KenOTR73 wrote:

That stupid bear lasted 3 or 4 years and it didn't go all the way back to Murray. I'm afraid our marketing folks are partaking of the evil weed!! We're the Dukes, not the bears not the lions.

The story as I heard it from a good source was that a group of people were in Dr. Murray's smoke filled office discussing the Dukes' mascot. Somehow they started talking about sales of items at the campus bookstore and that the Duquesne Teddy Bear was the #1 seller.  Aha! Let's make the mascot a bear...  "the kids will love him".  And thus another infamous misstep in the sorry history of Duquesne athletics.  
 

PhoenixRising2 wrote:

KenOTR73 wrote:

That stupid bear lasted 3 or 4 years and it didn't go all the way back to Murray. I'm afraid our marketing folks are partaking of the evil weed!! We're the Dukes, not the bears not the lions.

The story as I heard it from a good source was that a group of people were in Dr. Murray's smoke filled office discussing the Dukes' mascot. Somehow they started talking about sales of items at the campus bookstore and that the Duquesne Teddy Bear was the #1 seller.  Aha! Let's make the mascot a bear...  "the kids will love him".  And thus another infamous misstep in the sorry history of Duquesne athletics.  
 

Once again, I don't think that was a bad choice, and don't forget, had the team with that mascot broken the NCAA drought, they would have been flying off the shelves.
 

luckymcd wrote:

I'm not a fan of the new D, but I do appreciate the connection to the Spiritans. ?

What does that odd shaped D have to do with the Spiritans? Never heard that connection before
 

Maybe the pep band can play the "Lion Sleeps Tonight" as a theme song during timeouts.

Tejas_Duke wrote:

Once again, I don't think that was a bad choice, and don't forget, had the team with that mascot broken the NCAA drought, they would have been flying off the shelves. 

I always thought the bear looked like we were recycling someone else's old mascot. I had never heard the story about the teddy bear, but you are right about what would have happened if we made the tournament.

Tejas_Duke wrote:

I never liked the dribbling Duke, but really liked the Duke that looked like Ron Everhart when he was here. Still have my hoodie with that logo
 

A duke as the mascot for the Dukes? What a novel concept! I don't have any apparel from that era, but I'd definitely still be sporting it if I did.

Tejas_Duke wrote:

What does that odd shaped D have to do with the Spiritans? Never heard that connection before
 

The D is supposed to look like a flame, the symbol for the holy spirit. The artist gave a better explanation than I can, so I'd recommend that video if you can still find it anywhere. It sounded like a real explanation of the development unlike this one which sounded like they were making it up as they went. I didn't like the new D at first, but hearing the inspiration kind of sold me on it.

luckymcd wrote:

The D is supposed to look like a flame, the symbol for the holy spirit. The artist gave a better explanation than I can, so I'd recommend that video if you can still find it anywhere. It sounded like a real explanation of the development unlike this one which sounded like they were making it up as they went. I didn't like the new D at first, but hearing the inspiration kind of sold me on it.

Thanks I never heard that explanation. I can see it now, but, and I am not an artist, it's too "angular" for me. A flame should be more rounded in my view.