'The Bird' vies for mascot of the year

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. John Ross
  • U.S. Air Force Academy Public Affairs
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. (AFPN) --  The U.S. Air Force Academy's mascot, "The Bird," faces off against his furry colleagues for the third time in five years this football season in "Fur Factor," the Capital One Bowl Mascot of the Year competition. 

Already in its fifth week, the competition will continue throughout the college football season. The winner will be announced during the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Day.
A large part of the competition is based on fan voting at www.capitalonebowl.com. 

"It's really just a popularity contest," said "The Bird," lounging last week after another grueling Air Force home game, "which is why I'm doing so well. My fans love me so much it hurts sometimes." 

Every week, for 11 weeks, mascots go head-to-head to see who can get the most votes. The top six mascots with the best win/loss records will make the playoffs -- lasting three weeks beginning Nov. 27. 

For five years the Capital One Bowl has helped shine the spotlight on the unsung furry champions of the gridiron. Fans can log on to www.capitalonebowl.com daily to vote for their favorite fuzzy friend, see their best moves and learn more about them from online interviews.