The Story
Interview with Colonel Ebirt: The Men Underneath the Tricorner Hat
I recently had the privilege of interviewing one of the former athletics institutions at this school, Colonel Ebirt. Although we frequently take Ebirt for granted, given his removal as our loyal mascot I thought it was about time that the campus meets the men behind the mask. In this interview I sat down with Ebirt himself, or rather, two of the three people that took turns donning the fuzzy green costume during football games and other sporting events: Bryan Marchant and Owen Gentry. They gave me their perspective on everything from some of Ebirt’s best memories to the end of his career as the Tribe’s mascot.
DSJ: How did you get to be Ebirt
Bryan Marchant: Two of the guys who lived across the hall from me were cheerleaders. One day I just kind of said, “Hey I would kind of like to be the mascot, how do you do it?” They said come to their next practice and tell the coach that you want to do it. So I did, and I was Ebirt. That was it. I think it is like one of the best kept secrets on campus.
Owen Gentry: Well, I had about four years of mascot experience already, but I found that all you needed to do was show up at the interest meeting and you were in.
DSJ: What’s it like to be in the suit?
Bryan: At first you are kind of self-conscious; Owen [Gentry] created this walk that I wouldn’t do ordinarily, but in the suit it is no big deal. It is hot in the suit; you get really sweaty really quick.
I have a funny story about that. I was up at the top of the stadium, and when I got up there it was a hot day. My bandana got wet, and it fell into my eyes. I couldn’t see a bloody thing. So I was like, “How do I get down the stairs?” There was no way to do it. “I am going to take the head off and scare a whole bunch of kids. This isn’t going to work out really well,” [I thought]. I bumped into one person and said, “Hey, can you help me get back,” and it turned out to be him [in reference to Gentry].
Owen: More fun than you can imagine. You can be someone new and do all the stuff you couldn’t do without a giant head " doesn’t sound cool, but there’s a lot of stuff.
DSJ: Any other funny stories?
Bryan: A chicken hit Owen at an away game. It turned around, and Owen dives and tackles him, like grabs him at the knees and throws him down, steps on his back, and walks off. It was well done on his part.
My favorite story is before the JMU game, when they still had the cameras here, but it wasn’t a big hoopla. ESPN2 was still here. At the beginning of the game I decided I was going to do pushups for every point we got. I am doing them, and we are getting really up there in points. It was hot outside, and it was even hotter in the suit. I got about ten away, and I felt like I was going to collapse. I knew I was going to get to like eight more to go and collapse. I did it, and I gave the suit to Owen and went home and took a nap.
Owen: After a basketball game once I was bear hugged at the knees by a little kid when I was trying to cross the street. I couldn’t see him and didn’t know he was there until too late. Anyhow, my knees went out from me and I fell into the middle of the street, little kid at the knees, and twist my ankle something awful, rolling around in traffic, trying to keep from swearing, and I still have a little kid that loves me for being green " it doesn’t get better than that.
DSJ: What mascot would you most like to fight?
Bryan: I don’t like the Chick-Fil-A cows.
Owen: Well, I’ve already been in a fight with YouDee, the University of Delaware Blue Hen. He went down like a log, but I’d be up for a rematch.
DSJ: What is your best memory of being Ebirt?
Bryan: All of it. Right after a game, I would be tired and drenched. It is like that runner’s high, you never felt better. Especially if we won. Like last season, we won everything except that last game. It was great. Just every bit of it. You think about how many people you were in pictures with. How many little kids smiled.
Owen: The smiles on the grown ups faces. Kids always love you, and they always will, but when grown ups decide they’re not too old to cut loose and enjoy themselves, that’s happiness for the kid inside of everyone.
DSJ: Now let’s talk about the end of Ebirt. How did you find out Ebirt was being eliminated?
