Rampage (mascot)
Encyclopedia
Rampage is the official mascot
of the NFL
's St. Louis Rams
. Introduced in July of 2010, he is an anthropomorphic ram
who wears a Rams jersey. His name was selected by fans who voted in an online mascot-naming contest; "Rampage" was officially announced as the winning name at the St. Louis Zoo's south entrance on July 26, 2010. More than 1000 names were submitted for the mascot. The top vote receivers were Rampage, Archie, Ramsey, Rammer, and Rush respectively. The person who submitted the winning name won a suite at a Rams game for themselves and fifteen friends, a Ram's jersey, and a two hundred dollar gift card to the Official Rams online store. The winning name was submitted by Chris Shaffer. The Shaffer family was present for the unveiling of Rampage at the St. Louis Zoo.
According to Kevin Demoff, the Rams' current executive vice president of football operations, Rampage "has the coating of a stuffed animal, but the build of a superhero." Ram's ownership says that Rampage will make around 300 appearances a year from games to charity events and parties. Demoff says, "The organization decided to add a mascot to build game day entertainment and to make more involvement possible in the community." The team's plan is to have Rampage be part of the rebirth process of the team and to help bring the team a more playful family identity.
Since the Rams started out as an organization in 1937, they have called three cities home. Their club has been based in Cleveland, Los Angeles, and most recently St. Louis. In their 73 years of existence and their three home cities, they have only ever had one mascot before 2010. The mascot was a furry creature that resembled a rat more than anything and was named Ramster in the mid 1990's. The fans, however, never really took to Ramster and he was terminated in 1996. Now, Rampage is the mascot of the future and fans are responding positively to him. Although it has not been confirmed who will be the mascot, it is rumored that the mascot was a previous mascot for a rival team.
The significance to Rampage lies in the fact that not every NFL team has a mascot. Out of 32 teams in the NFL, only 28 teams now have mascots. The Rams being the 28th. The only teams without a mascot now are the New York Giants, the New York Jets, the Oakland Raiders, and the Green Bay Packers.
On July 22, 2010, Rampage threw the ceremonial first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals
' baseball
game at Busch Stadium
.
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...
of the NFL
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
's St. Louis Rams
St. Louis Rams
The St. Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are currently members of the West Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Rams have won three NFL Championships .The Rams began playing in 1936 in Cleveland,...
. Introduced in July of 2010, he is an anthropomorphic ram
Bighorn Sheep
The bighorn sheep is a species of sheep in North America named for its large horns. These horns can weigh up to , while the sheep themselves weigh up to . Recent genetic testing indicates that there are three distinct subspecies of Ovis canadensis, one of which is endangered: Ovis canadensis sierrae...
who wears a Rams jersey. His name was selected by fans who voted in an online mascot-naming contest; "Rampage" was officially announced as the winning name at the St. Louis Zoo's south entrance on July 26, 2010. More than 1000 names were submitted for the mascot. The top vote receivers were Rampage, Archie, Ramsey, Rammer, and Rush respectively. The person who submitted the winning name won a suite at a Rams game for themselves and fifteen friends, a Ram's jersey, and a two hundred dollar gift card to the Official Rams online store. The winning name was submitted by Chris Shaffer. The Shaffer family was present for the unveiling of Rampage at the St. Louis Zoo.
According to Kevin Demoff, the Rams' current executive vice president of football operations, Rampage "has the coating of a stuffed animal, but the build of a superhero." Ram's ownership says that Rampage will make around 300 appearances a year from games to charity events and parties. Demoff says, "The organization decided to add a mascot to build game day entertainment and to make more involvement possible in the community." The team's plan is to have Rampage be part of the rebirth process of the team and to help bring the team a more playful family identity.
Since the Rams started out as an organization in 1937, they have called three cities home. Their club has been based in Cleveland, Los Angeles, and most recently St. Louis. In their 73 years of existence and their three home cities, they have only ever had one mascot before 2010. The mascot was a furry creature that resembled a rat more than anything and was named Ramster in the mid 1990's. The fans, however, never really took to Ramster and he was terminated in 1996. Now, Rampage is the mascot of the future and fans are responding positively to him. Although it has not been confirmed who will be the mascot, it is rumored that the mascot was a previous mascot for a rival team.
The significance to Rampage lies in the fact that not every NFL team has a mascot. Out of 32 teams in the NFL, only 28 teams now have mascots. The Rams being the 28th. The only teams without a mascot now are the New York Giants, the New York Jets, the Oakland Raiders, and the Green Bay Packers.
On July 22, 2010, Rampage threw the ceremonial first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
' baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
game at Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
.