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Buzz (mascot)
Encyclopedia
Buzz is one of the two official mascot
s of the Georgia Institute of Technology
. Buzz is usually represented as a stylized yellowjacket
with yellow-and-black fur, white wings, a yellow head, and antennae. He is almost never drawn with six legs, but rather with arms, legs, hands (in white gloves) and feet (in black Converse high tops
), like a human
. Invented in 1972 and reinvented in 1979, Buzz reflects the tradition of referring to Georgia Tech students as "Yellow Jackets." Buzz is also one of Georgia Tech's emblems and trademarks, one that they defended in a 1998 legal conflict with the Salt Lake Buzz
.
team, so the Buzz tryout happens at the same time as the other cheerleading tryouts.
Buzz is beloved by Georgia Tech students and fans for his spirit and antics. He is a prankster and likes to crowd-surf
. Buzz is seen at football
games, basketball
games, Georgia Tech Six Flags
Night, and other events. Buzz has parachuted onto the field for pre-game festivities, does push-ups every time Tech scores, and conducts the band for the Budweiser
song, a common jingle for the beer. Buzz is involved with charity events, team photos, sports conventions, and official Georgia Tech events such as the annual President’s Dinner. Buzz can also be hired for social gatherings, such as weddings and birthday parties.
jerseys. John Heisman told the Atlanta Constitution that he wanted his teams to be referred to as the Yellow Jackets in October 1905. In November 1906, the Atlanta Journal portrayed a University of Georgia
football
player being attacked by a yellowjacket
with the words "Somebody's about to get stung" as the caption. This was the first time that the Georgia Tech sports teams were referred to as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
in print.
In 1979, McNair's idea for a Yellow Jacket was reintroduced by another Georgia Tech student, Richie Bland. Bland, who was apparently unaware of McNair's prior initiative, paid $1,400 to have a local theme park costume designer make a yellow jacket costume that he first wore at a pep rally prior to the Tennessee football game. Rather than obtain permission from Georgia Tech as Judi had done in 1972, this student, a few weeks later simply snuck onto the field in costume during a football game and ran across the field. The fans naturally believed that this costumed character was acting as an official member of the cheerleading
squad and responded accordingly. By 1980 this new incarnation of the yellow jacket mascot was given the name Buzz Bee and was adopted as an official mascot by Georgia Tech. This new Buzz character would be the model for a new Georgia Tech emblem, designed in 1985 by Mike Lester
.
lawsuit against the Salt Lake Buzz
, a Pacific Coast League
minor league baseball
team. The Institute had negotiated a deal with the team, but the team backed out of the agreement before it was finalized and filed suit in Utah for the right to use the mark. Tech filed a countersuit and won in 2001. As a result, the team was forced to change its name (to the "Salt Lake Stingers"; several years later, it would adopt its current name of the "Salt Lake Bees") and pay Georgia Tech $600,000, although Georgia Tech spent $700,000 to $800,000 during the dispute.
by Tech students. In 2005 and 2006, Buzz was named to the Capital One All-American Mascot Teams and participated in the Capital One Mascot Challenge. In 2000 and 2001, Buzz won the NCA (National Cheerleaders Assoc) mascot of the year and in 2004 and 2006, Buzz received second place in the NCA Mascot Competition in Daytona, Florida. On June 14, 2008, Buzz rappelled down the 40 story Viewpoint lofts building in Midtown, Atlanta as part of a university fundraiser.
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
s of the Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
. Buzz is usually represented as a stylized yellowjacket
Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries...
with yellow-and-black fur, white wings, a yellow head, and antennae. He is almost never drawn with six legs, but rather with arms, legs, hands (in white gloves) and feet (in black Converse high tops
Chuck Taylor All-Stars
Chuck Taylor All Stars, or Converse All Stars, also referred to as "Chuck Taylors", "Converses", "All Stars", "Chucks" or "Cons", are canvas and rubber shoes produced by Converse. They were first produced in 1917 as the "All Star," Converse's attempt to capture the basketball shoe market...
), like a human
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
. Invented in 1972 and reinvented in 1979, Buzz reflects the tradition of referring to Georgia Tech students as "Yellow Jackets." Buzz is also one of Georgia Tech's emblems and trademarks, one that they defended in a 1998 legal conflict with the Salt Lake Buzz
Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bees serve as the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They play their home games at Spring Mobile Ballpark, known to fans as the Apiary, which was...
.
Tradition
Like many mascots, Buzz communicates via hand gestures and sign language, rather than speech. At some school events, there are a few people who dress up as Buzz. The identities of these individuals must be kept secret until their graduation. They must be in excellent physical condition, about 5'4" tall, and must be able to do a front "suicide" flip called a Buzz Flip, Buzz's trademark move. Those interested in donning the Buzz suit must take part in a two day tryout, judged by the former Buzz. Buzz is officially part of Georgia Tech's cheerleadingCheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
team, so the Buzz tryout happens at the same time as the other cheerleading tryouts.
Buzz is beloved by Georgia Tech students and fans for his spirit and antics. He is a prankster and likes to crowd-surf
Crowd surfing
Crowd surfing is the process in which a person is passed overhead from person to person during a concert, transferring the person from one part of the venue to another...
. Buzz is seen at football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
games, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games, Georgia Tech Six Flags
Six Flags Over Georgia
Six Flags Over Georgia is a theme park located west of Atlanta, in unincorporated Cobb County. Opened in 1967, it is the second park in the Six Flags chain, after the original opening in 1961 in Texas....
