VOICE-OVER SCRIPT:

SCOTT FERRY LOVES MEETING UP WITH FELLOW ALUMS DURING MICHIGAN STATE TAILGATES.

FERRY AND COMPANY ARE MORE THAN JUST OLD COLLEGE PALS, THOUGH.

THEY USED TO BE THIS GUY.

SOUNDBITE (English) Scott Ferry, former Sparty:

“Welcome to the former Sparty tailgate. What we do here is we provide a space that all of the former Sparties can actually get together and anywhere you're at in this country, you know you have a home to come back to.”

THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE FURRY.

SPARTY AND HIS MASCOT BROTHERS AND SISTERS EXIST TO FIRE UP THE CROWD ON FOOTBALL SATURDAYS.

AND SERVE TO SYMBOLICALLY REPRESENT THEIR UNIVERSITY.

SOUNDBITE (English) Phil Lator, former Sparty:

“When you think of Michigan State, you think of Sparty. And everybody knows what the mascot is.”

JUST LIKE THEY KNOW BIG AL, ALABAMA’S LOVABLE ELEPHANT.

THE DISNEY-INSPIRED OREGON DUCK.

WISCONSIN’S BUCKY BADGER -- WHO CLEARLY NEEDS TO FIND A TISSUE.

AND, OF COURSE, NOTRE DAME’S LEPRECHAUN.

UPSOUND Notre Dame’s Leprechaun mascot says (English) “Let’s go, ND. Come on, Irish” during a game at Boston College

SOUNDBITE (English) Brock Wright, NFL tight end and former Notre Dame player:

“The Leprechaun was awesome. One of my buddies was the Leprechaun. ... I hear the tryout process for that is pretty crazy. They have them do all sorts of wild stuff to see if they can, I guess, handle all the pressure.”

YOU MEAN, LIKE THE PRESSURE OF PAVING THE WAY FOR THE TEAM TO TAKE THE FIELD?

SOUNDBITE (English) Scott Ferry, former Sparty:

“You've got the flag in your arms, and you're taking it to the center of the entire field. And everybody's cheering for you. You plant that flag, you drop down, you do one-arm push-ups, and then you … jump up and you think, ‘Oh my gosh, I am seeing stars. I might just pass out.’”

BUT YOU DON’T, BECAUSE THERE ARE FANS TO PUMP UP.

A JOB THAT DOESN’T GO AWAY FOR SOME FORMER MASCOTS, EVEN LONG AFTER THEY’VE HUNG UP THE SUIT.

UPSOUND Former Sparty Scott Ferry stops a random person on the street, shaking hands and saying (English), “Go Green”

SOUNDBITE (English) Scott Ferry, former Sparty:

“Every time we have an opportunity to interact with somebody, we are bleeding green. And the spirit of the university is critical. We don't want to just be an individual. We want to be the icon of the university at all times.”