Poe, who emerged at the top of the American Football Conference, is squaring off against the National Football Conference victor, the Washington Redskins' super-fan Chief Zee.
Online voting, in which fans are allowed to vote manually more than once, so long as they do not use automated computer scripts, will end on Tuesday, July 8. Fans can vote at [www.sportsline.com/spin/story/10883643].
Poe, named after Edgar Allen Poe, took down Steely McBeam, the Pittsburgh Steelers' mascot, and T.D. the Dolphin, Miami's mascot, in each case with an overwhelming 70 percent of the votes. His final foe in the conference finals was Billy Buffalo, representing the Bills. The contest was close, but Ravens fans flocked the message boards and helped Poe soar to close it out with 53 percent of the votes.
“I can't thank the fans enough,” Poe said. “I do it for the love, the love of the team, the love of the fans, the love of being a mascot. My fierceness is genuine and comes from my tell-tale heart, and I give that heart to my team!”
Several former YoUDees have gone to careers as mascots for professional sports teams, including:
- Robert Boudwin, Clutch, Houston Rockets;
- Ryan Hughes, Swoop, Philadelphia Eagles;
- Christopher Bruce, Reggy, Raymond Entertainment Group;
- Nicholas Tennant, Wool E Bull, Durham Bulls;
- Kevin Giambi, Screech, Washington Nationals; and
- Frank Ventresca, Air Swoop, Philadelphia Eagles.
Article by Martin Mbugua