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Everyone loves a good mascot. Some of the oldest teams in all of sports have showcased their mascot for decades, leading to the creation of a fun, loveable representative of a specific franchise.
You may only be in it for the sports, but mascots often provide a sense of tension release, especially for less hardcore fans just looking for an enjoyable experience at a sports game. Of course there are some pretty terrible sports mascots out there, but in this article we are only interested in the cream of the crop! With plenty of mascots across many different sports and franchises, we’ve ranked which ones are the best in our eyes. Let’s dive in!
Swoop is one of the most beloved mascots for any franchise, perfectly representing what it means to be a Philadelphia Eagles fan. Hatched in Eagle Forest, PA Swoop was born in 1996 and offers some of the best comic relief during a football game. He currently stands as the symbol of undying spirit for the Eagles, serving as a reminder of the unwavering passion and relentlessness that makes up Philadelphia fans.
Maybe one of the oldest popular mascots in modern sports history, Wally the Green Monster attempts to showcase to fans just how friendly monsters can be. The Boston Red Sox’s longtime mascot is known for greeting fans before games, signing autographs, and giving out kisses. He waves the Red Sox flag during games, visits hospitals, and encourages kids to read, sing, dance, etc., showing that even when you’re a monster, you don’t have to be scary.
The big baseball head is a symbol for New York baseball, appearing in endless ESPN and SportsCenter commercials as early as 1963 in cartoon form. Eventually, in 1964, Mr. Met was born, and a slew of stories about him and his lovely wife Mrs. Met would continue for decades. Mr. Met was the first mascot to go overseas in 2000 and make an appearance in Japan’s Tokyo Dome, setting a precedent for future mascots.
The large red dinosaur dedicated his life to repping the #95 Toronto Raptors jersey. Separating this Raptor from other dinosaurs is the fact that he can perform skits, dance, and even make viral videos! Need top-tier security? Hire the Raptor to eat anyone from Cheerleaders to security guards! Known for heckling members of the other team, the Toronto Raptors mascot is the perfect animal for clearing the court of any B.S.
The Montreal Canadiens mascot known as Youppi is one of the most fun and friendly Hall of Fame mascots in modern sports. His big fuzzy body makes for the perfect hug, and you can even meet Youppi in your own free time. While originally based on a children’s book character, Youppi turned into the first two-sport mascot to ever be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame (MLB Montreal Expos).
While the Jacksonville Jaguars are far from one of the best sports franchises in history, they make up for it with their legendary mascot Jaxson De Ville. Jaxson is exclusively known for performing crazy stunts from light towers in every single home game. Jaxson likes to support his community and help out with various causes, including writing children’s books and traveling to visit troops overseas. More notably, Jaxson is notorious for paving the way to several NFL rule changes based on his on-field antics.
Arguably one of the best mascots of all time with a unique attitude, Phillies Phanatic wanders the Philadelphia Phillies stadium to greet numerous fans and make fun of the opposing team’s supporters. Phanatic is known to cause trouble, performing several stunts in between innings to promote the Phillies and build goodwill. Out of all mascots, Phillies Phanatic has been sued for his on-field antics, which only adds to his legend and star power as one of the greatest mascots in all of sports.
Liam has been a major sports fan and soccer player for over a decade, with a particular focus on major top-level soccer leagues, including the EPL, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga and MLS. He has written numerous promotional articles for various top sportsbooks and continues to publish historical and factual sports articles covering the NFL, MLS, NHL, MLB, EPL and more.