Gumbo (mascot)

Gumbo the Dog is one of two official mascots of the NFL's New Orleans Saints, the other being Sir Saint. Gumbo is in the form of a Saint Bernard dog and wears the number 00. It was the Louisiana Restaurant Association's gift to the Saints.^[1] From the New Orleans Saints' website:

"It was a natural evolution of this idea that the dog be a Saint Bernard, and the name, Gumbo (a conglomeration of food and an iconic New Orleanian dish), reflects the Restaurant Association as well as a famous traditional Cajun meal loved by young and old, rich and poor (a mix like all people who love and support the Saints)."

Even though Gumbo went into a brief retirement, he was brought back by popular demand.

For years, Gumbo was, in fact, a real Saint Bernard dog that roamed the sidelines in Saints' apparel for dogs.^[2] The reason for choosing this breed of dog is the fact that Orleans Parish (where the City of New Orleans lies) shares a border with St. Bernard Parish to the east. The present mascot consists of a person wearing a Saint Bernard dog head and a football uniform. He is usually seen on the sidelines during games near the goalpost and sometimes celebrates touchdowns with Saints players.^[3]

References

1. Scaffidi, Steven (2010). Ain't Dat Super!. Xlibris. p. 3. ISBN 9781450097567.
2. Kelly, John (February 7, 2010). "New Orleans Saints history: 1967, the Gumbo-Jumbo combo". The Times-Picayune.
3. Video: Reggie Bush runs over Gumbo the Dog after the Saints win

External links

• Gumbo — New Orleans Saints website