You don't stand a chance against The Fighting ... Pickles?

Some friends and I were recently discussing some of the best mascots. Yes, I'm biased to the Wolfpack, and we have some great ones here in N.C., but I also admit that the UC Santa Cruz  Banana Slugs are pretty tough to beat. But in that discussion someone mentioned the Fighting Pickles from the UNC School of the Arts.

This got my attention for three reasons:

1. First, well, Pickles. Duh. 
2. Secondly, this mascot has been around SINCE 1972?!!! 
3. Third, I didn't know UNCSA even had athletics. Welp, it turns out you don't necessarily have to have sports to have a mascot. So kudos to UNCSA for doing just that.

"The landscape of this country is littered with meaningless and – worse – unimaginative team names reflecting who knows what about their schools," says the official history of the mascot, courtesy of Francis Perry. "But…..Pickles….A name to be proud of – a name born of an existential psychodrama worthy of what each of us knows as 'The NCSA Experience.' "

And, oh, yes: it's not just a name. There is an actual mascot. Don't believe me?

The school is, rightfully, proud of their unique mascot. It is, in fact, a big "dill." You can even take a quiz to see what kind of pickle you are. (Full disclosure: I'm apparently a Film-making Pickle!)

If you want to show your support, you can even purchase a t-shirt.

Image courtesy of the UNC School of the Arts website.

Former UNC leaders not down with 49ers football

UNC Charlotte -- the fourth largest university in the state at around 17,000 students or so (and growing) -- wants to offer football as a sport by 2012. Former UNC system presidents C.D. Spangler and Bill Friday don't think that's such a good idea.

"This has been something disturbing to both of us," Spangler told the Charlotte Observer.

The decision is ultimately up to the university, but would probably require support from the "UNC Board of Governors because student fees are capped at 6.5 percent and in increase would be required to fund a football program."

Spangler said he and Friday have been reluctant to address university matters specifically, but that the football issue is important enough for them to speak up.

Spangler said he wanted to wait until the faculty meeting to talk about why he opposes football at the 61-year-old university, which has studied starting a team for the past year.

But Friday said college sports are becoming more about entertainment than education.

He said Thursday that he wants to present information from Knight Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics reports on how high-level sports affect colleges and universities. He said he won't choose a side, but wants to make sure the faculty is informed of the potential cost of a football program on academics and other programs.

"The problems with college sports today are rather enormous," Friday said Thursday. "The commission is trying to make sure that the facts about this be known. That has not been the case in all too many instances up until now. There are campuses having to disband other sports to pay for the football and basketball programs."