A great bear from the past

I originally posted this in the thread where the discussion started. But since that thread was titled something like "Most annoying fan at Lynah", and since the topic had drifted to talk of skating bears, I thought it appropriate to start a new thread. The original post has now been edited, and points to this thread.
--AW


[Q]JDeafv Wrote:

Once when I was skating, I posed for a picture for a fan, then the next week the fan handed me a copy through the glass. It was nice.

[/q]

I also have fond memories of the bears. My daughter, who was two at the time, had a very special relationship with one special bear in 1995-96. I'll tell the story here, for anyone who might be interested.

The bear was named Margot Plumadore. I believe she was on the women's hockey team. She was a fantastic skater, and really great with kids. I used to take my daughter down to the glass, between sections C and D between periods. Whenever Margot came over to the glass, she would cover the teeth in her bear head with one of her paws, so that she would not look so fierce. She didn't want my daughter (or any of the younger kids) to be scared of her.

Sometimes Margot would even come into the stands during the game, in full bear regalia, to amuse the kids. She was really great!

One night, between periods, Margot brought my daughter, Bevi, some beads. She tossed them to me over the glass. Bevi loved those beads, because she had gotten them from the bear. They were her most prized posession. Until they got lost. To this day we're not sure where they were lost, but our best guess is that Bevi had them in the bathtub with her, and they went down the drain. Bevi was inconsolable.

We searched everywhere we could think of in Ithaca for another set of similar beads, but couldn't find anything like them. Eventually I had the idea to try to contact "The Bear", through the athletic department, to ask her where she had obtained the beads. (This is how I learned Margot's name.)

I reached Margot, and learned that the beads were Mardi Gras beads, that a friend of hers had obtained in New Orleans. I'm a little fuzzy on the details of what happened next, but somehow Margot came up with another set of beads for Bevi.

A part that I am not fuzzy on is what happened in Lake Placid, at the ECAC tournament.

Margot came and talked to us (as Margot) before the game. She wondered whether or not Bevi might like to go out on the ice with her between periods. Bevi's mom and I weren't sure if Bevi would go for it or not, but figured we'd give it a try. Arrangements were made for me to bring Bevi down to Margot between periods.

Bevi was just a little tentative about things as I handed her over, but she was clearly willing. She was also clearly nervous. Since she was wearing a red Cornell sweatshirt, she got a very warm reception when Margot skated her into the Cornell corner of the rink. And Margot was no fool...she didn't take her to any of the other sections.

When Margot brought Bevi back to me, Bevi was ecstatic. She talked about the experience for a very long time. In fact, to that point, the longest "sentence" Bevi had spoken was probably 2 or 3 words. After Lake Placid Bevi would say, "Bear, out on ice, people clap." to anyone who would listen. It definitely made quite an impression on her.

Margot was a great ambassador of good will for Cornell and the athletic department. The athletic department should consider itself extremely fortunate if it could find another person anything like Margot to wear the bear head.

I don't know what Margot is up to these days. If she's working with kids somewhere, I'm sure she's doing a great job, and I'm equally sure that the kids are lucky to have her.

Andy W. '86

Margot is in fact teaching kids Math in Albany, IIRC.

Beeeej

Wow, that's a blast from the past. I don't think I've seen Margot in 7 or 8 years. Great story, Andy.

[Q]Beeeej Wrote:

Margot is in fact teaching kids Math in Albany, IIRC.

Beeeej[/q]

[www.geocities.com]

You guys are fantastic. You look up good stuff faster than the Enquirer digs up dirt on Liz and Michael.

It's too bad the skating bear isn't skating anymore, whether it's student (prospective bear) apathy or athletic department antipathy or what. It was a nice touch. And that season-ending striptease!

I'm still questioning my sanity when I decided to invite my parents to the last game in 2003. Not sure my mother wanted that mental image of Jon She was certainly as worried as I was when we saw his feet all tied up though!
(I think her turning to me during the almamater at the end of the senior ceremony, teared up, to say "I get it now" (re: the Cornell hockey phenomenon) was worth it though.)

[Q]KateWithThe8 Wrote:
Not sure my mother wanted that mental image of Jon [/q]As if the rest of us did?

I don't remember if it was my junior or senior year, but there were *two* stripping bears, and when the girl bear started stripping, some of those around me started cheering "put it back on!". I felt kind of sorry for the poor girl.

[q]and when the girl bear started stripping, some of those around me started cheering "put it back on!"[/q]I think that's happened more than once...

If your Junior year was 2002, I was the "other" stripping bear (not the girl) and didn't take the head off because I wasn't a senior. At one point, it fell off when I tried to lift the jersey up over my helment, but then I put it back on.

The girl bears take a lot more abuse than the boy bears.

I guess Cornell hockey fans like to see men strip ... right ...

I didn't have a clue that my feet were tied together 2003 until it was too late. I kept thinking, why am I falling all over?!?!?!?!

Janice (my wife) reminded me of the commercial played on the scoreboard during playoffs featuring the skating Big Red Bear.

Why the angry face over the commercial?

That commercial was shot by a producer at NESN (my cousin) back in the days when NESN used to cover 1 college hockey game a week. We taped the commercial on Friday when they were in Ithaca to cover the Saturday game.

He was the producer for the ECAC tournament and used the commercial during the playoffs.

That was a cool commercial, but like every ad on the RSNs, it got overplayed.

[Q]JDeafv Wrote:

Why the angry face over the commercial?

[/q]


I'm sorry that I limited that post to one sentence and two emoticons. I am angry (and sad) because my bears are missing in action. Janice and I love that commercial. I don't think I'll get over this unless the bears return.

Got it. Glad you enjoyed the commercial, I'll pass the note along.

All I can say about my experience with Bevi is that I got as much out of it as she did. I loved Cornell Athletics while I was there. I did not stay at the school after that year. I transferred to a state college where I could persue an education major that would satisfy the requirements for a teaching certificate. It was right around the time that I was the mascot that I realized my true purpose. I am now a high school math teacher in Albany NY.

Thank you for your appreciation.
Feel free to contact me if you want. I'd love to see you and your daughter again.

- Margot Plumadore

From Denice in one of those community emails we all get:

How would you like to be the Cornell Bear at a hockey, b-ball, or football
game?
Do you have what it takes to be the Cornell Mascot? If so please join us on:
Wednesday March 9th
4:30 - 5:00
International Lounge in Willard Straight
Refreshments will be served!
Email: BLH34@cornell.edu


Maybe they're restarting the tradition? Or do they have bears that just walk?

[Q]Jlewis Wrote:
Maybe they're restarting the tradition? Or do they have bears that just walk?[/q]

Well, you don't expect them to skate at basketball games, do you?

I did it at a few different sports, including women's volleyball, where the athletes were most appreciative of the spirt and effort. :-{)}

Beeeej

[Q]Beeeej Wrote:

I did it at a few different sports, including women's volleyball, where the athletes were most appreciative of the spirt and effort. :-{)}[/q]

Gives new meaning to "Who eats the Moose?"

haha, I meant at the hockey games, not the others...

A skating bear in a red jersey just showed up on the Webcast. Assuming that's not a pixellation problem at XMI's end and really is the BRB, that's great. When was the BRB's previous appearance at Lynah?