Brian Doyle's Mascots

Brian Doyle, the author of A Note on Mascots was always a sports team fan. He recalls his favorite team “The fighting Irish of the university of Notre dame”. Doyle has spent thirty years working for colleges and Universities. During these thirty years, he has heard of many animals just by team’s mascots. Doyle claims he could have a degree in zoology, from only reading sports articles. Doyle lists many animals from Armadillos to Squirrels. Though included the list of Animals doesn’t seem to be the most don’t seem intimidating or prepossessing. “we choose animals as a symbol of our sporting teams- their incredible, energy and muscle, grace, and strength, intelligence and verve…” (161). Doyle’s rhetorical aim is that people have a lot of these traits that we choose as out mascots. …show more content…
Doyle claims that a total of 82 schools have set the eagle as their mascot. Though the eagle symbolizes independence and freedom it was one of Americas own leaders who conceded the bald eagle by stating “A bird of bad moral character, too lazy to fish for himself…”. (161) Doyle mentioned this quote by Franklin to covey the rhetorical message. The bald eagle is an animal that many people think is a brave animal and connect to but people may connect to this animal in a separate way. The eagle holds an ugly trait that may reflect on to people. As Benjamin Franklin called the eagle too lazy to fish for its own food just as some people are too lazy to earn their own