Otto the Orange

Last updated
Otto the Orange
Otto the Orange logo.svg
Logo version of Otto the Orange
UniversitySyracuse University
Conference ACC
Description"Anthropomorphic citrus with arms, legs and lots of energy" [1]
First seen1980

Otto the Orange is the mascot for the Syracuse Orange, the athletic teams of Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York, USA. Otto is an anthropomorphism of the color orange, wearing a large blue hat and blue pants. Otto can often be seen at Syracuse sporting events in the JMA Wireless Dome, at other venues and regularly across the university's campus.

Contents

Mascot history

Otto the Orange entertains the audience at Syracuse Orange women's ice hockey game at the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion (2023). Otto the Orange entertains the audience at Syracuse women's ice hockey game against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute at the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion, Syracuse University 16.jpg
Otto the Orange entertains the audience at Syracuse Orange women's ice hockey game at the Tennity Ice Skating Pavilion (2023).

A 1997 article in the Syracuse University Magazine provides a short history of the mascots at Syracuse University. [2] One of the earliest mascots, recorded in 1894, was a dog with a football helmet. [2]

Saltine Warrior

The Syracuse mascot was originally a Native American character named "The Saltine Warrior" (Syracuse's unofficial nickname is the Salt City) and "Big Chief Bill Orange". [3] [4] The character was born out of a hoax from a report by student humor magazine Orange Peel, in which it was claimed that a 16th-century Onondaga chief was unearthed while digging the foundation for the women's gymnasium in 1928. [2]

In the mid-1950s, the father of a Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity brother owned a cheer leading camp. He made a Saltine Warrior costume for his son to wear at SU football games. Thus began a nearly forty-year tradition of Lambda Chi brothers serving as SU's mascot. In 1990 however the University opened up the mascot traditions to the entire student body (Daily Orange, February 22, 1990).

In December 1977, Native American students successfully petitioned the University to discontinue the Saltine Warrior, citing the mascot's stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans. The mascot was discontinued in 1978. [5] Oren Lyons, Onondaga Nation leader and an alumn, called the warrior derogatory. [2] During the 1978 season, the University introduced a Roman gladiator dressed in orange armor, but the idea proved largely unpopular among fans, who regularly booed the mascot. [3] [4]

Otto becomes official

In the 1980s, a new Syracuse University mascot emerged and was described by Sports Illustrated in 1984 as a "juiced-up, bumbling citrus fruit from which two legs protrude", and quickly became popular on campus. [3] [6] Then, the mascot was simply known as "the Orange", [5] and was designed and crafted by Eric Heath, an SU cheerleader, according to the SU Archives. [7]

Early on the mascot had multiple monikers, including Clyde and Woody. [7] [8] In the summer of 1990, the cheerleaders and mascots were at Cheerleading Camp in Tennessee and the students who were chosen to suit up in the costume narrowed the field down to two potential names — "Opie" and "Otto" — as a new orange costume was made. It was concluded that the name "Opie" would lead to the inevitable rhyme with 'dopey', and settled on "Otto." Later that fall, word got out that the cheerleaders were calling the latest mascot costume Otto, and the name stuck. [4] [9]

For 17 years the university did not settle on an "official" mascot until the chancellor appointed a group of students and faculty to create a mascot and logo. University administration considered introducing a new mascot – a wolf ("An Orange Pack of Wolves" [2] ) or lion were likely candidates – but the student body supported Otto. The Orange was recognized as the official mascot of Syracuse University in December 1995 by Chancellor Buzz Shaw. [4] [5] [10]

Another logo of Otto the Orange Otto the orange.png
Another logo of Otto the Orange

In 2016, Otto was named in the top-10 mascots in college football by Sports Illustrated . [11] In the same year, Otto was ranked No. 1 mascot in the ACC by ESPN. [7] [12]

On 12 August 2023, Otto was inducted in the Mascot Hall of Fame following a two-week online vote in May. [13] [14]

