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Capital One National Mascot of the Year Race Reviving Electoral Process One
Summersault at a Time
Electronic Polling Closes Dec. 22, 2003
MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- In an age of apathetic voters and bland
candidates, 12 contenders for one particularly lofty national post are
rejuvenating the national electorate with their school spirit and quest to be
the best. While pundits babble on about political strategy and candidates make
promises, these furry dozen are already at the center of one of America's
greatest electoral races -- the quest to be named Capital One Mascot of the
Year.
The 12 mascots vying for this year's title are members of the second annual
Capital One All-America Mascot Team, representing colleges and universities from
coast to coast. They're brash. They're feisty. One's even a bit Cocky, and
another's a real "nut." But there are no "Donkey" and "Elephant" party lines in
this race; nor is there a terminator, hustler, or "Diff'rent Strokes" child
star. "What we talkin' 'bout?"
The 2003 Capital One National Mascot of the Year Contenders
Albert -- University of Florida
Aubie -- Auburn University
Big Red -- Western Kentucky Univ.
Brutus Buckeye -- Ohio State Univ.
Chip -- University of Colorado
Cocky -- University of South Carolina
Hairy Dawg -- University of Georgia
Harry the Husky -- University of Washington
Monte -- University of Montana
Scratch -- University of Kentucky
Smokey -- University of Tennessee
YoUDee -- University of Delaware
"In today's climate, voter turnout can be the key to victory," said Pam Girardo,
mascot spokesperson at Capital One. "The enthusiasm for this year's National
Mascot of the Year contest demonstrates that nothing motivates and energizes
people more than a fuzzy, hip-shaking, roof-raising beast of a cheerleader."
The competition among the mascots has been heating up since public voting for
the Capital One National Mascot of the Year began Sept. 4 online at
http://www.capitalonebowl.com/. Unlike traditional politicians, these
characters have been campaigning on just one platform -- generating school
spirit.
They have forgone the traditional hot-air speeches (actually they can't talk)
and bus tours, and replaced them with daring acrobatics, push ups and belly
slides to woo voters. They have armed themselves with a war chest of school
spirit, and been going classroom-to-classroom and grill-to-grill at tailgating
parties, shaking paws, claws and feathers. They even have been waving their
"Vote for Me" campaign banners during rush-hour traffic and at local parades, as
well as erecting billboards and blasting e-mails to their fan base to drum up
support.
That's not to say that the campaign hasn't had its tense moments. Feathers flew
when one candidate promised voters a "chicken in every pot," prompting vigorous
protests from the birds in the race. And the most recent candidate debate
dissolved into chaos when the moderator, that crazy wildlife guy from the cable
channel, leapt from his seat and tried to wrestle a candidate into a canvas
bag.
Despite the controversy, the campaign continues. As of Oct. 31, nearly two
million votes have been cast. Brutus Buckeye and Cocky are beak to nut at the
top of the rankings. Online polling (http://www.capitalonebowl.com/) will
remain open until Dec. 22, 2003. The Capital One National Mascot of the Year
will be selected based on a panel of judges' ranking (50 percent) and the online
voting results (50 percent). The winner will be announced during the Capital
One Bowl on Jan. 1, 2004. There is no legislation that allows for a recall
vote.
About the Capital One All-America Team Competition
The second annual Capital One All-America Mascot Team and National Mascot of the
Year contests began in March 2003, when nomination kits were mailed to Division
IA & IAA schools with college football programs. In June, a panel of judges,
including representatives from ESPN, Capital One and the mascot community,
selected the 12 finalists. Judging criteria included interaction with fans,
sportsmanship and community service. The team was officially announced on July
31, 2003. Each mascot received $5,000 for its school's mascot program. The
Capital One National Mascot of the Year will receive an additional $5,000 (for a
total of $10,000).
About Capital One
Headquartered in McLean, Va., Capital One Financial Corporation
(http://www.capitalone.com/) is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries
include: Capital One Bank and Capital One FSB, which offer consumer lending
products, and Capital One Auto Finance, Inc., which offers auto loan products.
Capital One's subsidiaries collectively had 46.4 million managed accounts and
$67.3 billion in managed loans outstanding as of September, 2003. Capital One,
a Fortune 500 company, is one of the largest providers of MasterCard and Visa
credit cards in the world. Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol "COF" and is included in the S&P 500 index. Capital One's
affiliation with college football began with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital
One Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN's Bowl Week.
DATASOURCE: Capital One Financial Corporation
CONTACT: Charlie Domalik, +1-804-675-8133, , for
Capital One Financial Corporation; or Pam Girardo of Capital One Financial
Corporation, +1-703-720-2351,
Web site: http://www.capitalone.com/
http://www.capitalonebowl.com/