Shasta the Cougar playfully calls out Jimmy Fallon for omitting Houston in March Madness discussions.
HOUSTON — As the University of Houston men’s basketball team prepares for the Final Four, the team’s mascot is having some fun off the court by calling out a late-night talk show host.
Shasta, the Houston Cougars mascot, responded to Jimmy Fallon after the comedian left the team out of a playful segment about March Madness.
The moment started when Fallon broke down the teams that had advanced to the Sweet 16 on “The Tonight Show,” pointing out the many teams with cat mascots. “Tiger is a cat. And a wildcat’s a cat. And BYU is the cougars. That’s another bball cat. There’s Alabama Crimson Tide,” Fallon said in the segment.
Fallon’s song went on to name 15 of the 16 teams in the Sweet 16. The only team missing was the Houston Cougars.
Shasta replied on social media with a series of handwritten signs that read, “A cougar is a cat. And now we are one of four teams remaining. Please don’t forget me next time.”
The exchange was shared on Instagram by both “The Tonight Show” and the Houston Cougars.