In January 2024, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an Otto Bobblehead to celebrate the National Bobblehead Day on January 7. [15] The museum previously released two versions of Otto bobblehead in 2017. One celebrated the 2003 basketball National championship while the other showed Otto with a lacrosse stick to honor 11 national championships of the Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team. [16] [17]

Mascot team

There are a team of about 10-12 performers that dress as Otto; this team contains a mix of personalities and genders. As of 2023, over 100 Syracuse students have taken on the role of Otto, [13] [8] and 2023-24 featured an all-women cast for the first time in Syracuse history. [18] Similar body builds are required so not one Otto stands out; performers need to be the desired height of 5 feet and 10 inches. The orange costume weighs about 10 pounds, [8] and stunts, dances, gestures and general movement are all practiced and routinized. The Ottos take turns attending events. Otto will never be in two places at once, preserving the magic of the mascot; if there are two sporting events happening at the same time, Otto's appearances will be split between the two events. [19] In the 2022-23 school year, Otto appeared at over 800 on-campus and off-campus events – an increase of 100 than in 2019. [20]

Social media

In general, most of Otto’s social media activity happens through pictures and videos. Mascot Hall of Fame describes Otto as energetic and enthusiastic, friendly and approachable, and mischievous and curious. [13]

Otto has appeared in multiple This is SportsCenter commercials. [21] [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syracuse University</span> Private university in Syracuse, New York, US

Syracuse University is a private research university in Syracuse, New York, United States. Established in 1870 with roots in the Methodist Episcopal Church, the university has been nonsectarian since 1920. Located in the city's University Hill neighborhood, east and southeast of Downtown Syracuse, the large campus features an eclectic mix of architecture, ranging from nineteenth-century Romanesque Revival to contemporary buildings. Syracuse University is organized into 13 schools and colleges and is classified among "R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity".

<i>Sparty</i> Mascot of Michigan State University

Sparty is the mascot of Michigan State University. Sparty is usually depicted as a muscular male Spartan warrior/athlete dressed in stylized Greek costume. After changing the team name from "Aggies" to "Spartans" in 1925, various incarnations of a Spartan warrior with a prominent chin appeared at university events and in university literature. In 1943, MSU art professor Leonard D. Jungwirth designed a statue for the university, which had to be cast in terra cotta because of World War II rationing. In 2005, the university replaced Jungwirth's original statue with a bronze replica, moving the original indoors to protect it from the elements.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Onondaga Community College</span> Public community college in Syracuse, New York, United States

Onondaga Community College (OCC) is a public community college that serves Onondaga County and Central New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. OCC's 280-acre main campus is located in the Town of Onondaga, which borders the city of Syracuse, New York.

The Syracuse Orange are the athletic teams that represent Syracuse University. The school is a member of NCAA Division I and the Atlantic Coast Conference. Until 2013, Syracuse was a member of the Big East Conference.

Sean McDonough is an American sportscaster, currently employed by ESPN and the WEEI Boston Red Sox Radio Network. McDonough has play-by-play experience for all four major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pittsburgh Panthers</span> Athletic teams of the University of Pittsburgh

The Pittsburgh Panthers, commonly also referred to as the Pitt Panthers, are the athletic teams representing the University of Pittsburgh, although the term is colloquially used to refer to other aspects of the university such as alumni, faculty, and students. Pitt fields 19 university-sponsored varsity teams at the highest level of competitive collegiate athletics in the United States: the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) for American football.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WJPZ-FM</span> Radio station in Syracuse, New York

WJPZ-FM – branded as Z89 – is a radio station in Syracuse, New York. It broadcasts on 89.1 MHz with an effective radiated power of 1,000 watts and can be heard throughout Syracuse, the rest of Onondaga County, and beyond to the north and east. WJPZ primarily programs a Top 40 (CHR) radio format. A notable amount of airtime during the academic year is devoted to sports talk and live play-by-play coverage of select local sporting events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Hampshire Wildcats</span> Athletic program that represent the University of New Hampshire

