Rejected: 10 names USC will never endorse for its new live Gamecock mascot
The regal and pugilistic quality of the title Sir Big Spur can never be bested. The name is perfect for the live mascot of University of South Carolina Gamecocks.
But change sweeps us all up — chickens and men.
As reported in early August by David Cloninger of the Charleston Post and Courier, the live mascot’s name will likely be changing because of a dispute between the trademark owners of the name and the current rooster keepers.
The trademark owners, who debuted the first Sir Big Spur in 1999 and for two decade kept the line of roosters, believe the chicken’s distinct red comb should be clipped to give it a more battle-ready look, Cloninger reported. Before the 2020 football season, the trademark owners, citing health and age reasons, gave up Sir Big Spur VI and ceremoniously the guardianship of the rooster-bringing program to a new family. But the new keepers of the Gamecocks’ live mascot decided to keep the chicken’s comb intact. A line has been drawn, though the factions seem amicable. But not amicable enough for the Sir Big Spur trademark owners to renew their contract for USC to use the name.
Here’s a great quote in Cloninger’s piece: “Sir Big Spur’s going to look like Barney the Barnyard Rooster,” Mary Snelling said about the rooster with its comb attached to its head. Snelling started bringing the rooster to games, and she and her husband own the trademark to Sir Big Spur.
So where does the title go from here? How do Gamecock fans address their beloved bird as the Sept. 3 Gamecock football kickoff approaches? Here’s a path forward.
If the prior name was regal and pugilistic in the Marquess of Queensberry manner, the next name should be to the contrary. The new name needs to be that of a corn-fed ruffian whose idea of a good time is a fight on a Saturday night. Lean into the country toughness of the new rooster’s red comb.
Some ideas:
▪ Mr. Chicken Scratch
▪ Big Daddy Can’t Be Fried
▪ KAPOW! The Foul Fowl
▪ Ol’ Razor Feet
▪ Cock Stock Harold
▪ Dirt Pecker Decker
▪ Saturd’y Battery Birdy
▪ Demon Cockadoodle
▪ Bantam Bustahead
▪ Shane Beaker the Tiger Clucker
The University of South Carolina won’t likely endorse any one of these names . . . But maybe Gamecock fans will.
This story was originally published August 24, 2022 at 5:00 AM.