A Michigan High School Once Changed its Mascot After Being Parodied in ‘Playboy’ Magazine

If you thought today's school boards had it rough with parental complaints, imagine what the elected officials in Coloma, Michigan once had to deal with when their school's mascot was called out in the pages of Playboy for being a little too risqué. The reason, it the comet was said to resemble, um, a spermatozoa.

The mascot was a rock face with burly arms and a fiery tail. The offending mascot and its evolution are shown here.

It happened in 1997 when the mild and very innocent Coloma Comet made an appearance in Playboy. We searched for the August 1997 issue (a risky at-work search) and found thanks to the Internet Archive what may be the text from the magazine:

Students at Michigan’s Coloma High School have as much
school spirit as the next guy, but even they could not defend
their mascot. The fierce comet blazing through the competition looks, the students say, more like a sperm. Recurring complaints prompted students and teachers to put out a call for a tougher-looking galactic phenomenon. A new design will be approved by the school board.

And a new design was indeed approved. The offending comment went away and was replaced by an innocuous star - seen below near the school's baseball diamond.

READ MORE: Hot Air Balloons for Playboy and Kool Cigarettes Once Flew at the Battle Creek Air Show

The Fight for the Coloma Comet

Mascot changes are never easy - ask any team (high school, collage or pro) that has had to send an offensive Native American themed name to the dustbin of history. The story was no different in Coloma. After the Comet, which was designed by a student in 1980 and named Sammy, went away an online petition and a Facebook group sprang up to save it.

To be clear, while the Comet image went away, the Comet name stayed in Coloma.

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And in the end, comet lovers won. After a few decades with just a star to represent the Coloma Comets, an actual comet as now graces the school's X feed.

So chalk one up for sensibility and reason and the proper restoration of Sammy, the Coloma Comet.