Monte (mascot)
Encyclopedia
Monte, short for Montana, is the University of Montana's award-winning athletics mascot
. He is modeled after a grizzly bear
, in reference to the nickname of the university's athletic teams, the Grizzlies
.
Press and student outbursts at the complications of live bear mascots led the university to try a more conventional approach, and in the 1970s, the Grizzlies were backed by a variety of traditional company-sponsored costumed mascots. These included the Hamm's Beer Bear, Domino's Pizza
's Noid
, and at one point, Ronald McDonald
. The local business Grizzly Auto Centers sponsored Otto the Grizzly, who was the primary mascot for the athletics teams for most of the 1980s. Like Otto, previous bear mascots were designed to be fierce and aggressive, even wolf-like; it wasn't until the athletics department conferred with mascot experts that it was decided to design a more engaging, friendly and energetic mascot. It was then in 1991 that Monte was developed.
Monte, short for Montana, is the University of Montana's award-winning athletics mascot
. He is modeled after a grizzly bear
, in reference to the nickname of the university's athletic teams, the Grizzlies
.
Press and student outbursts at the complications of live bear mascots led the university to try a more conventional approach, and in the 1970s, the Grizzlies were backed by a variety of traditional company-sponsored costumed mascots. These included the Hamm's Beer Bear, Domino's Pizza
's Noid
, and at one point, Ronald McDonald
. The local business Grizzly Auto Centers sponsored Otto the Grizzly, who was the primary mascot for the athletics teams for most of the 1980s. Like Otto, previous bear mascots were designed to be fierce and aggressive, even wolf-like;Haines, Eric. E-mail interview conducted by Teresa Hamann, October 5, 2006. it wasn't until the athletics department conferred with mascot experts that it was decided to design a more engaging, friendly and energetic mascot. It was then in 1991 that Monte was developed.
Monte, short for Montana, is the University of Montana's award-winning athletics mascot
. He is modeled after a grizzly bear
, in reference to the nickname of the university's athletic teams, the Grizzlies
.
Press and student outbursts at the complications of live bear mascots led the university to try a more conventional approach, and in the 1970s, the Grizzlies were backed by a variety of traditional company-sponsored costumed mascots. These included the Hamm's Beer Bear, Domino's Pizza
's Noid
, and at one point, Ronald McDonald
. The local business Grizzly Auto Centers sponsored Otto the Grizzly, who was the primary mascot for the athletics teams for most of the 1980s. Like Otto, previous bear mascots were designed to be fierce and aggressive, even wolf-like;Haines, Eric. E-mail interview conducted by Teresa Hamann, October 5, 2006. it wasn't until the athletics department conferred with mascot experts that it was decided to design a more engaging, friendly and energetic mascot. It was then in 1991 that Monte was developed.NWDA Guide to Archive Collections website Monte debuted at the start of the 1993 season. In his first game as mascot, the Grizzlies came back to win after a 31-point deficit against South Dakota
.Walterskirchen, Chris. Telephone interview conducted by Teresa Hamann, October 10, 2006.
' mascot team.UMT website
In the beginning of Monte's life, the costume was heavier and poorly ventilated. The head was secured by only a small strap. Scott Stiegler, the first university student to don the costume full-time, developed a bicycle helmet with foam around it to affix the head of the costume more efficiently.Stiegler, Scott. Telephone interview conducted by Teresa Hamann. October 10, 2006. Peripheral vision
was still compromised, and Monte could occasionally be seen tripping over bleachers and small children during the first few games. While visibility has been improved, Monte still must feel his way around with his hands to avoid tripping.
Monte has a variety of different ways of entertaining crowds at sports games. A marked departure from previous mascots, Monte is considerably acrobatic, doing flips and cartwheels to celebrate favorable gameplay. He frequently interacts with children, something previous mascots were unable to do because of their bulky costume or frightening appearance. The philosophy is that Monte must remain unpredictable, always surprising fans.Stiegler, Scott. Telephone interview conducted by Teresa Hamann. October 10, 2006. Monte has been known to enter games on motorcycles, four-wheelers and horseback, always surrounded by cheerleaders. His effect on crowd energy and team performance has been enormously positive. In the 13 years after Monte started entertaining audiences at games, the Grizzly football team had won more games than they had in the 25 years prior.Haines, Eric. E-mail interview conducted by Teresa Hamann, October 5, 2006.
