The Duck #1

The Duck #2

"The Duck" began as the mascot for the percussion section of the Model High School Marching Band. Duck #1 sat perched atop the bass drum, decked out with his oversized sunglasses, during the fall of 1984 marching season. At the first parade of the fall of 1985 marching season, as the legend goes, Drum Major Joe Ballew realized that they didn't have Duck #1 anymore (he was apparently cared for by Neal Jett, bass drum player from 1984), and the band really, really, really needed to have a duck mascot for this parade. And so they found Duck #2 -- who differed primarily from Duck #1 in that he was stuffed.

The percussion section, for the most part, hated Duck #2 ... partially because it was Joe Ballew's idea, but mostly because this was perceived as a lame imitation of a casual joke that was taken far too seriously. The duck mascot on the bass drum in 1984 was a neat little addition to the percussion section, but that didn't necessarily mean that there ALWAYS had to be a duck. Plus, it was seen as being really disrespectful to Duck #1, who had had a good run, and was now being overshadowed by a far less-than-suitable replacement.

And so, after Duck #2 appeared at the Miami of Ohio Band Day in October of 1985, on the bus ride back to Richmond, the percussionists kidnapped Duck #2 from the protective arms of Joe Ballew, bound him up in the straps used to hold the drums, and suspended him from the ceiling of the back of the bus. No ransom demand was given, and, after that night, Duck #2 disappeared from sight and memory. Legend has it that he lived out the rest of his days in William Hill's basement.

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