July 27, 2007

The Saint Louis Billiken has been selected as the No. 1 college mascot by the web site SPMsportspage.com. The site listed the Top 100 College Nicknames/Mascots among NCAA Division I schools. The column, written by Larry Nauss, stated "A nickname or mascot must be fairly unique, captivating and somewhat imaginative, and/or have some particular significance to the geographic location of a school. He (the Billiken) was a rock star before there even were rock stars, in the early 1900's. The rest is history, and it's still the premier nickname/mascot in all of college sports."

"It is nice to be recognized by SPMsportspage.com, and this ranking confirms what Saint Louis University fans have known for years, that the Billiken is the best mascot in collegiate sports," associate director of athletics and external operations Kosha Irby said. "The Billiken provides Saint Louis University with a unique branding opportunity and allows our fans to take pride in being the one and only Billikens. It serves as just another indication of how the Billiken provides a positive light for the University and the St. Louis community."

Other Atlantic 10 Conference schools making the list were the Xavier Musketeers at No. 44, the La Salle Explorers at No. 48, the Richmond Spiders at No. 55, the Massachusetts Minutemen at No. 62, the Dayton Flyers at No. 75, the St. Bonaventure Bonnies at No. 87 and the George Washington Colonials at No. 92.

WHAT'S A BILLIKEN? One of the truly unique mascots in college athletics, the Billiken is a symbol of good luck that became a national craze in the early 1900s. In 1908, Florence Pretz, an art teacher and illustrator in Kansas City, Mo., received a patent for her version of an ancient Asian figure - a chubby character with pixie ears, fat cheeks and an ear-to-ear grin. A year later, the Billiken Company of Chicago adopted the likeness, giving it its eventual name. Initially manufactured as a bank and statuette, the Billiken reached its peak of popularity in 1911, when it was widely recognized as a universal symbol of good fortune.

How the name became associated with Saint Louis University remains a hotly debated issue. Whatever version you accept, it happened between 1910 and 1911 at the height of Billikenmania.

The generally accepted version of the story can be traced back to two St. Louis sportswriters who felt SLU football coach, John Bender, bore a striking resemblance to the impish creature. William O'Connor and Charles Z. McNamara noticed the similarity one afternoon at practice as Bender was especially satisfied with his team's performance. Looking at the coach with a broad grin and squinty eyes, O'Connor exclaimed, "Why Bender's a regular Billiken!" After practice, McNamara drew a cartoon of Bender as a Billiken, posted it in a local drugstore window and tabbed the football team "Bender's Billikens." The sporting public took up the name with such enthusiasm that it soon became the official nickname of all SLU teams.

Legend has it that the Billiken has three kinds of luck - good, better and best. To buy a Billiken gave the buyer luck. To have one given to you is better luck. The best luck came if the Billiken were stolen.