Mississippi State’s Bully – Big Dog on Campus

I started out with a feature on Super Bulldog Weekend, but while attending some events during the weekend, I got be around Tonka - Bully XXI at the MSU Fanfare on that Saturday morning ... His mannerisms and the way he interacted with kids and adults was very interesting. What stood out was the way he responded to his care taker ... The story is below.

He is the “Top Dog” on gameday at Mississippi State. No, it’s not football coach Sylvester Croom, but close. It may be new MSU President Foglesong? … nope. It’s Tonka, also known as Bully. He is one of the most popular icons for MSU. He is the school’s XXI bulldog to man the sidelines at State. He is in his fourth season as Bully.

Bully has seven counterparts across the Southeastern Conference as Auburn, Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee all have live mascots as part of their tradition on campus. Auburn has a golden eagle named Tiger, who circles the stadium prior to home football games. UA in Fayetteville, Ark. features a Russian boar named Tusk I that is caged and carted around the campus and stadium on football Saturdays. The Red and Black in Georgia have the most famed live mascot in the nation in UGA. LSU sports a bengal tiger named Mike, who has a brand new habitat next door to Tiger Stadium. One of the intriguing things that LSU does with Mike the Tiger is that his cage is placed at the visitor’s entrance on to the field as an intimidation factor. Preceding kick off, he is provoked to make a giant roar heard over the public address system in the stadium. Tennessee just recently lost its live mascot, Smokey, to illness. They are in the process of searching for a new bluetick hound.

The former bulldog mascots lived in various dorms across campus, roamed the streets of MSU. But Tonka has the luxury of his own place with Lisa Chrestman and her family. Chrestman works with MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. She is responsible for getting him to and from events and the primary care taker of Tonka. So what does his gameday duties entail?

His day begins with a bath and getting his nails trimmed. Chrestman says it is similar to a visit to the beauty parlor and then his favorite part of the day takes place after he has received the royal treatment … a nap before he departs for the stadium. Bully and his entourage arrive at the stadium for homes games three hours prior to kickoff.

“His first duty at the stadium is taking pictures with fans at the fanfare for at least an hour,” said Chrestman. “Then it is on to the M-Club building to socialize with members of the M-Club.”

After the public appearances it is off to work for Tonka. Chrestman says that he knows when it is time to go to work. When she puts the harness on he’s ready for another tour of duty on the sidelines.

Some people believe that dogs can not recognize colors, but she has a different opinion on that theory.

“When he sees us wearing maroon he knows that it is gameday,” mentioned Chrestman.

Tonka is the first dog to be owned by the university. He first stepped foot on campus when he was nine week old. One of Chrestman’s first priorities with him was getting him acclimated to human contact and noise.

“Being able to start him at an early age was huge. I took him to band practice to get him adjusted to the noise level,” said Chrestman. I even took him to football practice once or twice.”

The future Bullys will come from Tonka’s bloodline. But she doesn’t foresee him giving up his title for a good while. He is in good shape and has zero health issues for being such an active dog. The high demand for his presence at certain events has caused Chrestman to cut back his public appearances.

HISTORY

Tonka falls in line with the rest of the dogs that have been ambassadors for the university. The origin of a live mascot dates back to the 1935 season. Head football coach Ralph Sasse brought to campus, Ptolemy, from Memphis, Tenn. as the first official mascot of MSU.

The dogs were given names by its owner, who usually donated the dogs to the school or they were given names by the student body. Bully IV was name BDog, which stood for Big Dog on Campus. Other names included VII Mr. Muggs, XI Joker, X Joker, XII Romeo and yes even XI Rebel.

There is a new commemorative monument honoring the former bulldogs that have walked the sidelines for MSU. The new structure includes a list of the names of the dogs and the years that they served as State’s official mascot. The idea of the monument came about this summer when Bully XIX – Humphrey. He was laid to rest near the flag pole at the north end of Davis Wade Stadium.

“We wanted to do something to commemorate the former dogs that have served as Bully,” said MSU Director of Athletics Larry Templeton. “The funding of the statue came from the athletic department.”

Informational Interview

Marty Parkes, the United States Golf Association's Senior Director of Communications, graciously took time out of his busy schedule to talk with me about his job and responsibilities with the goverening body of golf in the United States ... Below is the full transcript of the interview.

Tell me how you got started in this field

“There is not an exact science in getting in the business. I played a lot of amateur golf. I went to Trinity College where I got a BA in economics. I became a trained communication specialist and golf happened to be in the industry for me. We have a variety of people with many different backgrounds that work in the organization.”

