Rowdy

Rowdy (sometimes Rowdy T. Panther) was the official costumed mascot for the Birmingham-Southern Panthers athletic teams.

The "panther" appellation is believed to date to a comment made by a spectator that the black and gold-clad team that came on the field to face Spring Hill College in 1916 looked "like a pack of panthers".

In 1980 the school held a naming contest for the costumed mascot at Snavely Student Center. Sophomore David Rikard submitted the winning entry. He was inspired by Olympian Rowdy Gaines and a "Let's Get Rowdy" cheer from Vestavia Hills High School.

Rowdy celebrated a 40th birthday in 2020, and was the subject of a short documentary entitled "Rowdy: The Mascot, The Myth, The Legend."

A new costume was purchased from International Mascot in 2020, giving the panther a fiercer and more muscular appearance. The new suit came with a full wardrobe of accessories including a football jersey, formal wear, and various seasonal accessories. Trustee Joelle Phillips and alumnus Wayne Hutchens arranged for AT&T to donate the funds for the costume.

After Birmingham-Southern closed in 2024, two Rowdy costumes were auctioned off with starting bids of $1,000 each.

References

• Lewellyn , Benjamin & Peter Starr (Winter 2009) "The BSC-Howard rivalry: Birmingham's 'Battle of the Marne'." Alabama Heritage No. 91
• "Rowdy at Forty" (Fall 2020) 'Southern, Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 34–38

External links

• Rowdy: The Mascot, The Myth, The Legend at Facebook.com