Rebel remake to cost Butler

[rebeljim]

Expenses mount in school's efforts to satisfy Ole Miss

The rebel mascot at Butler High School is getting a forced makeover.

The University of Mississippi, which has a trademark on its "Colonel Reb" logo, recently warned Huntsville City Schools to stop using the mascot or face legal action.


That posed a problem for Butler, which had already spent money on rebel-clad clothing and athletic uniforms this year before the university sent a cease and desist letter to Huntsville schools.

The Butler rebel, which wears green compared to Mississippi's red and blue, is a fixture at the school. Since opening in 1951, Butler has always had the rebel name for its sports teams.

On Thursday, the Huntsville school board voted to pay the university $250 for the right to use the mascot until next year. Butler is charged with designing a rebel different from Mississippi's by next fall.

Board member Laurie McCaulley cast the lone vote against the agreement between the schools. She said residents in the Butler neighborhoods had no chance to voice their opinions about a different mascot.

"We didn't give them a chance to say yea or nay," McCaulley said.

The vote was McCaulley's first as the District 1 board representative.

Butler Principal Jacqueline Wyse said the forced redesign of the rebel will be costly. In addition to getting new uniforms, she said the outdoor marquee that bears the old rebel must be replaced.

McCaulley said she will push the board to replace the marquee.

Meanwhile, Butler has already designed a new rebel on its renovated gym walls. The rebel has a darker complexion and wears a basketball jersey, not a suit like the Mississippi rebel.

The Butler girls' basketball team said they liked the new rebel, including the way he appears to break through the gym's concrete wall.

Wyse said a generic rebel is needed to represent the school and all its sports.

The university's warning opened the chance to choose a different mascot, but Wyse said Butler students are proud to be rebels.

"They see the mascot as, 'We are Butler. We are the Rebels.' And they're very proud of it," Wyse said.

Wyse and McCaulley dismissed the notion that the rebel represented racism.

"The older we get, the wiser we're supposed to get, and should put things in its proper perspective," McCaulley said. "If the kids are proud of it, they'll work hard because of it, and that's what makes me proud."

http://www.al.com/news/huntsvilletimes/ ... xml&coll=1

[Goroth]

bunch of noise from a school that doesnt even use its mascot

[olemissreb_30]

bunch of noise from a school that doesnt even use its mascot

thats true

[rebelliousb]

This was Pete's fund raiser this year.

[RebelFIL]

This is simple property rights protection. Don't read anything into it. Every entity that owns images, logos, slogans, etc. sends these letters and agrees to settlements on a frequent basis.

[rewalters]

This is simple property rights protection. Don't read anything into it. Every entity that owns images, logos, slogans, etc. sends these letters and agrees to settlements on a frequent basis.

So why haven't we heard anything about these other HS, not trying to call you out just curious.

http://heidelbergacademyrebels.homestead.com/
http://www.vestavia.k12.al.us/high/

Maybe because he is green at Butler, just saying....

[cajunrebel]

I wonder if West Monroe HS in LA got the same letter. They use the exact logo.

[USCrebel]

I am not sure about Vestavia or Monroe, but I seem to remember Heidelberg had asked permission or paid or something years ago when they started. I'm not sure why I know that, but it is stuck in my brain for some reason.

[cajunrebel]

Check out this site. I notice that Col Rebel is not on their site, but when WM travels to New Orleans for the HS championships their cars are decked out in Col Rebs and confederate flags. I always thought Ole Miss had come to town those days.


http://www.olerebels.com/

[BeeeDeee]

I don't know about now, but when I went to Forest Hill in Jackson, we were the Rebels, had a Col. Reb mascot, used Forward Rebels as our fight song and the whole nine yards. No one ever said a word to us that I know of.

[REBEL13]

Forest Hill just voted to change mascots from the Rebels to the Patriots. "To better represent the community"! BS!!!!

[bigtreydaddy]

Forest Hill just voted to change mascots from the Rebels to the Patriots. "To better represent the community"! BS!!!!

d*** Yankees!! TSWRA!!1!

[USCrebel]

I sure wish you guys would get a grip on this "tradition" crap. Most of you are not even old enough to remember when Ole Miss was really good.

[rebelliousb]

I sure wish you guys would get a grip on this "tradition" crap. Most of you are not even old enough to remember when Ole Miss was really good.

When I first went to Ole Miss games, the mascot was a confederate soldier. Can't recall if he held a sword or a rifle, but it was one or the other. The "Colonel" was (in addition to a "fun" Disney like character) an attempt to "get away" from the "not so appealing to black recruits" mascot. And hey...he did look a little lake Colonel Sanders...which by the way...changed their "mascot" recently.

I think I remember that the guys who fired the cannon after a score wore confederate clothing as well.
Basically what I'm saying is the Colonel was no where around when Ole Miss built it's "tradition"...and has done nothing to bring it back.

[Redbluedude]

d*** Yankees!! TSWRA!!1!

You can not be serious, that crap's embarrassing.