Now that the Oscars are over we can get back to the real awards. It's the second installment of the Mascot Awards, so why not give away awards in pairs. The categories today are "Biggest Copycat" and "Most Obscure Mascot at Two Different Schools." Let's see the lovely couples...
If you missed the first installment, check it out here.
Biggest Copycat
In today's world of Photoshop and digital image manipulation, it's all too easy for one school to "borrow" someone else's logo and change it to make it their own. Unfortunately, the following schools have no clue how to use Photoshop...
5. Chaminade Eagles & Philadelphia Eagles - "Do you think anyone will notice if we just take the Eagles logo, flip it, and throw in some different colors?" said the worst marketing team ever. I mean, really Chaminade, did you think no one would notice? I kindof cheated because this is a high school team, but all they did is soften the edges, outline it, and make the colors goofier. This is like the Kidz Bop edition of the Eagles logo. They should be forced to call themselves the Eaglez.
4. Southern Methodist Mustangs & Calgary Stampeders (CFL) - Hmm... it looks like the Calgary Stempeders symbol is a puzzle and the Southern Methodist logo is the last piece. Well not exactly, the tails are a little different. Also, to be fair, both of these logos came out in 1968, so I don't know who copied off of who, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say that these weren't a coincidence.
3. Georgia Bulldogs & Grambling State Tigers & Green Bay Packers - Maybe Georgia and Grambling St. just thought no one would notice. I mean, they did change the colors. Look, who's ever heard of the Green Bay Packers, anyway? At least they didn't pick to copy the logo of a team with one of the most recognizable symbols in all of sports that had won 3 of the past 5 Super Bowls at the time of their logos' release (1965). Oh, wait. Oh I see where they went wrong.
2. Michigan State Spartans & Stetson Hatters - Ok, this is just getting absurd. Stetson actually tried to disguise their "S" theft by putting a hat on it. They might as well have done this. As if Stetson's logo will take its hat off and the other logos will say "Oh my gosh, is that you Michigan State? I didn't even recognize you with that hat on!" This is like the worst double agent ever.
1. Howard Bison & Buffalo Bills - Wow. Why even bother at this point. You're not fooling anyone. In fact, most people will look at Howard's logo and say "What's that word on the Bills logo?" Just be honest Howard, go with this.
Most Obscure Mascot at Two Different Schools
Sure there are a lot of eagles and tigers and bulldogs out there, but who would have thought there are two Broncs? Well there are, Texas - Pan American and Rider. And although they didn't make the list, it's only because the following schools have even less imagination and even more pride.
5. Elon and Wisconsin Green Bay Phoenix - Phoenix is a pretty sweet name, so I can't blame either school for choosing it, but it's still pretty obscure. Known for being reborn out of its own ashes, the mythological phoenix is actually a bird on fire. Maybe someone's director of marketing should be fired for not being able to think of a mascot which isn't already taken.
4. Duke and Central Connecticut State Blue Devils - You sure about that, Central Connecticut State? You're gonna stick with that? This is quite possibly the most overshadowed mascot of all time, and maybe it's for the best. Duke's mascot looks about 10 times cooler and has about 100 times more recognition. At least pick a different color, CCSU, none of the other devil colors are taken in college basketball.
3. Cal State Bakersfield and Texas San Antonio Roadrunners - Well at least a roadrunner is a real thing, unlike our last two winners. What really pushes this one up to the three spot is that not only did these schools decide on the same mascot, but they named it the same thing. That's right, both the Cal State Bakersfield and Texas San Antonio Mascots are specifically named Rowdy. How much does it suck to only have the second best roadrunner mascot named Rowdy in the nation?
2. South Carolina and Jacksonville State Gamecocks - As if there weren't already enough things wrong with naming yourself the gamecocks, one of these schools did it knowing it was already in use. Plus, they're both almost the same tone of red which is not helping to distinguish them. South Carolina is the much more well known school here, but I'm not sure if that's a victory or a defeat. Their mascot's name is Cocky, which you have to be to keep this name for so long.
1. Northern Arizona and Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks - Who knew there was even one school with the lumberjacks as their mascot? I want to know who was so sold on the name lumberjacks that he didn't care that it was already someone elses mascot. Like some guy had been planning this name for years and was too proud to admit that it was no longer a good idea since it was taken. "Are you sure, sir? It's not too late to change names, you know." "We're going to be the lumberjacks, Damnit! And that's final!"
Check back in soon for the third installment of the Mascot Awards