The New Hampshire Wildcats, or 'Cats, are the American intercollegiate athletic teams representing the University of New Hampshire (UNH), located in Durham. The wildcat is the school's official mascot, the colors are UNH Blue and white. The University of New Hampshire competes at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level as a full member of the America East Conference, and sponsors teams in seven men's, eleven women's and one coed NCAA sanctioned sports. However, the men's and women's hockey teams are members of Hockey East, the gymnastics team is a member of the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL), and the ski team is a member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA). The football team plays as an associate member of the Coastal Athletic Association in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision, the second tier of Division I formerly known as Division I-AA.

WAER is a radio station in Syracuse, New York. It is located on the campus of Syracuse University, and is a part of the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. The station features a jazz music and National Public Radio format, with a news, Syracuse Orange play-by-play, and music staff providing programming around the clock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Syracuse Orange football</span> College football team representing Syracuse University, New York

The Syracuse Orange football team represents Syracuse University in the sport of American football. The Orange compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Syracuse is the only Division I FBS school in New York to compete in one of the Power Four conferences.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Smokey (mascot)</span> University of Tennessee sports mascot

Smokey is the mascot of the University of Tennessee sports teams. These teams, named "The Volunteers" and nicknamed "the Vols", use both a live and a costumed version of Smokey.

The Syracuse Orange men's basketball program is an intercollegiate men's basketball team representing Syracuse University in Syracuse, New York. The program is classified in the NCAA Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the team competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beth Mowins</span> American sports journalist and announcer

Elizabeth Mowins is an American play-by-play announcer and sports journalist for ESPN, CBS, and Marquee Sports Network. She typically calls women's college sports, and became the second woman to call nationally televised college football games for ESPN in 2005. She began doing play-by-play for NFL games in 2017 and became the first woman to call a nationally televised NFL game. In 2021, she became the first woman to call play-by-play for an NBA game on network TV.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack the Bulldog</span> Mascot of Georgetown University

Jack the Bulldog is the official mascot of the Georgetown University Hoyas athletic teams. The school has employed at least nine live Bulldogs as mascots, and counts seven named Jack since 1962, when the name first came into use, including three who are still living. The current incarnation of Jack, who will be taking over from his predecessor during the spring 2024 semester, is an English Bulldog born in 2023 whose full name is Serchell's John P. Carroll. Recent bulldogs have come from the Georgetown alumni family of Janice and Marcus Hochstetler.

William B. Roth is an American television and radio sportscaster. Longtime play-by-play voice of Virginia Tech Hokies football and men's basketball from 1988 to 2015 and again starting in 2022 for Hokies Football, Roth also served as an announcer for the Richmond Braves from 1993–96, and spent 2015-16 with the UCLA Bruins before joining ESPN in 2016.

CitrusTV is the completely student-run television studio of Syracuse University and SUNY ESF in Syracuse, New York. It was founded in 1970 and has more than 350 student members.

Anish Shroff is the radio play-by-play man for the Carolina Panthers and a play-by-play announcer and on-air host at ESPN.

Roy D. Simmons Jr. is a former American lacrosse coach who was the head coach of the Syracuse Orange men's lacrosse team from 1971 to 1998. Simmons' teams won the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Men's Lacrosse Championship six times, and appeared in the national semifinals 16 consecutive seasons. He won the F. Morris Touchstone Award for the coach of the year in NCAA men's lacrosse in 1980, and was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1991.

Brendan McDaniels is an American sports announcer currently working for the ESPN family of networks. He has done games nationally on ESPNU, ESPN+, ESPN3, American Sports Network, and Fox College Sports.

