Prayers For Blowouts will be featuring posts from PFB Members this summer. This submission is from Member #024, Matt Ralph.

Mr. Celery,  Artie the Fighting Artichoke, and The Fighting Okra may be getting some company in their small but oh so popular coterie of mascots named after vegetables.

The College of William and Mary in Virginia is reportedly considering among a pool of 400 nominations a suggestion for making a stalk of asparagus their new mascot.

William and Mary is changing its mascot because its feathered logo was considered demeaning to Native Americans but still keeping the name the Tribe.

It wouldn’t make a whole lot of sense, but the merchandise sales and publicity boon the college would undoubtedly experience could be worthwhile. It’s not like the Asparagus lobby will balk over the Tribe of Asparagus.

Feel free to join me in voicing support for the asparagus mascot by going to http://web.wm.edu/contact/contact.php.

Here’s what I just wrote to them:

I just read a story on Sports Illustrated about the brilliant suggestion of William and Mary changing its mascot to a stalk of asparagus.

I think this is an incredible idea, one that would certainly lead me to fork over money for a T-shirt and encourage the future college bound kids I hope to one day have to attend your institution.

Please, please, please take this suggestion seriously and for the life of every Native American who has been demeaned by your feathered Tribe logo, consider the asparagus.