Canisius University Athletics

The Griffin: All About Canisius' Mythical Mascot

Just what exactly is a Griffin? How did it become the official mascot of Canisius University, where does Petey’s name come from? How common is a Griffin as a mascot? Just how popular is Petey?
 
The answers to all of these questions, and more, can be answered by reading below!
 
The Origins of the Griffin
The Griffin is a mythical creature of supposed gigantic size that has the head, forelegs and wings of an eagle and the hindquarters, tail and ears of a lion. They are well known for their speed, ability to fly and having eyes like an eagle as well as the strength and courage of a lion.
 
Griffins have been known for centuries as symbols of strength and vigilance, have been called “The Hounds of Zeus” in Greek mythology and are said to have mastery of both the land and sky.
 
They are thought to be from India, where the natives of the land made their talons and claws into drinking cups because the talon of a Griffin was said to detect poison in a liquid. Griffins would find gold in the mountains and line their nests with it and as a result, were forced to become great guardians of the nests to keep the hunters away.
 
Becoming the Mascot of Canisius University

A Griffin statue can be found on campus outside of Science Hall.

As author Charles A. Brady wrote in his book, Canisius College: The First Hundred Years, determining the inspiration for the Griffin nickname is a much easier task than trying to agree upon when the creature became the official symbol for the Canisius Athletic Department. 
 
“Though the problems of when and where the Griffin began his reign as King Herald of the Canisius College Coat of Arms are not easily settled, the whence is simple to establish. Our Griffin flew to us from the prow of LaSalle’s lost Griffon, the flying Dutchman of the great lakes, which disappeared after making a safe voyage from the Niagara River to the Strait of Detroit. LaSalle’s ill-fated caravel, the first ship ever built on America’s inland seas, with its 45 tons and five cannons, had its beakhead adorned ‘with a flying Griffin, and an eagle above it,’ in honor of the two heraldic beasts on the armorial bearing of the great Frontenac.”  
 
Although no official record can be found, it is widely believed that the Griffin became the official symbol for Canisius Athletics in the mid-1930’s.
 
Petey

Petey cheering on the Griffs at a Canisius basketball game

Despite adopting the Griffins moniker for its athletic teams in the 1930’s, it would be more than 30 years until a Canisius mascot finally made its debut when the school unleashed an unnamed costumed griffin on the sidelines of its sporting events during the 1967-68 season. 
 
After years of entertaining fans and building a reputation as the department’s biggest fan, it was time to finally give the mascot a proper name. In preparation for the 2002–03 athletic season, the griffin mascot was completely re-designed and given a new costume and name. The name "Petey," chosen in a vote of the school’s school body, was selected. The name pays homage to St. Peter Canisius, for whom Canisius University is named for.
 
Griffins as a Mascot Name
Canisius is the only NCAA Division I institution to use Griffins as a mascot name. The College of William & Mary, located in Williamsburg, Va., has a Griffin Mascot named Reveley, but refers to its athletic teams as the Tribe.
 
Sarah Lawrence College, a Division III school in Bronxville, N.Y., go by the Gryphons, as does the University of Guelph, a Canadian school located in Ontario. 
 
In the professional ranks, the Grand Rapid Griffins, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings, are the only North American sports franchise to use the moniker.
 
Respect for the Griffin Name and Petey
Throughout the years, the uniqueness of the Griffin as Canisius’ athletic nickname has earned the school its fair share of notoriety.
 
In 1962, Steve Weller of the Buffalo News wrote “You can have your Chihuahuas, Piranhas, Horned Frogs and Iguanas. The best all-around athletic mascot is business today has to be the best adopted by Canisius College – The Golden Griffin.”
 
In 2013, the Catholic website Busted Halo held a March Madness-style competition to determine the title of "Best Catholic Mascot" through online voting. Petey won the online tournament, besting a field of 32 Catholic school mascots that also featured Notre Dame's Leprechaun and Boston College's Baldwin the Eagle.
 
The following year, Petey advanced to the Final 4 of the same Busted Halo contest, but was ultimately defeated by Iggy the Royal Wolf from the University of Scranton. In 2015, Petey was entered in to the College Court Report "Mascot Mayhem" contest, where he made it to the Final 4 - surpassing entries from Butler, North Florida, St. Louis, and UNLV. The following year, Petey met Boomer from Missouri State in the semi-finals of Court Report's "Mascot Mayhem" contest before falling to Boomer in the fan vote by a narrow margin.