The Pelican Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 I'm a SLU diehard but I will submit my kids' reaction to the new Thrilliken... 7 yo son - "creepy, very creepy. It's very odd and I hate it and change it immediately!" 9 yo daughter - "so weird, they could have done better. The kids at the Billiken game will be scared and it's going to scare fans away" 11 yo son - "pretty weird but I like that its winking and that the face has dimension. The Billiken doesn't have any muscles. His arms are like sticks!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenfan05 Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 You have to keep the open mouth. It's the viewing hole for the person inside. The other Billiken was awful because you had to look down anytime you had uneven ground or stairs. asthetically I really don't mind the open mouth. Edit: I have poor comprehension skills apologies to longlivelisch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NextYearBill Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 all in all.... who cares.... i just want to win basketball games again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Ken Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 44 minutes ago, NextYearBill said: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billy Ken Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 I agree winning cures all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Billboy1 Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Like everything else the school hopes this will blow over and this opposition will die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bills_06 Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Another article in the post about it this morning but this time talking about Dr. Pestello. They did mention this was SLU's first mascot change in 20 years compared to most institutions changing theirs every 8 years so I am sure Tilkowsky will be first in the comment section asking for links. http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/education/slu-president-finds-humor-in-internet-backlash-toward-new-mascot/article_d38d46c4-c2ff-52ec-95a7-76f5bca9c929.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 12 hours ago, LongLiveLisch said: Putting as little effort into this as required, I think this would be a better representation of the new logo: You'd still need to leave room to see, probably white mesh above the mouth. The open mouth makes it look like pokemon. This is way better. You should send this to Dr. Pestello. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 43 minutes ago, Box and Won said: This is way better. You should send this to Dr. Pestello. On Twitter. As the Post article and anyone who follows him on social media confirms, he's a whiz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
runandshoot Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 I agree looks like TCU Horn Frog mascot Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RUBillsFan Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 I like that Dr. Pestello is making light of this situation. People threatening to withhold contributions to the University or not buy tickets or whatever over the way the new mascot looks is a complete joke. It's a F*CKING mascot for christsakes and one that is inherently weird anyways. Have you seen the previous iterations of the mascot? Most of them are equally creepy and I would argue that includes the last one as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 14 hours ago, LongLiveLisch said: Putting as little effort into this as required, I think this would be a better representation of the new logo: You'd still need to leave room to see, probably white mesh above the mouth. The open mouth makes it look like pokemon. I think the fix above actually sticks with tradition. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Still needs a nose, at least a visible one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonwich Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 12 minutes ago, Pistol said: Still needs a nose, at least a visible one. The Billiken Beelzebub actually does have a nose that protrudes enough that I think it'll be visible even in an all-white modification. That marvelous Photoshop by LongLiveLisch looks like he needed to brush it out -- and, as he said, he didn't want to spend too much time on it yet. I did take the liberty of Tweeting it to the prez because, shortly after I posted that suggestion, someone else had put that "classic" seated Billiken in my feed. (And he and I are already, you know, such great buds on Twitter.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 In response from the Left Coast, I don't think this new Billiken is all that bad, not as bad as all this seemingly overwhelming dissent. Is this mascot really going to scare small children, as has been claimed? Really? Does the real life LSU Tiger Mike scare small children? I was in Baton Rouge a year ago, and my observation was that answer is no. The kids liked the Tiger. SLU asked its student athletes, who said they wanted a fiercer Billiken. Starting with the premise that he's a Billiken, there's only so much you can do with a Billiken, I do like the leaner, more fit look over his more portly ancestors. While I could do without the split head grey, the grey was added last year as an alternate third uniform. Is this response a microcosm of St. Louis itself, reticent to the point of fear, of change? ... I remember as a kid when my Mom gave me a newspaper cut-out of a cartoon Billiken from the old St. Louis Globe-Democrat. That's where it all began for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quality Is Job 1 Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 I know I risk a backlash for mentioning this but.... American English: "gray"; British English: "grey." Do we have a lot of Brits here who consider the Billikens their favourite team? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 For the record and the archives of history, yours truly along with my SLU roommate from Cellblock 6 Gries., restored the true Billiken mascot in 1981. Ekker, then served a dual role as Head Men's Basketball Coach and Athletic Director. Ekker had abolished the Billiken in favor of the pathetic Billy Lou, who looked like the old Mayrose Meat Man. After sitting through 2 years (as I recall) of this madness, without our Billiken, we took action our Senior year. It was at the time of the Bronze Boot Soccer Game vs. SIUE at Busch Stadium II. For years we had watched SIUE parade that live cougar in front of us. We went to Ekker's office. We told him we wanted back the Billiken. Ekker responded that he had spent a lot of money for that (Billy Lou) mascot. We said, "Coach, that's fine, but our team (or mascot) is the Billikens." We told him we weren't leaving his office until he let us have back the Billiken. He relented, he let us have what was then the "Head," as the Billiken head, complete with a gash was released from captivity. When not in use at the games, the "Head" sat in our dorm room that year. We commissioned our next door neighbor to be the Billiken at the Bronze Boot game, fitted him in an old SLU Hockey jersey. We told him he was going to take the "walk," on the north side in front of the SIUE fans, like that Cougar always did on our South Side. His only stipulation was that he didn't have to get near that cougar. We commissioned 2 female tennis players to escort him, and we took that walk. At the Basketball games, we commissioned a classmate from 3 Clemens (3CEC) to be the Billiken. We made a deal with a tuxedo rental store for a free tuxedo in exchange for free advertising. The Billiken consisted of "The Head," and wore a tuxedo and sneakers. An article re the return of "The Head" was even written by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch college basketball scribe, Dave Dorr. So yes, BAB does have some personal, almost family attachment to our Billiken. Don't tread on my Billiken. Don't tread on my Billikens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmith19 Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Oh good lord, I was hoping we could at least retire the word "fierce" from the logo debate after this monstrosity. A fierce Billiken makes about as much sense as a cuddly porcupine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billikenfan05 Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 I can only the imagine the powers that be are spinning this as a all publicity is good publicity. They are probably jumping for joy right now. This won't get fixed. We're stuck with two-face Billy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 I've had this thought. There may be such a method to this madness. On the other hand, this is SLU. In the "word" of the late, great Joaquin Andujar, "youneverknow." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pistol Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 One of my coworkers came in this morning and asked, "Okay, so what's with this new Billiken? Let me see him. I heard about the disaster on Bob & Tom." Bob & Tom! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bay Area Billiken Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Publicity. There's no such thing as bad publicity. Are we seeing the New SLU? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juniorbill76 Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 This may be the New Coke of NCAA mascots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeSmetBilliken Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 1 hour ago, Bay Area Billiken said: Publicity. There's no such thing as bad publicity. Are we seeing the New SLU? We could be. In my years observing SLU, it always seemed to me that if SLU screwed something up, the typical reaction from SLU wasn't to admit or correct the mistake, but instead it was to get angry at the person that pointed out the mistake. At least here SLU seems to be able to brace and have a sense of humor about the negative feedback. Also, there are a fair number of people who would have thought any iteration of the Billiken was creepy and looked weird. Heck, when I informed a friend (SLU alum) last year of the new logo that was forthcoming, his response was "Are they going to try to make it less creepy?" I also definitely remember reading at least college basketball reporter at the NCAA tournament tweeting out that the Billiken (the previous version) looked creepy. The difference is that we were used to the old one. But please SLU, get rid of the two-toned face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Box and Won Posted September 22, 2016 Share Posted September 22, 2016 Pestello is handling this masterfully. I thought his line about the Billiken going through puberty was hilarious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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