OUR VIEW: Big Blue’s identity a vital school secret

 

With mixed emotion, we’ve observed another Big Blue retire and unmask. 

Journalists understand the need for secret identities in extraordinary circumstances. There could have been no Watergate without Deep Throat. On the journalistic side, writer Clark Kent and photographer Peter Parker are only two of the more famous examples. In all these cases, safety outweighed the need for transparency.

Big Blue has similar concerns. Our student section has been one of the most envied in the nation, a driving force behind our teams’ successes. If Big Blue’s identity was common knowledge, some of the more sinister elements among our rivals could target him or his family. Concern over kidnapped family members could really impact his performance, which in turn would impact the performance of our teams. Or – completely feasible in the high-stakes world of collegiate sports – scheming opponents might try to bribe a mascot, getting him to make some imperceptible but vital change to his cheering. A change that could cost us victory. Sure, for a similar bribe, a receiver might drop a pass or a forward might foul out – but the mascot could theoretically break the spirit of every Aggie on the court and in the audience.

On a less glamorous level, recently unmasked Big Blue Jordan Rampersad pointed out another advantage to the secret identity: “It’s fame you can turn off,” he said in an interview with The Statesman. Unlike star basketball or football players, Big Blue’s alter ego can live a quiet life. Out of the suit, he won’t be hassled by fans demanding autographs or the paparazzi. It’s only by tremendous effort that our editorial staff can restrain reporters and photographers from pestering student athletes while they’re studying or carrying out their day-to-day activities. The alter ego of our mascot would be a temptation too big, too blue to resist.

Why does so much secrecy, so much intrigue surround a man in a furry blue bull suit? It’s by design. A mascot’s every movement is calculated to draw attention. The suit itself is larger than life. At first sight, there’s obviously someone inside it – but the more you see Big Blue, the less you focus on the person inside. And really, if the person inside were the important element, why would he need the suit? Don’t get us wrong – Rampersad and all the Big Blues before him had a demanding, thankless, sweaty job. But when they put on the mask, they became more than individual students. The best part of Big Blue’s secret identity is that he could be any one of us.

He could be all of us.