Monte averages around 200 public appearances per year, with only around 50 of those being in sports arenas.Moy, Chelsi. "He’s a mascot, a hot commodity and a moneymaker". The Missoulian, October 22, 2010. As such, he is more than the athletics mascot and has been regarded as a mascot for the university as a whole. The university has used Monte to spread school spirit at birthday parties, weddings, corporate functions, and even funerals. Local businesses have featured Monte in their advertisements, and his likeness is used to help incoming freshmen with "Ask Monte," an online Q&A service on the university's website. In 2008, he starred in the children's book "The Great Monte Mystery," written by university alum Jennifer Newbold.UMT website
's Mascot of the Year five times, winning twice --- in 2002, and again in 2004.The Capital One Bowl The contest features 15 or more nominees pitted against each other, one at a time, with users and judges voting on their favorite of each match-up. The winner is the last standing. Nominees win $5,000 for their school; winners receive an additional $5,000 and are featured in a broadcast of an NFL game. Monte is the only mascot to have won twice.
Since then, he was featured in a Super Bowl
commercial with Joe Montana
.
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. He is modeled after a grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
, in reference to the nickname of the university's athletic teams, the Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies is the nickname given to the athletic teams of the University of Montana. The women's basketball team, however, uses the moniker Lady Griz...
.
History
Starting in 1897, the University of Montana used live bear cubs to promote their athletic teams, who were then simply known as the Bears. The university went through several bear cubs, often being forced to replace the bear at the end of every football season as it grew too large to be easily shuttled from game to game. The mascots had several different names through the years, including three bears named Fessy, in honor of famed University of Montana football coach Doug Fessden, and a bear named Jerry, in honor of coach Jerry Williams. However, live bears cubs were visibly uncomfortable during games, especially as the crowd grew loud. They would often be held in chains. Outside the sports arenas, the bears were occasionally subject to kidnappings, publicity hoaxes, and animal rights protests. One ran away successfully. Following a particularly poor football season in 1956, a rumor started that the school was euthanizing the bears.Press and student outbursts at the complications of live bear mascots led the university to try a more conventional approach, and in the 1970s, the Grizzlies were backed by a variety of traditional company-sponsored costumed mascots. These included the Hamm's Beer Bear, Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
's Noid
Noid
The Noid is an advertising character for Domino's Pizza created in the 1980s. He was a villainous red-suited character with red rabbit ears who attempted to ruin Domino's pizza but was constantly thwarted. The Noid was created in 1986 by Group 243, the advertising agency for Domino's Pizza and was...
, and at one point, Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...
. The local business Grizzly Auto Centers sponsored Otto the Grizzly, who was the primary mascot for the athletics teams for most of the 1980s. Like Otto, previous bear mascots were designed to be fierce and aggressive, even wolf-like; it wasn't until the athletics department conferred with mascot experts that it was decided to design a more engaging, friendly and energetic mascot. It was then in 1991 that Monte was developed.
Monte, short for Montana, is the University of Montana's award-winning athletics mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. He is modeled after a grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
, in reference to the nickname of the university's athletic teams, the Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies is the nickname given to the athletic teams of the University of Montana. The women's basketball team, however, uses the moniker Lady Griz...
.
History
Starting in 1897, the University of Montana used live bear cubs to promote their athletic teams, who were then simply known as the Bears. The university went through several bear cubs, often being forced to replace the bear at the end of every football season as it grew too large to be easily shuttled from game to game.Montana Grizzlies Website The mascots had several different names through the years, including three bears named Fessy, in honor of famed University of Montana football coach Doug Fessden, and a bear named Jerry, in honor of coach Jerry Williams. However, live bears cubs were visibly uncomfortable during games, especially as the crowd grew loud. They would often be held in chains."Jerry". The Kaimin, November 29, 1956. Outside the sports arenas, the bears were occasionally subject to kidnappings, publicity hoaxes, and animal rights protests."Making Bear-Facts Riles Farmers Guarding Fessy". The Kaimin, November 2, 1937. One ran away successfully."Fessy Returns to Wild Haunts". The Kaimin, May 6, 1933. Following a particularly poor football season in 1956, a rumor started that the school was euthanizing the bears.Jackson, Genell. "Is the Mascot a Loser Too?" The Kaimin, December 6, 1956.Press and student outbursts at the complications of live bear mascots led the university to try a more conventional approach, and in the 1970s, the Grizzlies were backed by a variety of traditional company-sponsored costumed mascots. These included the Hamm's Beer Bear, Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
's Noid
Noid
The Noid is an advertising character for Domino's Pizza created in the 1980s. He was a villainous red-suited character with red rabbit ears who attempted to ruin Domino's pizza but was constantly thwarted. The Noid was created in 1986 by Group 243, the advertising agency for Domino's Pizza and was...