Bryan: I got an email from the cheerleading coach [Corinne Picataggi] toward the end of the summer asking when I would be coming back to school and if I would still be interested in being Ebirt. I said that I was. Following this, I didn’t hear anything. I didn’t think anything of it because I normally don’t go to away games. Finally I got an email from the cheerleading coach, and she said that they were retiring Ebirt and we will keep you in mind if we get a new mascot.
I read the Flat Hat article, and it said that Ebirt was never an official part of Tribe cheerleading, which is, I am almost certain, false because we got money from the cheerleading or athletic department. We were under the authority of the cheerleading coach, we went to away games with the team (on the plane with them and everything), I would think that you would have to be an official part " either that or it is a gross mismanagement of money. I am fairly certain we are part of the team. We even made $200 of our own money for dressing up for the daily press as Chester E. Crab. We never saw any of that money, so I am assuming it went to the cheerleading or athletic department.
Owen: I had heard rumors from the cheerleading team, but I found out in an abrupt email from our coach, Corinne.
DSJ: Did they give you a rationale for why they were getting rid of it?
Bryan: No one told me anything. I still don’t know why. I am hoping you [in reference to interviewer] will tell me, or I’ll just walk into the athletics department and ask them what the deal is. The two feathers, maybe? It is on the bumper stickers on my car, we see that everywhere. As I recall they talked to Native American chiefs around here and they said they were happy that we picked the name Tribe because they felt that it wasn’t making fun of them, it is kind of honoring their memory. At least that’s what I heard, I am not sure if that is true or not. I don’t see if there was a political reason that it was taken out or what it is.
Owen: Well, she said that Ebirt was retired, but didn’t give a reason. She only said that after our NCAA mascot survey, the school might move in a new direction.
DSJ: What was your reaction? Did it upset you?
Bryan: It was kind like a whatever thing. It was a good run. I liked it while it happened. I am a senior, I am getting up there. Personally, I have never been an activist, but this boils me to the point that I want to do something about it. The second we start getting school spirit they get rid of the school mascot. I am not trying to be self-centered here, but isn’t the school mascot like the center of attention for school pride? To take it [Ebirt] away and replace it with something, fine, but to take it away and not have anything -why, what’s the point?
Owen: Very much! Suddenly our mascot got the axe and the students didn’t even get a chance to hear about it. What’s Tribe Pride if the Tribe doesn’t have a say in it?
DSJ: How do you think people will react to the absence of Ebirt?
Bryan: I don’t think people will go to the game like, “Where’s the mascot?” I think to start off with people aren’t going to notice. He is in the crowd, and you only see him once or twice a game. I think after a couple of games people are going to wonder, “Where did the mascot go?” It is really like the personal touch if you are sitting there enjoying the game [and] Ebirt does something playful. Kids are going to be the ones who notice.
Owen: I think that a lot of people didn’t really get behind Ebirt 100 percent. However, I think that they really enjoyed having a big green blob at the games " whether they knew what it was or not. He’ll be missed, and I don’t think people will let it slide, especially if this is a sign of bigger change.
DSJ: Do you think that it will be easy to replace Ebirt?
Bryan: With the incoming freshman class, no problem. I guess in four years it will be phased out to the point where no one will remember Ebirt. It would depend on what the mascot is. [Ebirt] was something you could identify with because I don’t think William and Mary students, by and large, are universally loved " we all have that dorkiness aspect to us. That is why Ebirt kind of fit us, I think. He was kind of a dorky mascot [. . .] The transition will be hard, like what’s that? Where’s Ebirt?
Owen: I think Ebirt will have a place in our heart " nobody was as fun and cartoony as him. But I think that the student body would be able to put their faith in a new face, too " there’s room for more Tribe Pride.
DSJ: Anything I didn’t ask that you would like to add?
Bryan: I think it is really important to have a mascot. If you are going to have any sports team you need a mascot. I think for the students that do have school spirit there is going to be a sense of loss there. Nothing major or anything, just a little thing like we just lost something here. We don’t have that special interaction.