Dog and Pony Show, II - That Dog Will BITE YOU !

We have drawn up worshipfully at the feet or ratherpaws of the Citadel's brand new statue of their beloved mascot: the Bulldog. This artist's model for this statue was a living Bulldog named "Boo" which happens to be the nickname of one of the Citadel's most beloved humans, Lt. Col.. Thomas Nugent Courvoisie, Citadel Alumnus and author Pat Conroy blended fact and fiction in his books about The Citadel and especially Courvoisie. So, casting a statute from a dog model named after " The Boo " was certainly no slight against the icon which Courvoisie had become to his "lambs" well before the books and movies.

This work of art is rendered in bronze by a former football player, Michael Hamby, who played pro ball for the Buffalo Bills until sidelined by surgery for an injury in 1989. Hamby, no relation to the local sandwich maven, is quoted by the POST-COURIER as having taken his aggression out of football and infused it into his art. We'd agree. In fact, a walk around the statue reveals that it is more than vaguely anatomically correct.

That reminded us of story about the University of Georgia's mascot, Uga, also a Bulldog. Some years back a football game in which Georgia was playing was being telecast live. There were two commentators providing the usual fill chatter between plays. The roaming camera found its way around to Uga who was equally bored with the game and was licking himself in a way, in a place which dogs are given to doing when not otherwise occupied. One commentator said without thinking, " Man, I wish I could do that..." to which the other fellow replied, " That dog would BITE YOU ! ".