What are the basic prerequisites for jobs in this field

“You have to be willing to learn, know the subject matter. Need good communication skills – written, speaking and the most important one is listening. We are a national governing body, so you have to listen from a variety of people. We are the eyes and ears of the USGA.”

What are the daily duties of the job or describe a typical day for you

“Most days are spent at USGA headquarters. I attend the U.S. Open and the U.S. Women’s Open each year. I try to get to the smaller events sometimes. I talk to others in the organization, I spend 25 percent reading about what’s going on in the golf world, 25 percent talking on the phone, writing press releases and drafting speeches.”

What part of this job do you find most challenging

“Managing the time is very challenging. I spend a great deal of time with people who report to me on a daily basis.”

What are the toughest problems you deal with

“When the media is focused on a negative of the USGA and the most frustrating problem is when the media has made up its mind on an issue and they will not listen to what you are presenting them from your viewpoint.”

What part of this job do you find most challenging

“Ensuring a smooth transition with technology. The way we send stuff out is totally different these days. It used to be mailed, then faxed. Now all we do is e-mail, put stuff on the web and use so much technology - Integrating Technology.

Does your career require a great deal of mobility

“It requires a lot of mobility. One, golf is a spread out sport. I travel to both Open tournaments and they are at different venues across the nation. I am very lucky to have a very understanding spouse and family because golf is played majority on weekends.”

What do you find most rewarding about this work

“I don’t know of another activity or sport that attracts the quality of people that golf does. Working with an association that has a great deal of values toward a sport and respect for the past.”

Where do you see yourself going in a few years

“I hope I am still here and that the USGA needs me to be around. This is my tenth year here and I find it very rewarding and challenging everyday.”

What trends do you see for this industry in the next 3 to 5 years

“There are many challenges with the golf industry from an economic standpoint. Golf takes up a lot of time to play and the cost of play. Time is in short supply. I see us trying to get more people learning the game of golf. Revenues from our television contracts and ticket sales amount to the financial return and investment back in to the game of golf.”

What experience, paid or volunteer, would you recommend?

“”Start wherever you can – at the regional, state or local levels. The USGA provides P.J. Boatwright internships on the state level. There are so many volunteer opportunities in golf. If you look in the sports page, you will find many local tournaments that need all kinds of volunteers. It is important to get out there to see if you like it because there is a lot of glamour from the outside.

How do I go about volunteering at the upcoming U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur held at Old Waverly in West Point, Miss.

“The guy that will be the media contact for that event is Ken Klavon, who is out internet coordinator. I will be glad to pass along your contact information to him with your interest in the event. We sometimes get in touch with the local colleges to see if there is anyone interested in helping out that week.”

What are some of your responsibilities at the events

“I am the main media contact at each championship. We have a representative at each event that is associated with the USGA. We have a media center set up at each event which is manned by the USGA.

Super Bulldog Weekend Story

Super Bulldog Weekend

What is Super Bulldog Weekend?

n The history of the event

n When it was started

n Why it was started

n Who came up with the idea of SBW

The different sporting events that happen on campus

-- Baseball

-- Spring Football Game

-- Tennis

-- Spring Volleyball match

-- Soccer Alumni match

Pig cooking contest and other university functions

-- Great food and atmosphere

-- Spring time reunions/Homecoming-type atmosphere

Tidbits to use

n Broke the NCAA on-campus baseball attendance in 1991 with 14,991 at Dudy Noble Field.

n ESPN covered the spring game last season.

n The amount of BBQ consumed over the weekend.

Possible interviews

n Larry Templeton, MSU AD

n Bobby Tomlinson, Assistant AD – oversees the set up of SBW.

n Mike Nemeth – MSU Media Relations Director.

n Baseball Players/coaches

n Fans

Feature Story Ideas

-- Super Bulldog Weekend -- 21 years of exsistence ... how it got started and what it is all about.

-- Following an MSU golfer during practice ... what goes on during a round...how to select clubs, how to play it out of tough situations.

Baseball Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – March 22, 2006
MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY – Athletic Media Relations
Contact: Tony Schmidt (662) 325-0968, (662) 312-4251

NO. 1 DIAMOND DOGS TOP JACKSONVILLE STATE 6-1 TO EXTEND WIN STREAK TO 17

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Mississippi State’s season-opening win streak moved to 17 games with a 6-1 win over Jacksonville State on Wednesday night at Dudy Noble Field/Polk DeMent Stadium.

With the win, State will now take its string of wins to Baton Rouge, La. to face off with the LSU Tigers in a three-game series that begins Friday, March 24. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Alex Box Stadium.

