Gritty sent the mascot world shock waves a few weeks ago with his now famous “It me, Gritty”

 

The tweet heard around the hockey world announced Gritty as the Flyers new mascot. While a Philadelphia “Flyer” doesn’t indicate any particular mascot to expect, nobody was expecting Gritty.

Upon his first appearance, people were revolted. But as he’s developed over the past few days, his not-giving-a-damn attitude has won lots of people over.

In response to Gritty’s loud entrance onto the scene, as well as the Halloween season, we’ve compiled some other mascots that have provided us with an equally shocking presence.

 

King Cake Baby

 

Okay this one needs a little explaining. Pierre the Pelican is the New Orleans Pelicans mascot, not the King Cake Baby (thank god).

The baby just shows up sometimes, adding to the shock value. Apparently the reason for the sporadic appearances is because “King Cake” is seasonal. A staple of Carnival season, particularly Mardi Gras, a New Orleans bakery popularized the treat by hiding a little trinket of a baby in the cake. Now it is common for trinkets to be hidden.

So, yeah... now we have to deal with this terrifying baby every once in a while.

 

Delta State University Okra

 

Oh, you thought this was a pickle with boxing gloves? That would be ridiculous.

… It’s an okra with boxing gloves.

The origin of this mascot is actually pretty funny, as the unofficial Delta State mascot was taken on to make fun of the school’s official mascot – a statesman. The students deemed that the statesman would have a hard time frightening anyone, and that they needed something with a little more in the way of an intimidation factor. So spawned the boxing vegetable.

 

Speedy Geoduck

This list is not ranked from best to worst, or vice versa, but if it were then Speedy – the Evergreen Geoducks mascot – would be bookending the “worst” end of that.

This thing is horrible. Before you get confused, let us just clarify that a geoduck is not related to a duck in anyway. Technically speaking, it is a burrowing clam. The largest in the world.

Geoducks are native to the area of Olympia, Washington, where the school is located, but it’s hard to believe that they couldn’t have come up with a mascot a little better than this. The one redeeming factor is that a geoduck lives for longer than almost any animal, averaging a lifespan of 140 years.

They win in originality at least? (Bonus note: the school’s motto is Omnia Extares, which translates to “Let it all hang out”. Sweet.)

 

Anaheim Ducks “Iceman”

This was very, very strange. The “Iceman” was crafted for Anaheim’s debut back in 1993, and it didn’t go very well. In opposition of the Ducks’ silent mascot, Wild Wing, somewhere along the line the organization decided to have a talking human mascot.

The Iceman only lasted one game before getting cut. The man himself, Matt MacKelvie, was so upset about the axing of his guitar-wielding character that he cried in his car after the game. If you’d like to read the full story, you can find it here

 

 

That whole ceremony was nothing short of pure entertainment, but it’s understandable why the Iceman never returned. Everyone though it was just a little… er… overdone.

 

The Stanford Tree

 

What the heck is going on here? How did this tree make its way onto the Mascot scene? Not necessarily as “shocking”, but extremely confusing nonetheless.  

The Tree is an unofficial mascot, but it’s become representative of the school after their old mascot, Prince Lightfoot, was met with controversy. That was back when Stanford shared a team name with Cleveland’s baseball team, but they have since become the Cardinal (based on their school colours). The University’s seal features El Palo Alto, which is the type of tree the mascot is based after.

You either love the tree, or you hate the tree. Us here at BarDown have chosen to love the goofy cheerleader.

 

 

Edmonton Oilers “Hunter”

 

Now introducing the Edmonton Oilers mascot… Roadkill! Wait, sorry his name is Hunter!!!

Met with a similar reception as Gritty, but less in the way of eventually winning fans over. Named after the Oilers original owner, “Wild” Bill Hunter, the Oilers’ mascot can be seen marching around at home games, terrifying young fans. While the team name “Oilers” doesn’t exactly have a clear indication as to what the mascot would be, nobody was expecting this snarling lynx.

 

….This

We don’t know what this is, but it’s terrifying. Don’t show your children.

 

 

Adirondack Flames “Scorch”

The Adirondack Flames actually had to apologize for a stunt they pulled using their mascot. Trying to explain the cartoonish flames’ origin, a video describes that the flame is the “sole surviving flame” from the devastating Glens Falls fire.

Tucked away as a smoldering ember in Calvin Robbin’s blacksmith shop, one of the only surviving buildings, the flame then apparently overpowered a firefighter, which they also decided to include in the very controversial mascot moment.