They are an indistinguishable part of the college sports scene. They are as traditional as pre-game tailgaters, cheerleaders and marching bands. They instill pride and enthusiasm in us all.
I’m talking mascots – the often furry, sometimes angry, sometimes happy, sometimes plastic or inflatable bearers of sacred school colors.
They make college athletics what it truly is today – unique.
Unique may also be the appropriate word to describe a few of the occasional outlandish mascots of today.
Take, for example, Southern Illinois’ Saluki mascot.
A Saluki, in case you were wondering, is “an ancient breed of a tall slender dog.”
Southern Illinois’ version turned out to look like one pissed-off poodle ready for gym class.
The Saluki recently cracked the top 10 of Sports Illustrated on Campus’ least hot mascots.
And indeed there were some hideous mascots, such as Wichita State’s unrecognizable yellow thing, among others.
To be fair, the magazine also offered its top 10 hottest mascots, which had a variety ranging from Nebraska’s Lil’ Red to the Syracuse Orange.
Oski, the wrinkly faced mascot of the California Golden Bears, made the list as the only Pacific-10 Conference representative.
I found this to be the most surprising of selections. Oski, the Pac-10’s best mascot?
Some may argue not.
So to settle the debate, I offer my version of the good and the bad in the Pac-10.
First, it’s got to be Donald. He tops the list because he’s one of the most recognizable and entertaining mascots around. His riding into the stadium on a hog is truly one of the great pre-kickoff introductions in all of college football. Plus, who doesn’t like a Disney mascot.
Second, and as unpopular as he may be around these parts, is Oregon State’s Benny Beaver. His change in appearance, from a goofy bimbo to an angry rodent, has coordinated nicely with improved success on the football field. Way to go Benny, keep scaring the little children.
Third is Arizona State’s Sparky for his frolicking and general creativity. UCLA’s Joe Bruin checks in at number four because he acts like a real bear (note to Oski), and, he’s a gentleman (come on, he brings his girlfriend to the games).
The average mascots, those ranked fifth through seventh include Arizona’s Wilbur, USC’s Tommy Trojan and Washington’s Harry.
Washington State’s Butch T. Cougar is eighth on the list for his oversized tail and generally annoying antics. He is followed by Oski for his aforementioned pale and wrinkly face and outdated sweater.
And finally, Stanford’s The Tree earns the worst mascot in the Pac-10, by far. Then again, it must be difficult to create a mascot from an object as unthreatening as a tree, and the brainiacs at Stanford succeeded in making the ugliest one possible. Congratulations.
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