“It’s nice to go to Baton Rouge with 17 wins, said MSU head coach Ron Polk. “We put some runs together late. Rutledge’s (Michael) hit was key in the seventh.”

Both teams scratched the scoreboard in the opening frame and remained in a 1-1 deadlock until MSU added a run its half of the sixth inning. Pinch hitter Matt Richardson led off the inning with a walk and eventually scored on a JSU fielding error by the Gamecock first baseman Allen Rose.

MState extended its lead in the seventh to 4-1 on Michael Rutledge’s two-out double to left to score Joseph Hunter and Joseph McCaskill. The Maroon and White added insurance runs in the eighth with Bunky Kaeton scoring on a wild pitch and Thomas Berkery coming across the plate on Brian LaNinfa’s two-bagger.

Starkville, Miss. pitching product Jesse Carver notched his first win in a Bulldog uniform with his one inning of work. Carver relieved starter Jon Crosby, who went five solid innings. The Gamecock’s Ton Dinkard suffered the loss.

“It was very exciting to get the win tonight,” said Jesse Carver. “We have a solid line up, so we knew we were going to get some runs.”

All three games this weekend against LSU can be heard on MSU’s statewide baseball radio network or by logging on to State’s official athletic web site www.MStateAthletics.com and follow the link to Maroon to the Max.

State’s next non-conference activity will be next Tuesday and Wednesday, March 28 and 29, hosting the Panthers of Birmingham Southern. Tuesday’s game is set for 6:30 p.m.

- www.mstateathletics.com -

Opinion Article

Bulldog Club Scholarship Fund and Ticket Policy

This past week Mississippi State’s fundraising arm of the athletic department released the policy and guidelines regarding football and basketball tickets and seating. The new plan involves re-seating of priority seats within the Bulldog Club. It also entails new giving guidelines which coincide with an individuals annual giving to the program.

The Bulldog Club is vital to the success of the entire athletic program. The organization is responsible for paying tuition for the student-athletes, which is rising across the board in collegiate sports.

So how has the response been to the changes in ticket priority? Early indications seem positive from the Bulldog nation, but some see it as a negative. The ones in the minority need to realize that championships aren’t just built in one day – there is a process to the ingredients of championship programs. This new type of policy is nothing new to intercollegiate athletics. MSU is just doing what other schools are doing to compete at this level.

I applaud State’s athletic administration to make changes in the policy that have been way overdue. Yes, people are going to complain, but when do people don’t complain about anything. The people that are complaining and not wanting this new policy in place will not get tickets – it’s that simple. There are plenty of people that would take that ticket and put it to good use.

The views expressed in this opinion column are not associated with MSU Athletics ... Schmidt is a graduate student in sports administration.

MSU'S 1995-96 FINAL FOUR SEASON

MSU'S 1995-96 FINAL FOUR SEASON

By Tony Schmidt

A nationally televised audience for Midnight Madness... Top-10 rankings in the national polls... A second-straight SEC Western Division title... A school-first SEC Tournament championship... And ultimately, a first-ever appearance in the prestigious NCAA Final Four.

The season was 1995-96 - a season that many faithful who follow the Maroon and White can vividly recall where they were and with whom they were watching the games when Mississippi State University made national news in the collegiate sports world by knocking off favored Connecticut and Cincinnati in the NCAA Southeast Regional played at Rupp Arena in Lexington, Ky. Those memorable pair of wins came just two weeks after the Bulldogs upset top-ranked and eventual National Champion Kentucky in the title game of the 1996 SEC Tournament held at the Superdome in New Orleans.

Ten years ago this month marks the 10th anniversary of the Bulldogs' spirited run to the 1996 NCAA Final Four and a memorable experience at the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, N.J. However, those who have long followed State hoops tend to point back to the 1990-91 campaign as the turning point when MSU began to return to the college basketball limelight after nearly a three-decade drought. It was that 1990-91 season which made people within the college basketball circles begin talking about the Bulldog basketball program once again. State's 1990-91 senior-laden edition evolved from talented, but untested, freshmen just four years prior into a confident, veteran ballclub that claimed the school's first SEC championship since 1962-63, along with securing the program's first NCAA Tournament berth in 28 seasons of basketball.

"I tend to think that was the team that set the tone for everything that has happened with Mississippi State basketball since that time," recalled former MSU head coach Richard Williams - the all-time winningest basketball coach in school history. "If you look at the history of the program before the 1990-91 season, they had been to one NCAA Tournament in 1963. MSU had played in the NIT in 1979 and had not been back to postseason play until 1991."

