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Ohio U. mascot reveals all: Tackling Brutus Buckeye had been planned since last year

Sep 20, 2010, 3:00 PM EDT

13 Comments
rufustakedown

Today’s internet sensation is Rufus the Bobcat, Ohio University’s (ex-)mascot who tackled and roughed up Brutus Buckeye prior to Saturday’s game at OSU. Here, as we showed you earlier, is a report on the carnage. Poor Brutus; he’s the Milhouse of college mascots. Anyway, it turns out that Rufus’ attack was part of an elaborate master plan which was hatched even before mascot tryouts last year.

Brandon Hanning, the man inside the Bobcat suit, said that the “whole reason” he tried out to be the Bobcat mascot last year was for the one moment when he could tackle Ohio State’s Brutus. Hey, wasn’t this the plot to the movie Salt?

Anyway, the day finally came on Saturday, and Hanning — kind of a Manchurian Candidate of mascots — launched his attack. Ohio University apologized to OSU, and Hanning was banned from all future sporting events. From the the Athens Post:

“It was the whole reason I tried out (to be Rufus) last year,” he said. “I knew we were going back to OSU this year, and I wanted to tackle Brutus.”

Hanning, 19, is a student at Hocking College. He enrolled at OU last year but dropped out, he said. He added that he still hadn’t been informed of his firing, but didn’t care.

Ohio coach Frank Solich said he did not know much about the situation.

“A statement has been released and action has been taken,” he said. “I’m sure it’s the appropriate action. We obviously don’t condone it.

“Obviously we needed to tackle the guy with the ball, not the mascot.”

Photo credit: Dan Pohl.

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Mascot says he had goal of tackling Brutus Buckeye [Associated Press]
Rufus reprimanded for mascot brawl [The Post]

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  1. Lori Lemaster - Sep 20, 2010 at 9:29 PM

    Keep your hands off our nut!

  2. Laurie - Sep 21, 2010 at 5:26 AM

    Amen!!

  3. ThatGuy - Sep 21, 2010 at 9:49 AM

    Am I the only one who thinks there should be more mascot fights? I don’t see a down side to it.

  4. walk - Sep 21, 2010 at 10:05 AM

    I second the motion and further move for the coin toss to be replaced by a mascot match of some sort.

  5. Dan - Sep 21, 2010 at 11:22 AM

    Great idea, Guy. Let’s have fans rumble in the seats too!

  6. silverdeer - Sep 21, 2010 at 12:02 PM

    I am thinking that Celebrity death match with college mascots would be huge. I can just see Uga lifting his leg on the Stanford tree. The other one that would be a hoot would be who would have the stones to stay in the ring with Ralphie.

  7. ThatGuy - Sep 21, 2010 at 12:26 PM

    Not talking actually like fist fight, fighting like pro wrestlers fight. Staged. Hogan Leg Drops and such.

  8. Lefty Lloyd - Sep 21, 2010 at 12:45 PM

    I’m a USC alum…
    Waitin for the day when our beloved Gamecocks tangle (?) w/ the Oregon State Beavers – that would be a mascot “match for the ages”.

  9. A. Nicki - Sep 21, 2010 at 3:32 PM

    I think it’s one of the greatest things ever and also vote for it replacing the coin toss.

  10. Peter - Sep 22, 2010 at 1:52 PM

    Add my vote to Mascots Madness Mania instead of the stupid coin

  11. Rich M - Sep 22, 2010 at 3:03 PM

    i love unknowing people getting attacked, NOT! That ohio mascot is a punk.

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