Hammertime

Purdue will unveil their new and improved version of Purdue Pete during tomorrow's annual Gold and Black game. A video of Purdue Pete II (or version 2.0) surfaced on their athletics website yesterday before it was taken down a few hours later. We were still able to find the photo on the Lafayette Courier-Journal website.

I'm not a big fan. While the old Purdue Pete had a creepy, hard plastic face (similar to what the mascot from the old Big Boy burger chains had), PPII's is made from fabric. In fact, he looks more like the lovechild of Jay Leno and Sparty, just without the HGH. I'm completely lost on the hat. Since when was chrome part of Purdue's color-scheme? I thought it was "Hail to the Old Gold and Black". PPII's octagon-shaped tin foil hat makes this outfit appear even more ridiculous. A plain gold shirt, and oversized belt buckle (also chrome) don't help tie the outfit together. I'm no fashionista, but that reflective hat is going to look absurd reflecting the bright sun on Saturday afternoons at Ross-Ade Stadium. Did I mention the new Pete is ditching the trademark hammer as well?

The old Purdue Pete wasn't perfect. But, he had his weapon of choice, a hard hat with the official school colors, and a face that would haunt your dreams (don't you want your mascot to be intimidating?) Hell, I'd even take the super effeminate basketball-version of Purdue Pete, with the short shorts and go-go boots. This toned-down, huggable, tin foil hat wearing fraud was a big swing and a miss.