, and at one point, Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...
. The local business Grizzly Auto Centers sponsored Otto the Grizzly, who was the primary mascot for the athletics teams for most of the 1980s. Like Otto, previous bear mascots were designed to be fierce and aggressive, even wolf-like;Haines, Eric. E-mail interview conducted by Teresa Hamann, October 5, 2006. it wasn't until the athletics department conferred with mascot experts that it was decided to design a more engaging, friendly and energetic mascot. It was then in 1991 that Monte was developed.
Monte, short for Montana, is the University of Montana's award-winning athletics mascot
Mascot
The term mascot – defined as a term for any person, animal, or object thought to bring luck – colloquially includes anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name...
. He is modeled after a grizzly bear
Grizzly Bear
The grizzly bear , also known as the silvertip bear, the grizzly, or the North American brown bear, is a subspecies of brown bear that generally lives in the uplands of western North America...
, in reference to the nickname of the university's athletic teams, the Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies
Montana Grizzlies is the nickname given to the athletic teams of the University of Montana. The women's basketball team, however, uses the moniker Lady Griz...
.
History
Starting in 1897, the University of Montana used live bear cubs to promote their athletic teams, who were then simply known as the Bears. The university went through several bear cubs, often being forced to replace the bear at the end of every football season as it grew too large to be easily shuttled from game to game.Montana Grizzlies Website The mascots had several different names through the years, including three bears named Fessy, in honor of famed University of Montana football coach Doug Fessden, and a bear named Jerry, in honor of coach Jerry Williams. However, live bears cubs were visibly uncomfortable during games, especially as the crowd grew loud. They would often be held in chains."Jerry". The Kaimin, November 29, 1956. Outside the sports arenas, the bears were occasionally subject to kidnappings, publicity hoaxes, and animal rights protests."Making Bear-Facts Riles Farmers Guarding Fessy". The Kaimin, November 2, 1937. One ran away successfully."Fessy Returns to Wild Haunts". The Kaimin, May 6, 1933. Following a particularly poor football season in 1956, a rumor started that the school was euthanizing the bears.Jackson, Genell. "Is the Mascot a Loser Too?" The Kaimin, December 6, 1956.Press and student outbursts at the complications of live bear mascots led the university to try a more conventional approach, and in the 1970s, the Grizzlies were backed by a variety of traditional company-sponsored costumed mascots. These included the Hamm's Beer Bear, Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza
Domino's Pizza, Inc. is an international pizza delivery corporation headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America. Founded in 1960, Domino's is the second-largest pizza chain in the United States and has over 9,000 corporate and franchised stores in 60 countries and all 50 U.S....
's Noid
Noid
The Noid is an advertising character for Domino's Pizza created in the 1980s. He was a villainous red-suited character with red rabbit ears who attempted to ruin Domino's pizza but was constantly thwarted. The Noid was created in 1986 by Group 243, the advertising agency for Domino's Pizza and was...
, and at one point, Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald
Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald's fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabits a fantasy world called McDonaldland, and has adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird, and...
. The local business Grizzly Auto Centers sponsored Otto the Grizzly, who was the primary mascot for the athletics teams for most of the 1980s. Like Otto, previous bear mascots were designed to be fierce and aggressive, even wolf-like;Haines, Eric. E-mail interview conducted by Teresa Hamann, October 5, 2006. it wasn't until the athletics department conferred with mascot experts that it was decided to design a more engaging, friendly and energetic mascot. It was then in 1991 that Monte was developed.NWDA Guide to Archive Collections website Monte debuted at the start of the 1993 season. In his first game as mascot, the Grizzlies came back to win after a 31-point deficit against South Dakota
South Dakota
South Dakota is a state located in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux American Indian tribes. Once a part of Dakota Territory, South Dakota became a state on November 2, 1889. The state has an area of and an estimated population of just over...
