Webster Gorlok Wins Mascot Madness
Putting on a second-half full court press, the Gorlok mounted a furious comeback to win the Mascot Madness, sponsored by radio station KCUB 1280 AM 'The Source,' in Tucson, Ariz. While the NCAA final was capturing most of the nation's attention, the Gorlok was getting a late-day push to give it the distinction of beating out a Sweet Sixteen field of the most unusual mascots in the U.S.
Facing Artie the Artichoke from Scottsdale Community College, in suburban Phoenix, Ariz., the Gorlok piled up a sustantial early-morning lead. By late-morning, the Gorlok's lead began to slowly dissipate, as Artie not only took the lead, but a lead that continued to swell. By early afternoon, the Artichoke's lead peaked at 70% to 30%. KCUB confirmed that the Artichoke lead was over 300 votes at 3:00 p.m.
Bolstered by a campus-wide e-mail reminder from WebsterToday, the deficit shrunk to 58%-42% and edged slightly closer by early evening.
Just about the time the NCAA Final started the Gorlok faithful began to rally in big numbers, putting the famed furry one finally back in the lead around 8 p.m., 53% to 47%.
Artie made one last gain, shaving one percent off the Gorlok lead, but the Artichoke supporters could not overcome the power of the Gorlok fan base, The horned-one had prevailed and taken home the mascot championship. The final count put the Gorlok at 2804 votes to 2484 for the Artichoke, a vote count that probably exceeded numbers for the St. Louis City election Tuesday.
Banana Slugs, Blue Blobs, Fighting Pickles, Anteaters, Boll Weevils, and Fighting Okras, were some of the field laid waste by the Gorlok.
It outlasted mascots featured on ESPN spots, and others that cheer at Ivy League, Southeast Conference, and Pac-10 games. The story featured on WebsterAthletics.com with the voting link on Monday, April 4, had close to 500 hits, far and away the most hits in a single day for any story on the site.
The final result can be found at:
Courtesy Webster University sports information