Rampage (mascot)
| Rampage | |
|---|---|
 Rampage at a playoff watch party in Santa Fe Springs, California | |
| Information | |
| Gender | Male |
| Occupation | Mascot |
Rampage is the official mascot of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). Introduced in July 2010, he is an anthropomorphic ram who wears a Rams jersey.
Background
Naming Rampage
His name was selected by fans who voted in an online mascot-naming contest; "Rampage" was officially announced as the winning name at the St. Louis Zoo's south entrance on July 26, 2010. More than 1,000 names were submitted for the mascot. The top vote receivers were Rampage, Archie, Ramsey, Rammer, and Rush, respectively. The person who submitted the winning name won a suite at a Rams game for themselves and fifteen friends, a Ram's jersey, and a two hundred dollar gift card to the Official Rams online store. The winning name was submitted by Chris Shaffer. The Shaffer family was present for the unveiling of Rampage at the St. Louis Zoo.[1]
Rationale
According to Kevin Demoff, the Rams' current executive-vice president of football operations, Rampage "has the coating of a stuffed animal, but the build of a superhero."[2] Ram's ownership says that Rampage will make around 300 appearances a year from games to charity events and parties. Demoff says, "The organization decided to add a mascot to build game day entertainment and to make more involvement possible in the community." The team's plan is to have Rampage be part of the rebirth process of the team and to help bring the team a more playful family identity.
Previous mascots
Since the Rams started out as an organization in 1937, they have called three cities home. Their club has been based in Cleveland, Los Angeles, and St. Louis before returning to Los Angeles in 2016. In their 73 years of existence and their three home cities, they have only ever had one mascot before 2010. The mascot was a furry creature that resembled a rat more than anything and was named Ramster in the mid-1990s. The fans, however, never really took to Ramster and he was terminated in 1996. Now, Rampage is the mascot of the future and fans are responding positively to him. Although it has not been confirmed who will be the mascot, it is rumored that the mascot was a previous mascot for a rival team.
Milestones
On July 22, 2010, Rampage threw the ceremonial first pitch at the St. Louis Cardinals' baseball game at Busch Stadium.[2]
Rampage has attended the Pro Bowl three times in 2011, 2013 and 2015.
References
- ↑ "New Rams Mascot Named 'Rampage' By Fans". fox2now.com. July 26, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010.
- 1 2 "Rams taking another shot at a mascot". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. July 23, 2010. Retrieved July 26, 2010.