PB: Tell us about the national championships.

Aubie: The Universal Cheerleaders Association holds a cheerleading and mascot competition every year. Aubie won the title in '91, '94, '95 and '99, but Smokey [Tennessee] won it the last two years.

PB: Who's favored this year?

Aubie: Smokey is always good, as is Cocky at South Carolina and YoUDee from Delaware. I'd like to say Aubie's the favorite, but he never wants people gunning for him.

PB: George Bush was a cheerleader at Yale. How does being a mascot or cheerleader train you for a life of politics?

Aubie: It teaches you how to interact with people, how to act in front of a crowd and how to communicate without speaking.

PB: Would you say Bush's and Aubie's jobs are similar?

Aubie: In some ways. Aubie is more mischievous and tries to entertain more than the President would.

PB: What's the most embarrassing thing to happen to you during a game?

Aubie: Last year I did a skit that was a spoof of Stone Cold Steve Austin -- I wore a shirt that said "Aubie 3:16," not realizing the religious implications. The fans got upset. It was very, very embarrassing; I had my tail between my legs afterwards.

PB: Do you ever fear for your safety with all these keyed-up players around?

Aubie: No, all the players love Aubie. If they're really focused on the game, they may not say anything, but they don't get upset with Aubie. If the players ever see Aubie out, they always give him love.

PB: Do you have many funny interactions with the players?

Aubie: During freshman orientation, Aubie plays football with the players, and he gets killed. People seem to think that's funny, but it's not funny for Aubie.

PB: What's the biggest mascot misconception?

Aubie: People don't respect that there are real people doing this. I've heard of mascots being thrown off balconies. People get so fired up at opposing mascots that they do things that are uncalled for.

PB: If, say, the Detroit Tigers were to throw a lot of money at Aubie, would he leave Auburn to become their mascot?

Aubie: Aubie's too much of an Auburn fan to ever sell his soul.

PB: If you had to choose between an Aubie national championship or an Auburn national championship, which would you choose?

Aubie: That's a tough one. Aubie's such a huge fan of Auburn football that I think I'd go for the football national championship.

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