Night, and other events. Buzz has parachuted onto the field for pre-game festivities, does push-ups every time Tech scores, and conducts the band for the Budweiser
Budweiser (Anheuser-Busch)
Budweiser is a 5.0% abv American-style lager introduced in 1876 by Adolphus Busch and one of the highest selling beers in the United States. It is made with up to 30% rice in addition to hops and barley malt. Budweiser is produced in various breweries located around the world...
song, a common jingle for the beer. Buzz is involved with charity events, team photos, sports conventions, and official Georgia Tech events such as the annual President’s Dinner. Buzz can also be hired for social gatherings, such as weddings and birthday parties.
History
The term Yellow Jacket or Yellowjacket has been used to refer to students and the various sports teams as early as the 1890s. Fans of Georgia Tech would often wear yellow jackets to sporting events in support of the early Georgia Tech teams. The early football teams, lacking gold fabric for jerseys, wore yellowYellow
Yellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
jerseys. John Heisman told the Atlanta Constitution that he wanted his teams to be referred to as the Yellow Jackets in October 1905. In November 1906, the Atlanta Journal portrayed a University of Georgia
University of Georgia
The University of Georgia is a public research university located in Athens, Georgia, United States. Founded in 1785, it is the oldest and largest of the state's institutions of higher learning and is one of multiple schools to claim the title of the oldest public university in the United States...
football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
player being attacked by a yellowjacket
Yellowjacket
Yellowjacket is the common name in North America for predatory wasps of the genera Vespula and Dolichovespula. Members of these genera are known simply as "wasps" in other English-speaking countries...
with the words "Somebody's about to get stung" as the caption. This was the first time that the Georgia Tech sports teams were referred to as the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
The Yellow Jackets is the name used for all of the intercollegiate athletic teams that play for the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. The teams have also been nicknamed the Ramblin' Wreck, Engineers, Blacksmiths, and Golden Tornado. There are 8 men's and 7 women's teams that...
in print.
Invention and reinvention
The original Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket mascot was Judi McNair who, according to the Winter 2004 edition of the Georgia Tech Alumni Association Tech Topics magazine, donned a homemade yellowjacket costume in 1972 and performed at home football games. She rode on the Ramblin' Wreck and appears in the 1972 Georgia Tech Blueprint yearbook. McNair's mascot was considered a great idea, as it was a big hit with the fans.In 1979, McNair's idea for a Yellow Jacket was reintroduced by another Georgia Tech student, Richie Bland. Bland, who was apparently unaware of McNair's prior initiative, paid $1,400 to have a local theme park costume designer make a yellow jacket costume that he first wore at a pep rally prior to the Tennessee football game. Rather than obtain permission from Georgia Tech as Judi had done in 1972, this student, a few weeks later simply snuck onto the field in costume during a football game and ran across the field. The fans naturally believed that this costumed character was acting as an official member of the cheerleading
Cheerleading
Cheerleading is a physical activity, sometimes a competitive sport, based on organized routines, usually ranging from one to three minutes, which contain the components of tumbling, dance, jumps, cheers, and stunting to direct spectators of events to cheer on sports teams at games or to participate...
squad and responded accordingly. By 1980 this new incarnation of the yellow jacket mascot was given the name Buzz Bee and was adopted as an official mascot by Georgia Tech. This new Buzz character would be the model for a new Georgia Tech emblem, designed in 1985 by Mike Lester
Mike Lester
Michael Eugene "Mike" Lester is a conservative editorial cartoonist and artist who has worked as a children's book illustrator. He received the National Cartoonists Society Book Illustration Award for 2000 for the book A Is for Salad.- External links :**-References:...
.
Salt Lake Buzz lawsuit
In 1998, Georgia Tech filed a trademark infringementTrademark infringement
Trademark infringement is a violation of the exclusive rights attaching to a trademark without the authorization of the trademark owner or any licensees...
lawsuit against the Salt Lake Buzz
Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bees serve as the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They play their home games at Spring Mobile Ballpark, known to fans as the Apiary, which was...
, a Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
team. The Institute had negotiated a deal with the team, but the team backed out of the agreement before it was finalized and filed suit in Utah for the right to use the mark. Tech filed a countersuit and won in 2001. As a result, the team was forced to change its name (to the "Salt Lake Stingers"; several years later, it would adopt its current name of the "Salt Lake Bees") and pay Georgia Tech $600,000, although Georgia Tech spent $700,000 to $800,000 during the dispute.
Contests and stunts
Buzz participates in several mascot contests. In 1997, Buzz won an Access Atlanta poll due to creative ballot stuffingBallot stuffing
Ballot stuffing is the illegal act of one person submitting multiple ballots during a vote in which only one ballot per person is permitted. The name originates from the earliest days of this practice in which people literally did stuff more than one ballot in a ballot box at the same time...
by Tech students. In 2005 and 2006, Buzz was named to the Capital One All-American Mascot Teams and participated in the Capital One Mascot Challenge. In 2000 and 2001, Buzz won the NCA (National Cheerleaders Assoc) mascot of the year and in 2004 and 2006, Buzz received second place in the NCA Mascot Competition in Daytona, Florida. On June 14, 2008, Buzz rappelled down the 40 story Viewpoint lofts building in Midtown, Atlanta as part of a university fundraiser.