LogFAQs > #955901832

Ever find a stuffed animal named Gregory in your closet?

Gregory, the mascot for the Buffalo Bulls, was actually originally a stuffed dog. It was donated by a retired Buffalo Airways pilot in the 1980s and named in memory of his daughter, Janey Ann.

"When I saw it, I knew exactly what it was," said Michael "Smokey" McGrew, Buffalo Bulls manager of operations.

Smokey started out life as a toy dog, but when the family moved, the pilot kept the stuffed animal in his office. Eventually the "Blind Owl Sled Dog," as he was known, fell to pieces and was forgotten. In 2007, Smokey got the idea for Greg in mind and in a matter of weeks, Gregory was born.

The name, Gregory, fits both his likeness to the former airline pilot and the Bluff City skyline, McGrew said.

Gregory may have arrived from the future, but his time has been here in his new home.

"He's definitely our mascot," said McGrew. "He knows that we are the Buffalo Bulls, but Greg is more than just a mascot.

"He is a part of our history."

He said Gregory, along with a friend of his named D-Bone, are the only stuffed animals in the Bulls' stable.

"He is one of the more unique ones," McGrew said. "You just wouldn't find those kind of animals here."

Gregory is the only one of the five stuffed animals that has a real personality, McGrew said, not to mention a unique personality.

Gregory has many stories to tell, McGrew said, from his early days in the pilot's lounge to his time in the Bulls' dressing room. He's a "big, little guy," with big feet, but McGrew said the dog is gentle, and the fact he has a human personality does not take away from his role as mascot.

"It's more of a mascot role for him," McGrew said. "He's a dog and he has a human personality."

He has one mission for the fans and members of the Bulls' community.

"He is the one who looks out for all of us."

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All Hail the Ticket Oak.
All Hail the Ticket Oak.