RYAN DUNNING
Special to The Leader
King Cake Baby
Photo from King Cake Baby’s Twitter page (@KingCakeBaby)
Last month, the Philadelphia Flyers introduced their new mascot, and the internet had a field day.
With his long orange hair and gruesome smile, Gritty is more nightmare fuel than friendly mascot.
But where does he rank among the creepiest and weirdest mascots of all time?
After a bit of research, and a few nights spent hiding under my bed with all the lights on, here are the top ten scariest mascots ever.
- The Stanford Tree
You may be thinking, it’s a tree? How on EARTH do you make a tree creepy?
Well, the geniuses over at Stanford managed to do it.
This tree looks like it’s going to kill you and wrap its roots around your corpse so no one finds your body.
- Oregon’s Mandrake
The current Oregon Ducks mascot is a lovable bundle of fluff and fun. However, in the 1970s, fans weren’t so happy with the cute design of their mascot.
And so, Mandrake was born. Also known as RoboDuck, this futuristic humanoid duck is what intimidating mascots will look like in years to come.
I sure don’t want to mess with him.
- Philadelphia 76ers’ Hip Hop the Rabbit
If you ever want a fanbase to be turned off to your team by your mascot, go with something like Hip Hop. This mascot was so hated that fans cheered when the team announced that he was “dead and buried” in 2014.
- Wichita State’s WuShock
If you’ve followed college basketball anytime recently, you probably know Wichita State.
You also probably know their mascot, and if you’re like me, he probably terrified you.
What . . . what is he? We may never know, but I do know that I never want to see him.
- The Providence Friar
For representing a pretty normal thing, the Friar is pretty terrifying.
This man of God looks ready to preach fire and brimstone, and won’t stop for anyone.
- Old TCU Horned Frog
Although the recent iteration of their mascot is pretty cute, the throwback TCU mascot is pretty creepy.
- Philadelphia Flyers’ Gritty
And here he is, the most recent addition to this list.
Gritty looks like a horrible genetic mix of Oscar the Grouch and the “2319!” guy from “Monsters, Inc.”
He is better off in a haunted house than on an ice rink, but at least he will intimidate opposing teams.
- Syracuse Clown
Speaking of Otto the Orange, Syracuse had a pretty creepy mascot before the lovable fruit we know today.
In a twist that would make Pennywise shiver, the Syracuse Clown somehow made it to actual sporting events.
- The Original Oregon Duck
The original Oregon Duck looks like a lifeless shell of its current form.
No cheer or pride in his eyes, this duck looks as though he’s accepted death and is simply waiting for the day that he’s taken.
- King Cake Baby, New Orleans Pelicans
WHAT KIND OF ABOMINATION?! This isn’t even sorta redeemable.
Some of the creepier mascots are from older times, when the technology wasn’t available to make something better.
Not King Cake Baby. King Cake Baby debuted in 2014. FOUR YEARS AGO.
This is a combination of the doll horrors, the creepy child horrors, and just about everything else that can haunt your dreams.