The Saltine Warrior was the former mascot of Syracuse University in the United States. It was in use for the college from 1931 to 1978. Based on a legend about Ogeekeda Hoschenegada, a 16th-century leader of the Onondaga Nation, the mascot acquired popularity after appearing in school publications and eventually became part of the university's culture. At first, the mascot was celebrated across campus, symbolizing pride and spirit. The Saltine Warrior became a rallying symbol which was prominently seen at sporting events and other highly publicized gatherings. However, everything changed in the middle of the 1950s, when the mascot would start to receive high levels of controversy. Students and indigenous communities would retaliate against a caricature costume, to which was worn by members of Syracuse's Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. The mascot was retired in 1978 as a result of efforts to have it removed, and this marked the beginning of programs designed to increase indigenous inclusion and knowledge on campus.

References

  1. ↑ "Go Orange: Syracuse University's Otto voted into Mascot Hall of Fame". Syracuse.com. June 24, 2023. Retrieved October 24, 2024.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Case, Dick (1 January 1997). "Mascot Memories". Syracuse University Magazine . 13 (3). Syracuse University: 38–41. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 Webb, Donnie (31 May 2004). "Origins of Orange: Colors, nicknames and mascots of Syracuse sports over the years (from the archive)". Syracuse Post-Standard . Retrieved 6 March 2022.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Syracuse University Athletics. "SU's Mascot" . Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  5. 1 2 3 "150 Years Timeline". www.syracuse.edu. Syracuse University. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
  6. ↑ Croyle, Johnathan (2017-11-10). "Evolution of Syracuse University's Otto the Orange (vintage photos)". syracuse.com. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  7. 1 2 3 Boghosian, Alison (7 June 2016). "ESPN ranks Otto the Orange No. 1 mascot in the ACC". The Daily Orange . Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 Cox, Jay (10 August 2023). "14 Fun Facts about the Orange's Hall of Famer Mascot". syracuse.edu . Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  9. ↑ Messinger, Mitch (2007-04-02). "Letter to the editor: 'Otto the Orange' coined in 1992". Daily Orange. Retrieved 15 November 2009.
  10. ↑ "Syracuse's Otto the Orange ranked No. 8 best mascot in college football". The Daily Orange - The Independent Student Newspaper of Syracuse, New York. 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  11. ↑ Axe, Brent (2016-09-06). "Sports Illustrated ranks Otto the Orange as a Top 10 mascot in college football". syracuse.com. Retrieved 2019-06-29.
  12. ↑ Adelson, Andrea (6 June 2016). "College football roundtable: Best mascots". ESPN . Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 "Otto the Orange | Mascot Hall of Fame". Mascot Hall of Fame . 16 February 2023. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  14. ↑ Weber, Christine (24 June 2023). "Newest Hall of Fame Inductee at Syracuse University: Otto the Orange". Syracuse University News . Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  15. ↑ Herbert, Geoff (5 January 2024). "Orange you glad? Syracuse mascot honored by Bobblehead Hall of Fame". Syracuse Post-Standard . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  16. ↑ Sklar, Phillip (March 1, 2017). "Exclusive Syracuse Orange 'Otto' Bobblehead Being Released". National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  17. ↑ Jastrzembski, Chris (17 October 2017). "Syracuse lacrosse has a bobblehead". College Crosse. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  18. ↑ Boehm, Rosina (25 March 2024). "For the first time in SU history, Otto the Orange is played by an all-women cast". The Daily Orange . Retrieved 25 March 2024.
  19. ↑ Kramer, Jeff (2017-03-15). "Otto Unpeeled: Revealing the super-secret life of SU's orange mascot". Syracuse New Times. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
  20. ↑ Tagami, Megan (August 28, 2023). "Pay $300 an Hour to Have Your College Mascot Attend Your Wedding". Wall Street Journal . Retrieved 20 February 2024.
  21. ↑ Herbert, Geoff (30 December 2022). "Otto's nightmare: Syracuse mascot stars in new ESPN 'SportsCenter' ad (video)". syracuse.com . Retrieved 12 August 2023.
  22. ↑ "Otto, Syracuse's Orange Pays A Visit". ESPN.com . 20 October 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.