As a mascot “Rusty” truly represented the organization and the city of Birmingham. For those who don’t remember Rusty it was a dog, dressed as a football player, with a metallic jaw. The metallic jaw was a nice touch because the steel on Rusty’s jaw represented the steel industry in the city of Birmingham. Whenever a mascot incorporates its home city identity it adds to the appeal of the mascot and the ties the team has to its city.

Although in the logo Rusty looks very menacing the mascot that was seen on the field was a very family friendly mascot that would not scare children away. This mascot had the healthy balance of being seen as a tough, football like mascot but also being able to appeal to children.

Lastly, Rusty’s appeal to the fan base was excellent based on seeing fans reactions to his appearances at various public places in Birmingham. Anyone living in the Birmingham area that saw the broadcast cannot forget Rusty’s appearance on the local news during the weather report. Appearances like these only showed that Rusty had arrived as a mascot and appealed highly to the fan base making him a great local mascot.