Remembering UW's Forgotten Mascot, Alan

For many years, both football fans and students alike have adored anthropomorphic mascot Harry the Husky. With his bombastic attitude, cheeky smile, and muscular physique, he truly lights up the stadium and brings it home every time he runs onto the field. But even the most studious college football scholars may not remember Harry the Husky’s whimsical companion: his human handler, Alan.

Call it a Mandela effect, or just plain historical erasure, but nobody seems to know about Harry’s human sidekick and owner. Dressed tastefully in his yellow suit and top hat, stadiums would roar when Harry put on his collar and got on all fours for his owner. Who could forget moments like the 1985 Orange Bowl, when Alan pointed a Winchester model 70 at Cosmo the Cougar? Or when he invoked the power of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and sprayed holy water on Sparky the Sun Devil, dooming Arizona state to a sickening 54-0 loss in 1991. You can’t make this shit up!

And I’m not. This all really happened, but tragically has been lost to the wayside in the rich history of Husky sports. Alan was introduced as a mascot in 1974, and soon came under fire by animal rights activists skeptical of the implications of Harry the Husky’s compromised autonomy. However, hearts were swayed on the football field as their adorable companionship took flight. When the 6-foot-tall anthropomorphic Harry would jump at his owner, and Alan would yell “down, boy!” fans shared a heartfelt laugh. And when Alan had to stop Harry from biting the limbs off the Oregon Duck, that was cool, too.

Alan was more than just Harry the Husky’s walker and dad, though. He was a beacon of hope for our school. A reminder of better days to come. Whenever we returned from a game after a loss, it was a comfort to imagine ourselves coming back to a home-cooked meal of kibble, just like Harry would. It is at this time we should ask ourselves: who will stop our mascot from eating something he just found on the ground? More importantly, who is there to stop us from doing the very same thing?

Tragically, Alan was phased out of the husky sports entourage in 1998 for unknown reasons. His real identity has never been revealed, and Off Leash News has been unable to find any records in the university database regarding his employment. Veteran football players for the university similarly do not remember him, though that can most likely be chalked up to the CTE. Still, true husky sports fans know that Alan lives on in our hearts. If he could have that dawg in him, maybe we can too.