An Eagle Flying in Pre-Game

[GMG24]

Most of English' Likes were from current football players. 

[SilverEagle]

This sounds like a great idea. My main concern is

1. who will be responsible for the care and training of the bird? Will this be a contractual arrangement?

2. Are bald Eagles still protected and are there federal restrictions regarding the owning and care of them?

3. North Texas has had enough problems maintaining and caring for our inanimate icons (Boomer and the model-A, check with FFR on this one), much less a live one. 

[letsgiveacheer]

In the old days, Scrappy was a live eagle. I recall Mr. McAdow telling me the first one died and the last two were quite a bit of trouble so the idea was abandoned. They used to live at the Ft Worth Zoo.

[Wag Tag]

26 minutes ago, GMG24 said:

Most of English' Likes were from current football players. 

Cool thing for a sponsor? Something different!

[NM Green]

Could you imagine a flight from the eagle wing tip to the top of the scoreboard - that would get the crowd in early. Match that with a strong formalized Green Brigade arrival and now you are talking about some fantastic pre-game to rush into to the stands for.  

I was at the Cowboy game this past weekend and the pre-game with the cheerleaders/dancers is awesome.  Then in came Rowdy through some smoke to get the crowd lathered up.  Then the Flab Cowboys ran in with the star flags through the smoke and they did their thing running across the field and around the endzone.  Then eventually the team came.  It was quite dramatic.  That was only my second Cowboy game at AT&T or any game there for that matter and I thought the production value was pretty cool.  I had a friend of mine from overseas attending his first professional football game and he was pretty starstruck.  It was fun to watch his reaction.  As a Man U fan he has experienced those fun game environments but this one impressed him.

However, it must be coordinated - think EXPERIENCE - not just Eagle flyover.  

GMG 

[Aldo]

[BTG_Fan1]

Would be very cool to have the birds live on campus.. I mean UT has Bevo, Colorado has a Buffalo..

[tmjerm]

Yes!

[Eagle-96]

This might preclude this from happening

 

[CMJ]

We had I believe three live birds back in the day.  If I recall my history, only one lived any real length of time.  Two died shortly after being named on-field mascots.  So, I think they discontinued the practice because Administrators thought the travel from the zoo was not good for the animals.

[RushnStudies]

In my time as a UNT student, the school has not had a live mascot. I have no basis for comparison in that sense.

However, in my undergrad days at Houston, I was one of the students in training for Cougar Guard, the group who took care of and handled Shasta, the live mascot, in her home on campus and at games. (I never got moved up to an active handler because Shasta had to be put down the next summer due to health problems.) There will always be animal rights activists and such who do not like the idea of a live mascot, but those people do not hear the pop and the crowd when that cougar comes stalking in, or that Sheltie is walked in, or that longhorn steer is led in, or that War Eagle soars into the stadium.

I would love a live mascot. Just need to figure out the legalities and logistics of having a live eagle.

[VideoEagle]

A quick Google search turned up this - 

https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/live-eagle-programs/outreach/

National Eagle Center. I'll bet we could make arrangements for six shows a year at some kind of special price.

[FirefightnRick]

Silver brings up excellent points.

I actually considered attempting the 7 year plus licensing and apprenticeship process prior to sinking my commitment-for-life into Boomer.

Best option for NT would be a contractual agreement with a current falconer.  And I doubt a bald eagle would be available although I have seen them in different parts of the country at live events.

Aother type of eagle might be available nearby but I doubt it.

 

Rick

[FirefightnRick]

35 minutes ago, VideoEagle said:

A quick Google search turned up this - 

https://www.nationaleaglecenter.org/live-eagle-programs/outreach/

National Eagle Center. I'll bet we could make arrangements for six shows a year at some kind of special price.

Most of these birds do not fly.  And if you want to see someone get upset real quick just mention the idea to a bird of prey conservationist that you would like to get one to fly over a stadium full of screaming people and bands etc.. 

These people will blame you for the reasons the birds they now care for were brought in for in the first place.

Its not a happy sight.

 

Rick

Edited November 23, 2016 by FirefightnRick

[risinggreen]

Could we use a Roadrunner as bait for the SA game next year?

[Travis]

We should just get those grackles that hang out near Mozart Square and paint their heads white and let them go before a game. 

[Aquila_Viridis]

Of course Auburn does this and I have seen it there and it is inspiring. But they have a great vet school and a raptor center. It is a significant operation that must cost a lot of money for the trainers etc.

[cdizzle86]

Has anybody thought to check groupon yet for a good deal?

[wardly]

Green parrots would be cheaper. We could release one and just replace it in time for next home game.No muss, no fuss.

[UNT 90 Grad]

13 hours ago, wardly said:

Green parrots would be cheaper. We could release one and just replace it in time for next home game.No muss, no fuss.

Yeah.  Just dip its head in white paint and then, ahem, Let It Fly!

[SilverEagle]

And finally, if we wanted a live mascot for games, we should have picked a different mascot...like the Hawks or the Coyotes. Both of which are much more plentiful and easier to acquire.

[UNT 90 Grad]

The eagle mascot was brought to life at the North Texas-Oklahoma Tech game on October 6, 1950, when a Denton merchant Tommy Laney presented No-Name, a live Golden Eagle (later discovered to be a Southeast Asian Sea Eagle). A contest was offered to name the new mascot, and Scrappy became the first bird at NT. After living at the NT Club House, the time came that spring when Scrappy was forced to move to the Forest Park Fort Worth Zoo until a permanent cage could be built for him in the fall of 1951. Scrappy returned to NT making special appearances from 1952 until he died in 1959.

http://www.meangreensports.com/trads/scrappy.html

[Withers940]

Well, it would be a little bit more expensive but we could create a Habitat inside Campus for the bird. Just like you see at Baylor and other known Mascots around the country. The Birds live between 25-45 years old in Captivity from my Wikipedia search

 

The Bald Eagle is labeled Least Concern on the Conservation Status but with it being the National Bird/Animal of this Great United States, the Hoops to jump through to get one would be tricky. With that being said, I am willing to Donate to the cause to get it done.

Edited November 24, 2016 by Withers940

[FirefightnRick]

22 minutes ago, Withers940 said:

Well, it would be a little bit more expensive but we could create a Habitat inside Campus for the bird. Just like you see at Baylor and other known Mascots around the country. The Birds live between 25-45 years old in Captivity from my Wikipedia search

 

The Bald Eagle is labeled Least Concern on the Conservation Status but with it being the National Bird/Animal of this Great United States, the Hoops to jump through to get one would be tricky. With that being said, I am willing to Donate to the cause to get it done.

Agree.  

If we're willing to cough up $7.5 million to continue our relationship with the Cowboys I think it would be worth the money to do the same with this.  Not sure a zoo would be interested or not but they might?

 

Rick

[North Texas Shep]

I am cool with just an eagle, bald or not. Build him an house, feed him roadrunners and pony meat. Let him fly like a badass at pregame.