If you have ever been to a varsity football game, you have seen a few constants. The band taking the field to play the pre-game show, the energetic student section and three men in morphsuits riding a wagon across the field as the football team comes out to the tune of the Fight Song.
Although you see them at every home game, little is known about the mascots in the morphsuits or as they call himself, the Blue Crew.
One member of the crew, who revealed themselves at the Senior Night game, is senior Joe Corbin.
The group is very secretive, the only way to become one of the Blue Crew is to be selected by one of the current members.
“It is something where you’re chosen. You get the choice of whether you want to do it or not, but as a senior you have to choose the next generation of people,” Corbin said.
The criteria for a member requires a specific set of skills that consist of being able to keep the secret and being able to pump up the crowd at every home game without any breaks during the game.
“They have to be able to keep their mouths shut, they can’t vocalize anything to a bunch of people unless they absolutely have to, and they have to be able to pull the wagon out,” Corbin said.
All of these rules for secrecy surround the group, and some may wonder why they have these rules. However, the secrecy of the Blue Crew is part of the fun.
“It’s no fun when people know it’s you,” Corbin said.
Even though there are rules about secrecy and part of the fun is being anonymous, Corbin still chose to take off the mask at the Senior Night game.
“It’s kind of tradition to reveal at the last home game as a senior,” Corbin said. “I figured, ‘I’m a senior, last home game, might as well’.”
Although it may seem like a completely student run club, according to Corbin there is an anonymous teacher sponsor. There is also no set number of members in the crew.
“It varies, there can be three or there can be four or there can be five. It depends on the year and the situation,” Corbin said.
While the Blazers have always had mascots at the home games, the tradition of having the anonymous mascots was started fairly recently.
“It’s been a while, it’s been at least four or six years. I’d say probably more than that, but it started out as guys who would dress up without the mask and then eventually it got more into the morphsuit situation where it was more anonymous,” Corbin said.
Through all the secrecy, the one goal of the Blue Crew is to excite the crowd .
“The thing that most stands out is the student section. They’re crazy, they’re awesome, I think they have the most fun with it. We are hyped by them and we hope that it is reciprocated,” Corbin said.