While delving into logos for a possible new business venture I landed up researching the big cats. In the process I stumbled on just how common they are used in the wide world of sports. Parenthetically, The Wizard of Oz has a cat, but he was a coward so I guess that rules him out for a spot on a team.
Dorothy, the Scarecrow, and the Tin Man meet the Lion along the Yellow Brick Road: Lions, tigers, and bears! oh, – my.
Dorothy:
Do – do you suppose we’ll meet any wild animals?
Tin Man:
Mmmm – we might.
Dorothy:
Oh –
Scarecrow:
Animals that – that eat straw?
Tin Man:
A – some – but mostly lions and tigers and bears.
Dorothy:
Lions!
Scarecrow:
And tigers!
Tin Man:
And bears!
Dorothy:
Oh! Lions, and tigers and bears! Oh, – my –
Dorothy, Scarecrow, Tin Man:
Lions and tigers and bears!
All sporting teams have a mascot. In these days of PC, animals are a safe branding trademark or label. Birds and bees, cats and dogs, horses, goats and bears; all figure prominently in North American sports.
Big cuddly kitties occupy 5 of the top 10 mascot names in US sports (MascotDB.com). The list below show how the cats rank among the top 10 US team names along with a listing of some of the better known pro-teams and colleges that use that particular family of Felidae. Bears are a topic for another time.
- Eagles
- Tigers — 1391 Teams
- Cincinnati ‘Bengals’ (NFL)
- Detroit (MLB)
- Auburn University
- Clemson University
- Colorado College
- Grambling
- Louisiana State University
- Iowa
- Illinois
- Princeton
- Tennessee State University
- Texas Southern
- University of Memphis
- University of Missouri
- Bulldogs
- Panthers — 1145 Teams
- Carolina (NFL)
- Florida (NHL)
- Georgia State University
- University of Pittsburg
- Wildcats — 1019 Teams
- University of Arizona
- University of Kentucky
- University of New Hampshire
- Villanova
- Warriors
- Indians
- Lion — 759 Teams
- Detroit (NFL)
- Loyola
- Pennsylvania State University
- Cougars — 664 Teams
- Brigham Young University
- University of Houston
- Washington State
- Knights
elsToday 