The idea behind mascots is to select something for a competitive team, an animal, person, or thing that is somehow supposed to bring good luck to the team. It’s not always about emulating the traits embodied by the selected pets, although that may be the origin. It’s easy to see why a football team might want to be called the Rams or Tigers, but sports mascot designs include a wide range of things, even colors.
It may be more accurate to view the mascot as something to rally around, something that brings the community closer to a closer association with the team. It is a way for the team’s fans to identify with the players on the field. School colors work the same way. If the team has selected an animal like a cougar as its mascot, you’re likely to see all kinds of representations of cougars for fans. From t-shirts to jackets and shoes to key chains, the image of the puma marks those who wear or dress it as fans who support that team.
Some might consider it simply a clever marketing ploy, a facet of sports promotion. Revenue generated from the sale of trinkets and gear bearing the mascot’s emblem provides a means to defray the cost of travel and equipment for the team itself. The alumni are definitely another source of income and they love their pets. It’s from the alumni, which usually sees a more extreme form of pet collection.
The mascot seems to be more than that, the business side pales in comparison to the motivational possibilities. The mascot doesn’t just give the team a name, it gives them an identity. Even when they’re not practicing on the field, it’s not unusual for players to wear their mascot-emblazoned jacket everywhere. It becomes part of their personality, who they are.
Similarly, fans love to wear jerseys like the ones worn by players on the field. The more they look like real jerseys, the more coveted they are. Fans even pick their favorite player and wear jerseys with their player’s name emblazoned on the back. It is a sign of camaraderie and belonging.
For many universities, the mascot is part of the history and culture of the school, deeply ingrained in the student body. The mascot, along with the trophies in the cabinet of glory proudly displayed in the ministry buildings, even play a role in recruiting. Ironically, the exact history of pets has long been lost. But it doesn’t matter that every school has a story behind its mascot. The United States Air Force Academy is a fairly young university, and it has the falcon as its mascot. That they selected a bird probably comes as no surprise because the falcon is known as the fighter plane of the avian world.
But not everything about pets is without controversy. Names and references to items, religious practices, and Native American tribes have long caused friction. In 2005, the incidental aseptic for how they use these pets. They may be detained is a Native American symbol or name as a mascot from participating in a championship game under their jurisdiction.
One of the universities with Florida State, whose mascot the Seminole, named for the Seminole tribe of the southeastern United States, would make them ineligible, threatened to sue the NCAA. What made this conflict interesting is that Seminole tribes within Florida strongly supported FSU’s use of the icon. Seminole tribes outside of Florida were very much against it. It is a clear example of the emotions that sports mascot designs can generate, which is precisely what they are supposed to do.