Imagine being at the ballpark, stadium, arena, or ice rink. You're rooting for your favorite college or professional sports team, especially as they take on their bitter rivals.
You know those rivals … the ones that really get your trash talk flowing and ramp up your emotions. The Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, for example, or the Red River Showdown between the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners.
Some of these huge rival schools or team headquarters are less than 100 miles apart but can easily divide a home, family, relationship, or sibling bond.
Budsies’ mission is to make a huggable world, and bitter rivals are no exception. In an effort to mend relationships fractured by sports histories, we decided to look into the biggest rivalries in baseball, basketball, hockey, and football, and found common ground between them. We only looked at teams with mascots (sorry, Yankees , but you're out) and imagined what it'd look like if both mascots really hit it off and had a baby.
We selected the teams based on the size of their rivalries and tried not to duplicate teams, mascots, or animals. We also attempted to have a fair cross section of teams from all locations and leagues. See anything you like? Share with your favorite sports fan!
Are you ready? Here's what we came up with.
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MLB Mascot Mashups
First, let's start with Major League Baseball (MLB). Have you ever wondered what it'd look like if Stomper from the Oakland A’s was mashed up with Lou Seal from the San Francisco Giants? Or if Phillie Phanatic was combined with Mr. Met? How well would Rangers Captain mesh with the Astro’s Orbit? Well, you're in luck!
(And yes, we know the Dodgers may be a more serious rival to the Giants, but alas, they don't have a mascot , so we went with a Bay Area rivalry instead).
NFL Mascot Mashups
Let's move on to the NFL. Staley the Bear from the Chicago Bears would look great combined with Roary the Lion from Detroit, right (sorry Packers fans. No mascot, so you’re out). And what about Rowdy and Swoop, from the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles? These may be hard to imagine for rival fans, but not for us.
NBA Mascot Mashups
The Miami Heat mascot, Burnie, looks great paired up with Moondog of the Cleveland Cavaliers, right? What about Hugo from the Charlotte Hornets with Pierre the Pelican from New Orleans? Thankfully, you don't have to imagine it any longer.
NHL Mascot Mashups
We looked at numerous NHL rivalries. Which one of these mashups is your favorite? SJ Sharkie of San Jose merged with Bailey of LA? Or how about the Leafs' Carlton the Bear blended with Buffalo’s Sabretooth?
NCAA Football Mascot Mashups
Last but not least, check out these mashups of college football mascots. Just think about how deep the rivalry is between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers – and imagine what the baby of Big Al and Aubie the Tiger would look like. And while Michigan doesn't have an official mascot, back in the ’20s they attempted to bring live wolverines into the stadium (it didn't work out, as the animals were too vicious ). But we combined a wolverine with Ohio State's Brutus the Buckeye anyway, and the result rules.
Mashup Madness
As college and professional football begins to heat up and team rivalries have you on edge, take a moment to laugh at some of the potential pairings these teams make. Who knows – you may end up feeling a slight fondness for the team you swore you’d never admire (or maybe the idea of these fur babies will make you an even more loyal fan). In any case, don't forget to share this with your friends, family, or fellow sports enthusiasts on social media – and especially with rival fans.
Want to snuggle up with one of our mashups, or a creation of your own? Make yours today with Budsies .
Methodology
We compiled lists of the biggest rivalries in sports, found images of their most popular mascot, and imagined what each rivalry’s mascot would look like if they had to combine their individual mascots. No teams were repeated, and efforts were made to include differing animal types, rivalry types, and teams from different states and locations across the U.S.
Fair Use Statement
Want to share our mascot mashups? That’s fine, as long as it’s for noncommercial use. We only ask that you cite the authors and link back to this page.