.Walterskirchen, Chris. Telephone interview conducted by Teresa Hamann, October 10, 2006.
Costume and Performance
The person behind the mask is typically chosen by the university athletics' Assistant Marketing Director, in an auditioning process informally known as Monte Idol. An unwritten rule keeps the current Monte's real identity secret until he or she is no longer enrolled in the university, at which point another Monte is chosen. There are usually two students with the role of Monte during any given year, to ensure Monte will always be available. Though the job is unpaid, the occupant does receive a tuition waiver.Nickell, Joe. "Monte Idol to decide future UM mascot". The Missoulian, August 20, 2009. Most notable of the costume-wearers was Barry Anderson, who wore the Monte suit for five years in the 2000s and went on to work for the Chicago BullsChicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
' mascot team.UMT website
In the beginning of Monte's life, the costume was heavier and poorly ventilated. The head was secured by only a small strap. Scott Stiegler, the first university student to don the costume full-time, developed a bicycle helmet with foam around it to affix the head of the costume more efficiently.Stiegler, Scott. Telephone interview conducted by Teresa Hamann. October 10, 2006. Peripheral vision
Peripheral vision
Peripheral vision is a part of vision that occurs outside the very center of gaze. There is a broad set of non-central points in the field of view that is included in the notion of peripheral vision...
was still compromised, and Monte could occasionally be seen tripping over bleachers and small children during the first few games. While visibility has been improved, Monte still must feel his way around with his hands to avoid tripping.
Monte has a variety of different ways of entertaining crowds at sports games. A marked departure from previous mascots, Monte is considerably acrobatic, doing flips and cartwheels to celebrate favorable gameplay. He frequently interacts with children, something previous mascots were unable to do because of their bulky costume or frightening appearance. The philosophy is that Monte must remain unpredictable, always surprising fans.Stiegler, Scott. Telephone interview conducted by Teresa Hamann. October 10, 2006. Monte has been known to enter games on motorcycles, four-wheelers and horseback, always surrounded by cheerleaders. His effect on crowd energy and team performance has been enormously positive. In the 13 years after Monte started entertaining audiences at games, the Grizzly football team had won more games than they had in the 25 years prior.Haines, Eric. E-mail interview conducted by Teresa Hamann, October 5, 2006.
Monte averages around 200 public appearances per year, with only around 50 of those being in sports arenas.Moy, Chelsi. "He’s a mascot, a hot commodity and a moneymaker". The Missoulian, October 22, 2010. As such, he is more than the athletics mascot and has been regarded as a mascot for the university as a whole. The university has used Monte to spread school spirit at birthday parties, weddings, corporate functions, and even funerals. Local businesses have featured Monte in their advertisements, and his likeness is used to help incoming freshmen with "Ask Monte," an online Q&A service on the university's website. In 2008, he starred in the children's book "The Great Monte Mystery," written by university alum Jennifer Newbold.UMT website
National exposure
Monte has been nominated as Capital OneCapital One
Capital One Financial Corp. is a U.S.-based bank holding company specializing in credit cards, home loans, auto loans, banking and savings products...
's Mascot of the Year five times, winning twice --- in 2002, and again in 2004.The Capital One Bowl The contest features 15 or more nominees pitted against each other, one at a time, with users and judges voting on their favorite of each match-up. The winner is the last standing. Nominees win $5,000 for their school; winners receive an additional $5,000 and are featured in a broadcast of an NFL game. Monte is the only mascot to have won twice.
Since then, he was featured in a Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
commercial with Joe Montana
Joe Montana
Joseph Clifford "Joe" Montana, Jr. , nicknamed Joe Cool, Golden Joe, The Golden Great and Comeback Joe, is a retired American football player. Montana started his NFL career in 1979 with the San Francisco 49ers, where he played quarterback for the next 14 seasons...
.