Williams believes it was guys like Cameron Burns, Greg Carter, Todd Merritt, Carl Nichols and Doug Hartsfield who laid the new foundation for basketball at MSU. Something that particular group of young men passed onto their State successors was the notion that championships could indeed be brought home to Mississippi State. Those guys proved it could be done on March 2, 1991, when a 76-73 home win over the LSU Tigers meant a share of the SEC crown could indeed be celebrated on the Humphrey Coliseum hardwood.

With the new foundation firmly secured by Williams, who had hired a young assistant coach named Rick Stansbury prior to the 1990-91 season, the Bulldogs got a glimpse of what was in store for them during the 1994-95 campaign by making the school's first-ever Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament with victories over the Steve Nash-led Santa Clara team as well as a Keith Van Horn-powered Utah club in Boise, Idaho.

For the Bulldogs and their hoops-hungry fans, just getting back to the NCAA Tournament the following year wasn't going to be good enough. Though returning all-SEC standouts Erick Dampier and Darryl Wilson, MSU still had to replace under-appreciated playmaker T.J. Honore along with fellow starters Marcus Grant and Brian Price, who were all valuable components on State's 1995 Sweet Sixteen squad.

"T.J. (Honore) was one of the most under-rated guards that I have ever coached," Williams noted. "Marcus Grant (currently serving on Stansbury's coaching staff) was a great college basketball player and had a very successful professional career overseas."

Expectations were extremely high heading into the 1995-96 campaign, but the MSU staff knew if they could fill the gaps from the previous squad that a return trip deep into the NCAA Tournament was certainly within reach.

"With the players we had returning, in particular Darryl Wilson and Erick Dampier, we knew we could be good again if we could get consistent play from some of the new guys," Williams reflected.

Insert Dontae' Jones, Russell Walters and Marcus Bullard into a lineup already featuring Dampier and Wilson, and the prospects for a potent starting-five were pretty good. After winning eight games in nine outings prior to beginning the SEC slate, MSU dropped four of its first seven conference match-ups, including back-to-back home losses to Kentucky and Alabama. Struggling at the time with a 4-3 league record, the talented Bulldogs benefited from some mid-season soul-searching.

"I think once Dontae' (Jones) and Russell (Walters) figured out what their roles were, we became a much better team," Williams admitted.

Retired from collegiate coaching and living in the Jackson area, Williams still keeps in touch with most of his former players from his collegiate coaching days. He toured Italy last fall and spent time with Wilson and Tyrone Washington, who are currently playing in the Italian professional leagues. One of the surprising relationships, according to Williams himself, is the bond he and Walters have formed over the past couple of years.

"Russell (Walters) is now in coaching and that has led us to become really close," Williams said. "He calls all the time for advice and just to talk. He has indicated to me that he understands much better what I went through as a coach and some of the decisions I made as a coach."

The accomplishments those previous Mississippi State teams achieved some 10 years ago have certainly carried over into the recent successes enjoyed by Stansbury's MSU teams. After succeeding Williams in 1998, Stansbury has since directed the Bulldogs to four-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances with four-straight, 20-win seasons, along with an outright SEC championship in 2004, an SEC Tournament title in 2002, and back-to-back divisional crowns in 2003 and 2004.

As this year's youthful Bulldog contingent continues to learn and grow together, the prospects for future hoops success in Starkville does indeed look promising. And as Mississippi State fans across the state and from around the nation come together during this month of March Madness, the Maroon and White faithful can always cling to the precious 1996 Final Four memories created a decade ago.

Public Service Announcement & Media Timeline

Public Service Announcement

Wanting to get a jumpstart on spring-time activities? Mississippi State University’s Sports Administration program is offering an opportunity to enjoy a healthy day of recreation with a tennis tournament and a 5K run on April 1, 2006. Benefits from the two events will go toward two worthy causes – The Boys and Girls Club of Starkville and Special Olympics. For more information contact Robert Zullo at 662-325-9281 or log on to http://www.kinesiology.msstate.edu/ for more information regarding the events.

Media Time Line

March

n Locate the different mediums to be used for the event.

n Get in contact with media personnel about deadlines and ad deadlines.

n Use PSA and other forms of free media publicity (MSU-TV, Northland Cable TV, local radio stations).

n Send out press releases two weeks prior to event – closer to the registration deadline.

n Send out press releases in the days prior to the event.

