How do they start races at their track meets with a hand signal? :shrug:
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The University of Wisconsin has banned West Virginia's Mountaineer mascot from bringing his antique musket to the schools' game Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium because of a university policy that prohibits weapons on campus.
"First of all, it is our game. And we don't need a gun going off in front of 80,000 people," Wisconsin associate athletic director Jamie Pollard said. "In the big spirit of it all, I understand why they want to do it. But it is our home game."
West Virginia officials say the Mountaineer's musket fires powder, much like a starter's pistol. The mascot has been asked before not to fire the gun inside basketball arenas, and even once at a football stadium, but until now the musket has never been banned, officials said.
The Mountaineer mascot first appeared at athletic events in the 1936-1937 school year.
"We need to be loud and vocal right away about this and get it fixed before the weekend," a West Virginia fan wrote on the Internet Web site wvsports.com.
<http://image.i1img.com/images/ads/1x1.gif>
Another fan suggested Wisconsin mascot Bucky Badger could help break the ban.
"I think you should give the musket to Bucky and have him smuggle it in," the fan wrote. "I'm sure he would be happy to."
MADISON, Wis. (AP) - The University of Wisconsin has banned West Virginia's Mountaineer mascot from bringing his antique musket to the schools' game Saturday at Camp Randall Stadium because of a university policy that prohibits weapons on campus.
"First of all, it is our game. And we don't need a gun going off in front of 80,000 people," Wisconsin associate athletic director Jamie Pollard said. "In the big spirit of it all, I understand why they want to do it. But it is our home game."
West Virginia officials say the Mountaineer's musket fires powder, much like a starter's pistol. The mascot has been asked before not to fire the gun inside basketball arenas, and even once at a football stadium, but until now the musket has never been banned, officials said.
The Mountaineer mascot first appeared at athletic events in the 1936-1937 school year.
"We need to be loud and vocal right away about this and get it fixed before the weekend," a West Virginia fan wrote on the Internet Web site wvsports.com.
<http://image.i1img.com/images/ads/1x1.gif>
Another fan suggested Wisconsin mascot Bucky Badger could help break the ban.
"I think you should give the musket to Bucky and have him smuggle it in," the fan wrote. "I'm sure he would be happy to."
