They’re at almost every athletic game, enthusiastically throwing high fives to the team, pumping up the fans, creating smiles everywhere with their big beaked heads and shaking their brown feathered behinds to the music.

Yes, they’re the University’s mascots, Freddie and Frieda, and they wholeheartedly love what they do.

“It’s an absolutely amazing experience,” both birds told The BG News. “We put a smile on almost everyone’s face – except for the people who are afraid of us – and we love representing BGSU.”

Both Freddie and Frieda said that they were big Falcon fans before but their experiences as the University’s mascots made them more passionate.

“Nothing compares with running out with the football team before the games and seeing thousands of screaming people, skating with the hockey team, or hearing our names yelled across campus,” both birds said. “It is something nearly impossible to describe.”

The campus’s head volleyball coach, Denise VanDeWalle thinks the birds add “another dimension of fun” to the games, which she thinks is an important element.

“When (Freddie) is on the floor and the team slaps hands with him, they love it,” she said. “They’re involved and that makes the team think that they’re one of us. It makes the atmosphere around the start of the match light and fun.”

VanDeWalle also believes that the birds contribute a lot of fun to the fans.

“The students and young community really enjoy all the crazy and silly things they do under those suits,” she said. “Little kids love Freddie and Frieda.”

Some fans extend more than just friendly gestures to the birds.

“Frieda has gotten a few dates at the games,” Freddie said. “And she loves to read love letters from her admirers too, but who can blame her?”

Although most of the University’s fans’ reactions are positive, there is the occasional negative comment from other college fans.

“Some people call us chickens, hawks, other birds of prey, that really makes us mad!” Freddie said. “Of course, we have yet to play Toledo, so we will probably get mean comments. They usually say stupid stuff when they lose.”

However, both say that sometimes the University fans can get a bit too rough, especially when the birds run out of chewing gum, which they toss to fans at each game.

“If we don’t have gum, please don’t get mad at us, we just ran out,” Frieda said, adding that some students and children will sometimes harass her and Freddie.

“To all you little kids out there that think it would be great to pull our tail: Back off! That goes for students too,” Frieda added. “How would you like it if someone came up and pulled your hair every five minutes?”

Many universities have but one lone mascot. This university has a unique duo and both Freddie and Frieda couldn’t be happier about it.

“I love my sister and it’s great to hang out with her and interact with each other at games,” Freddie said. “It makes it more fun when you have someone to play with.”

Of course, siblings will be siblings.

“She does get kinda bossy … and she likes to show off her skating abilities too,” Freddie added. “She’s a feisty one and a good dancer.”

Frieda also agrees that she enjoys “goofing off” with her big brother at games.

“I love my big brother, he takes care of those people who just keep on picking on me,” she said.

“Sometimes he gets all protective, but sometimes that’s a good thing, too. He claims I can be bossy, but that’s just because I’m a feisty little sister.”

As many know, the birds’ identities are kept a secret. In fact, they don’t even speak.

“Having everything a secret is great,” Freddie said. “It lets us do what we want, and we get to mess with our friends who are clueless,” he said, adding that the secrecy makes the beheading process more fun and exciting.

However, lack of words can become frustrating at times for the birds.

“Both of us get the urge to tell those one or two people a game to stop pulling our tails and harassing us, especially if we are out of gum,” Frieda said. “It’s really hard not being able to talk smack to fans of our opponents or cheering when the Falcons make a great play.”

Among the many people who enjoy the birds is their adviser and coach, Mike Ginsburg.

“This may sound cliche, but (I like) the spirit and enthusiasm that they bring to a BG tradition,” Ginsburg said. “They’re a walking embodiment of BGSU. When you see Freddie and Frieda walking around, it’s like seeing BGSU walking around.”

Ginsburg also admitted that there have been poor choices made, such as in 2001 when Freddie was walking around the Union and poked into a meeting room where a judge was presenting and threw some gum around.

“He was politely told to leave the room and then I got a call late about what happened,” Ginsburg said, adding that these experiences or bad choices are a learning experience for them all.

Ginsburg also thinks that the birds benefit people on campus as well as athletic teams.

“The benefit is getting the fans pumped up and then the team feeds off that energy,” Ginsburg said. “Out of the classroom, (meeting the birds) is a concrete way of interacting with BGSU.”

Both Freddie and Frieda agree that their jobs satisfy them as well as others.

“Who doesn’t love getting a hug from a giant bird?” Freddie said. Contact Freddie and Frieda at [email protected], on AIM at FreddieandFrieda, or at 372-9555.