Top 10 Mascots That Don't Exist Anymore
#10: Thunder
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Golden State Warriors We’re not exactly sure what an anthropomorphic representation of thunder is supposed to look like, but the Golden State Warriors mascot named Thunder didn’t exactly fit the bill. Still, this didn’t stop this musclebound mascot from ingratiating himself to the Warrior faithful, and earning himself a beloved reputation. Thunder felt like a superhero to the home team, so when the Oklahoma City Thunder came knockin’, Golden State placed their mascot on hiatus for some retooling…never to return. Warrior fans still remember Thunder fondly, however, and hold out hope that this one-time mascot might one day stage a comeback.
#9: Homer the Brave
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves organization possesses something of a troubled history when it comes to mascots. The design of Homer was initially topped with a Native American head similar to the Braves logo, but this didn’t last long. The second iteration was more clearly indebted to the first ever live-action baseball mascot, Mr. Met, having a giant baseball for a head, complete with an ear-to-ear smile. The mascot seemed to work, enjoying a relationship with the franchise for years before finally being retired, and replaced with an even weirder mascot named Blooper in 2018.
#8: Badaboum
Quebec Nordiques That is quite a name! Badaboum, the first anthropomorphic NHL mascot, was a cute and fuzzy otter that was actually only supposed to be featured at Rendez-vous ‘87, a series between Soviet hockey players and NHL All-Stars. Badaboum got over big time with the fans, however, so much so that he was brought home to Quebec City for all of the Nordiques home games. His run lasted nearly a decade for the organization, but all good things must come to an end, and the legacy of Badaboum was over once the Nordiques moved to Colorado and became the Avalanche.
#7: Huddles
San Francisco 49ers Easy now, 49ers fans, we’re not talking about your beloved Sourdough Sam. That mascot continues to be a fixture at home games in San Francisco. Instead, we’re going to discuss toys of the 1980s for a moment, specifically the line of adorable plush dolls produced by the NFL, known as Huddles. A larger version of the 49ers Huddle was present on the field during a brief time during the ‘80s, but its legacy for the team is minimal at best, with most fans in San Francisco standing by Sourdough Sam.
#6: Schottzie
Cincinnati Reds Not every professional sports mascot was a person in a giant, fluffy suit. Sometimes, the mascot in question was actually cute and furry in the old-fashioned way: because it was an actual animal. In the case of Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds, her St. Bernard Schottzie was a beloved part of the organization for almost a decade. After his death, a second St. Bernard, also named Schottzie, took his place for another seven years, before the Reds finally retired their live mascots for good. They may be gone, but for Cincinnati fans, they’re certainly not forgotten.
#5: Crazy Crab
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San Francisco Giants The moral of our next entry is this: be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it. Crazy Crab was created by the San Francisco Giants organization to deliberately annoy their fans. The team actively encouraged the crowd to boo and throw things at the Crab, to the point where the man who played him, Wayne Doba, often incurred injuries from projectiles like batteries or bottles. Doba was once even tackled by players from the San Diego Padres, and sued the Giants for pain and suffering. Needless to say, the Crazy Crab only lasted a single season.
#4: Boomer
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Columbus Blue Jackets The Columbus Blue Jackets were so crazy for mascots, that they apparently couldn’t settle for just one. The main mascot Stinger is still a presence at Blue Jackets games today, but for a time the insect was accompanied by another mascot named Boomer. He was designed to mimic the cannon that fired at Blue Jackets home games, but proved quite unpopular with fans. And honestly, we can definitely see why. After all, Boomer’s vertical cannon shape is just…well, let’s go with uncomfortable. This mustachioed mascot didn’t last very long, and was retired after only a few weeks.
#3: Bonnie Brewer
Milwaukee Brewers Our next mascot wasn’t a giant head or a real-life animal, but instead more of a costume. Bonnie Brewer was a Milwaukee staple that dressed in traditional German lederhosen, and utilized a broom to clean the bases during the seventh inning stretch. The team already had a mascot in the form of Bernie Brewer, but Bonnie quickly connected with fans, thanks to quirky traditions like kissing the opposing team’s third base coach on the cheek. Although some fans may see Bonnie Brewer as a sexist relic of the past, many of the women who played her have expressed fond memories about their time on the field.
#2: Dandy
New York Yankees Dandy served as living proof that not everyone can pull off pinstripes. This mascot for the New York Yankees barely lasted two years before he was ousted, because what says baseball more than a weird looking bird with a mustache? Major League Baseball was mascot-crazy after the success of the Phillie Phanatic, and the Yankees wanted in. Or did they? The team’s owner, George Steinbrenner, was upset with some of the on field antics of team mascots after a dramatic incident involving the San Diego Chicken. As a result, the company responsible for Dandy, Acme Mascots, turned down the team’s proposed renewal of their lease, citing a lack of enthusiasm and support. Before we name our number one pick, here are a few honorable (or is that dishonorable?) mentions! Mettle the Mule, New York Mets A Real Mule! Let’s Go Mets! Bleacher Creature, Atlanta Braves You Never Knew Where He Might Strike Ragnar, Minnesota Vikings A Marauder Who Severely Overestimated His Worth
#1: Chief Noc-A-Homa
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Atlanta Braves It’s an understatement to say that the world of professional sports has had a controversial relationship with Native American mascots. Chief Noc-a-Homa was something a bit different for the Atlanta Braves, however, given that the man who portrayed the Chief, Levi Walker, was a Native American member of the Odawa tribe. This didn’t mean that Noc-A-Homa’s run with the Braves was without blowback from some fans, but the majority of Braves Nation felt a kinship with their chief. Some fans even blamed losing games on the lack of Noc-A-Homa’s teepee and spirit dance. Still, the Chief’s reign couldn’t last forever, and he was retired prior to the 1986 season, after a nearly twenty-year run.
