| Tony the Landshark | |
|---|---|
| University | University of Mississippi |
| Conference | SEC |
| Description | Anthropomorphic shark |
| Origin of name | Tony Fein (former football player) |
| First seen | August 11, 2018 |
| Last seen | May 2021 |
| Related mascot(s) | Rebel Black Bear,Colonel Reb |
Tony the Landshark, ananthropomorphicshark, was the mascot of theOle Miss Rebels, the collegiate athletic teams of theUniversity of Mississippi. It replacedRebel Black Bear as the mascot in fall 2018.[1] Tony has not officially been removed as the school mascot, but since May 2021 has not been seen on the sidelines of athletic events nor posted to the mascot's official X account.[2][3]
The landshark derives from a gesture invented by linebacker Tony Fein during the2008 football season. A native ofPort Orchard, Washington, Fein was an Army veteran who served a one-year tour in theIraq War before arriving inOxford. One day, he threw his hand over his head in celebration of a tackle, and the gesture caught on.
The landshark symbol became less prominent after Fein died from a drug overdose in 2009,[4] but re-emerged during the2012–13 men's basketball season, when the Rebels won the2013 SEC men's basketball tournament and advanced to theNCAA tournament for the first time since2002. The run was largely ignited byMarshall Henderson, who was known for his fiery landshark celebrations after a big shot.[5]
It reemerged on the football field during the2014 season, when the Rebels had the best defense in the nation.[6]
In 2017, theOle Miss Rebels softball team won the firstSEC softball tournament in school history, hosted aRegional game for the first time in school history, and advanced toSuper Regionals for the first time in school history. The run was ignited by pitcher Kaitlin Lee, who pitched every pitch of postseason play for the Rebels. After each of Lee's strikeouts, she made the landshark gesture.[7]
On October 6, 2017, then-ChancellorJeffrey Vitter announced that the university mascot would switch to the Landshark, beginning with the 2018–19 season.[1]
In November 2021, Athletic Director Keith Carter said the university would begin "de-emphasizing" Tony.[3]