Embracing the Zot

From the NYT (via Jane):

College baseball is typically ruled by all the usual
characters: Longhorns, Tigers, Seminoles, Hurricanes and
Bulldogs. They gather every June in Omaha to crown a
national champion. Somehow, Anteaters do not seem to fit
into the club.

“I was definitely skeptical about that, too,” said Cody
Cipriano, a senior infielder. “But you have to embrace the
Anteater. You have to embrace the Zot.”

The Zot, as Cipriano explained, is the low-pitched sound
made by an excitable anteater. Before Irvine takes the
field, players in the dugout chant “Zot! Zot! Zot!” To
complement the rally cry, they make a hand gesture in the
shape of an anteater head. As a demonstration, Cipriano
raised his pinkie and index fingers, while pressing his
thumb to the bottom of his middle and ring fingers, forming
the nose.

Last weekend, when Irvine played Texas in the regional,
thousands of Texas fans were flashing their patented
hook-’em-Horns sign. About 50 Irvine fans were making their anteater heads, which looked a lot like the horns. In a startling upset, Irvine beat Texas twice to advance.