THE SIDELINES : UC Berkeley Mascot Suspended
Oski the Bear is out of a job.
The popular mascot of UC Berkeley was suspended indefinitely after a pie-throwing incident during Sunday’s basketball game against Oregon State.
Oski, who has entertained fans and poked fun at the competition since 1941, apparently went too far when he threw a two-layer cream cake into the crowd. Among those splattered was the family of Oregon State All-American candidate Gary Payton.
In a memo to the Oski Committee, the secret society of individuals who wear the goofy bear’s cardigan and full-face mask, the director of recreational sports said Oski’s performance has been sub-par.
“Young people look to Oski as something almost mythical,” William Manning wrote. “It demands extraordinary behavior, and we’re just not getting it.”
Despite the secrecy surrounding the committee, University spokesman Tom Debley said Thursday that Manning has summoned its members to a meeting to discuss Oski’s future and his prank-filled past.
The grinning mascot got its name from a bear cub that Cal students adopted in 1895 and named after an old school cheer.
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