.
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