Basketball

The 17 Worst Mascots of March Madness

March 22, 20130
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Syracuse's Otto the Orange
A furry (moldy?), often-deformed orange with an insipid smile. Otto the Orange was almost named "Opie", which rhymes with dopey. The name doesn't rhyme, but it's still dopey.

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Mascots are supposed to bring luck and rouse competitive energy for the team that they represent—usually, they range from ferocious animals to warriors who embody the spirit of the school. How hard can that be?  Still, some schools insist on keeping mascots who remain uninspiring, nonsensical and downright insulting. From oranges to blobs to animals who are better suited for a petting zoo, here are the most absurd mascots of the top 68 teams vying for the NCAA Championship this Year.

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dshedd41
dshedd41

This article was pointless. These are not the worst mascots. 

vtmama3
vtmama3

Syracuse used to be the Orangemen when my daughter went there in the early 2000's. The school somehow decided that they were offending native Americans. They LOVED their Orangemen...but for political correctness changed to Otto....so lame. Someone is offended by everything!!!!

MaryMitch
MaryMitch

What a grumpy article. You think mascots should be serious?

nickcicero
nickcicero

This is BS. Otto is a great mascot.

ms_pandamonium
ms_pandamonium

Indiana doesn't have a mascot.  Hoosiers is a nickname.  A nickname and a mascot are not the same thing.  Nicknames are about pride, and ours reflects our history and our state; it's not some random animal picked because it sounds ferocious.


h.massengill
h.massengill like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

Your ignorance of the value and beauty of the Oregon Duck is appalling. College sports is about fun and rounding up the fans for an afternoon or evening of rooting and cheering. Oregon fans love the Duck.

Go Ducks!

Hugh Massengill

JasonFrost11
JasonFrost11

How am I expected to trust an article on worst mascot when they can't even get the schools correct? It's Oklahoma State... Maybe the title should be "Worst Mascots as Reported by Worse Journalism"

AshleyJesscica
AshleyJesscica

The number one seeds in the March Madness Tournament also look like they have the number 1 cheerleaders. Take a look at these beautiful cheerleaders from the March Madness #1 Seeds....http://bit.ly/14jaX3N

Mr.Wallingford
Mr.Wallingford

Looking forward to tomorrow's contest between The Stanford Cardinal vs. The Alabama Crimson Tide, also known as The Battle of the Singular Tense Mascots.