Forbes Selects the Best Mascot in Sports

Mascots have been a permanent fixture for the better part of the 20th century. Sporting outlandish outfits and wild behavior, these multi-colored fuzz balls warm our hearts and make us chuckle anytime we visit a Major League ballpark. Now, while it’s hard to really pick a favorite outside of the home team, apparently Forbes has done us a service by choosing the greatest mascot, not only in baseball, but in all of sports for 2012. That mascot of course, is… Mr. Met. Yes, the one and only baseball-headed wonder in New York. Believe it or not, Mr. Met bested the likes of the San Diego Chicken, Stomper for the A’s (I’m personally shocked) and the Phillie Phanatic, who finished second.

But how does one really come to a conclusion on such a trivial, yet important topic. Well, science, of course. And by science I mean the Dave Brown Index. Now I know you’re probably thinking, “Hey, Benjamin, what in the world is the Dave Brown Index?” Glad you asked. The DBI “is an independent index that measures a celebrity’s ability to influence brand affinity and consumer purchase intent.” To put it in other words that are less scientific, the more you see a particular person (mascot) in the media or through social interaction, the higher the rating they get. The Mets have always done a solid job of including Mr. Met in their TV advertisements and events outside of Citi Field, which explains the ranking. One could argue that the Phillie Phanatic gets the same exposure—“The World Series Defense” episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (even though it was the Phranetic) is one example. But the reality is that New York is a much larger market than Philadelphia. On top of that, Mr. Met gets national exposure from his appearance in a classic “This is SportsCenter” commercial for ESPN. Therefore, science wins again.

I’d also like to add that it probably didn’t hurt Mr. Met that he is tattooed on my body. As is the Phillie Phanatic. But only one can win this battle. So let’s take science out of the question and put it to a fan vote. Who is your favorite mascot, and why? Comment below and tweet me @Shakabrodie.