Rowdy terrifies me. Human mascots often fall into the unnerving category, and Rowdy is no exception. The dead stare he has is off-putting, and in certain photos his sunken eyes and mouth are enshrouded in shadow, making them look entirely black. Rowdy’s bright yellow gloves also make him look more like a dishwasher than a cowboy. On McNeese’s website, it says Rowdy likes to ride his ice chest like a mighty steed, which is a very cute image and earns him a point.
Cayenne does not look like a cayenne pepper, nor does he look good enough to excuse it. Cayenne hasn’t been used in over a decade, leaving the Ragin’ Cajuns mascot-less for a good while. It is best not to speak ill of the dead, even if they were bad looking mascots. May whatever replaces Cayenne look less creepy, and may Cayenne rest in peace in pepper heaven.
Privateer is this list’s first truly good (subjectively) mascot suit. Privateer is already better than a lot of his competition just for being something cool. Pirates? Very cool. He looks goofy, but not in a bad way. Mascots are made to rile students up during games and events, and Privateer looks like just the silly force to do that. Like Tillou, he also has a sword, which is always great; The two of them should have a swordfight on their college’s honor.
While not exactly unnerving, Tillou leaves a little to be desired. The suit’s arms may be trying to go for a muscle-y look, but it’s hard to tell. They’re the same color as his face, but the type of gloves that he has just makes them look like flesh-sleeves. Speaking of his flesh, why is it grey? Tillou’s face is cartoony enough to not make my skin crawl, and if his body shared the same quality as his face, he would rank much higher. It is also very cool that he has a sword.
Lacumba looks like a fierce grown-up Beanie Baby, which is beautiful. Lacumba is a rare case, being a woman in the male dominated field of mascot-ry. Her face is rather threatening, but her big paws and baggy clothes make her look pretty cute. Pushing either the threatening or cute angle could be neat, but Lacumba is great the way she is.
Vic’s slight human creepiness is more easily forgiven, as he is a demon after all. The very exaggerated chin, stylish goatee and devilish eyebrows are great for building a cartoonishly evil looking mascot. Not even to mention Vic’s bent little tail and pointed little ears. So cute! His black gloves give him a villainous flair that lends itself to the devilish personality his expression suggests.
Rating: A collegian James Bond villain/10.
Champ is adorable. Floppy ears, recognizable bulldog cheeks and underbite- what’s not to love? His mad expression with those charming big eyes perfectly portrays a fiery bulldog that barks at everything but is a sweetheart once you get in the house. His chunky collar is a cute cherry on top accessory to his look. Funnily enough, ULM’s own Ace the Warhawk is listed as one of Champ’s friends on Champ’s website. How precious is that?
Similar to Lacumba, the Mike suit also looks like if a Beanie Baby grew up. However, Mike’s beady little eyes make him look a little demented. It almost looks like his gaze could activate a prey instinct in anyone who meets it. Considering LSU used to bring out the real Mike the Tiger to terrify opponents, the intense look is fitting.
Roomie is nothing but darling. The shine in his eyes makes him look like a cartoon character brought to life. Rather than a challenging smirk like many of the mascots featured here, Roomie has a kind smile. For merchandising purposes, which mascots are a huge part of, Roomie is perfect. A stuffed animal of Roomie would fit in perfectly right next to a Carebear.