Richard Williams Quotes

Richard Williams

“The expectations going into the season were high. We were ranked top-15 in the preseason. We had been to the Sweet Sixteen the year before, but some people forget that we lost three starters off that team. We had to get three new starters into the line up. Russell Walters and Marcus Bullard were on the team, but they were not full time starters. I remember that we won a lot of games early in the non-conference play. We lost to Arkansas-Little Rock on a last second shot. That Little Rock team had Derrick Fischer, who is now in the NBA, on that team. We weren’t playing well at that time and there were a lot of things that we needed to work on. When we lost to Kentucky at home, I think the players realized that what the coaches had been telling them were true that we needed to defend better and execute as a team. We went through a stretch there where we lost a couple of conference games after that lost to Kentucky. I think once Dontae (Jones) and Russell (Walters) figured out what their roles were, we became a much better team."

“I think coaches can say our goal is the national championship or our goal is to get to the Final Four, but for a program like Mississippi State that had never been there, they had only been to the NCAA Tournament a couple of times before that. To say that’s a goal is ok, but it’s somewhat of a stretch. You can have that as a goal, but is it a realistic goal. It’s realistic for Duke, Connecticut and North Carolina, the teams that do it on a consistent basis. We knew we were going to be good, we just didn’t know how good.”

“Just listening to the fans once it was all over, I think it was certainly something that made Mississippi State people proud and most of the state of Mississippi proud. For me personally, a guy that had been a Mississippi State fan since I was a kid and gets the chance to coach at my school and take my school to the Final Four was a very special meaning.”

1995 squad

“Just because you make it to the Sweet Sixteen one year doesn’t mean you can do better next year because it’s a different team, the match ups are different in the tournament. There are many times that good teams don’t make the Final Four because they match up with an opponent that may be a bad match up for them. Going to the Sweet Sixteen the year before, with the players we had returning in particular Darryl Wilson and Erick Dampier, if we could get consistent play from some of the new guys them we knew we could be good again. We certainly felt like we had a chance to return to the Sweet Sixteen depending on the matchups."

The early Championships

“I tend to think that was the team that set the tone for everything that has happened with Mississippi State basketball since that time. If you look at the history of the program before the 1991 season, they had been to one NCAA Tournament in 1963. They had played in the NIT in 1978 and had not been back to post season play till 1991. We had not won any SEC Championship of any kind since 1963, so I think winning the SEC Championship and getting to the NCAA Tournament in 1991made people realize that the Mississippi State program had reached a point where it was a legitimate program. We went to the NIT the previous year in 1990. I think that was the group of guys – Cameron Burns, Greg Carter, Carl Nichols, Todd Merritt that set the stage for the program because after 28 years of not winning a championship, we realized that we could do this. That was the team that I think set the standards.”

Special players

“The one I keep in contact with the most is Russell Walters and that is kind of a surprise because Russell and I butted heads so much when he played for me. I was a hard-headed coach and he was a hard-headed player and we had our differences, but now we are very close. Russell (Walters) is now in coaching and that has led us to become really close. He calls all the time for advice and just to talk. He has indicated to me that he understands much better what I went through as a coach and some of the decisions I made as a coach. He didn’t understand the decisions then, but now he does in the position that he is in.”

“I went to Italy last fall to spend nine days with Darryl Wilson and Tyrone Washington. Mario Austin was also over there as well, so I got to see him play. I enjoyed that time while I was over there.”

The Final Four experience

“When you go through it the first time, I didn’t exactly know what an impact it would have on our university and our state. The coaches are so busy planning for the next opponent and trying to get the team to play that next game that we didn’t understand the magnitude of it all, but we knew it was a big deal. The surprising thing for me was the amount of media attention focused on Starkville, Miss. and Mississippi State University along with the players and coaches. In Starkville, it’s not typical to have that kind of media focus.”

On Mississippi on the caps

“That was in direct response to questions. That’s what happens in the media; the questions are never printed, so all the people see is the responses to those questions. I think all the media wanted us to say that we weren’t respected. I think that’s the story the media wanted to write. The players and coaches that we competed against respected our program. It (the Mississippi on the caps) was a slap in the face to our university and to our team."

On the mayhem at the airport when the team arrived home

“That was a different experience. That’s one of the times where we started to think this is a pretty big deal. When the students started rocking the bus, I said it was time to get out of here. We left Tyrone Washington and Rick Stansbury at the airport, if they were not on the bus they had to find their own way home. It was an exciting time and everyone wanted to be apart of the experience.”

"T.J. Honore was one of the most under-rated players that I have ever coached. Marcus Grant was a great college basketball player and did well overseas in professional basketball."

On getting back to the Final Four

"It’s not easy for sure, if it was every school would do it occasionally. There have been some great teams and coaches that have never been to the Final Four, so it’s not easy. I think now that teams are so closely matched that you don’t have a dominant team anymore. You have to have players to start with and you have to coach those players, along with some luck in the draw. There are so many factors that go into making it there.”