But not all mascots are created equal. They come in all shapes and sizes, from the cute and cuddly to the edgy and creepy, garnering varying reactions from their audiences.
So in honor of those often anonymous costumed individuals, here’s a list that travels through the entire spectrum of mascots — from the truly scary, the lame, and the funny, all the way to the very best in their craft.
Top 20 Sports Mascots
20. Scrotie (Rhode Island School of Design)
Hands down, that student from the Rhode Island School of Design dressing up as a gigantic member has literally (and figuratively) the biggest set of balls in sports.
19. Big Red (Western Kentucky)
Look! It’s the Big Red… what, exactly? We’re not really sure what it is, though it’s been often described as Grimace’s red cousin, so we’ll just go with that.
18. Boltman (San Diego Chargers)
There’s just something oddly unsettling about seeing this San Diego Chargers fan’s idea of a jacked up mascot with a Jim Carrey Mask-like face – which might very well be the point.
17. Pierre (New Orleans Pelicans)
The youngest and most recently-created mascot on this list is arguably the creepiest, a sentiment shared many NBA fans via the very hilarious Pierre memes.
16. Super Frog (TCU)
Sure, making a horned frog look cute and adorable is close to impossible, so why not go the other way and make it a genetically-altered cousin of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?
15. Wenlock and Mandeville (2012 London Olympics)
Mike Wazowksi and those one-eyed minions from “Despicable Me” have proven that Cyclopes can in fact be cute, so there’s no excuse for Wenlock and Mandeville’s epic fail.
14. Southern Illinois Saluki
This creepy critter is Southern Illinois’ attempt at creating an evil and intimidating version of the mascot’s majestic real life counterpart, the saluki dog. The result is truly terrifying, as this wild-haired abomination stocks the hardcourt and the gridiron turf at SIU games.
13. Stuff (Orlando Magic)
Nothing like the physical representation of a dragon, referenced in a song that with implicit themes about smoking marijuana, to interact with people (particularly kids) at a basketball game, right?
12. Fred the Red (Manchester United)
It’s not easy being the mascot of one of the most famous clubs in the world, but this devil-bear has taken the burden in stride.
Only in Minnesota can you see a mascot (Ragnar the Viking, one of the few live-action mascots) moonlighting as the PA of the team’s star player.
9. Racing Anythings (Milwaukee Brewers/Pittsburgh Pirates/Washington Nationals)
Be they Racing Sausages in Milwaukee, Racing Pierogie in Pittsburgh or Racing Presidents in Washington, there’s just something inherently mesmerizing about people running in oversized costumes.
The baseball-football two-sport star has been done by Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders, but they’re no match for Montreal’s very own Youppi, who crossed over from baseball to hockey.
6. Rally Monkey (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
Thanks to the Rally Monkey’s heroics in the 2002 World Series, capuchin monkeys will never have to buy a drink in the Anaheim area ever again.
Forbes’ reigning most popular mascot of 2013, Benny the Bull is now an institution in Chicago after 40 long years of service – the longest tenured mascot in professional sports.
3. San Diego Chicken (formerly San Diego Padres)
The Famous San Diego Chicken is an iconic character and a very likeable and kid-friendly mascot, but you might not want to show your children how he beat up a certain purple dinosaur.
2. Phillie Phanatic (Philadelphia Phillies)
You’ve definitely made it, not just in your chosen profession but also in life, when you’re drawn – nay immortalized – in “The Simpsons.” It’s a distinction only the Phanatic can boast among its mascot peers.
1. Mr. Met (New York Mets)
The original is always best, right? Generally regarded as MLB’s very first mascot, Mr. Met is 51 years old and stronger than ever, landing atop Forbes’ list of most popular sports mascots twice in the last five years.
Let us know who your favorite mascot is on Facebook or Twitter, or why not take a chance one of their teams over at the sportsbook? Place your bets today!
