For two straight years, the New York Mets have been edged out of the National League playoffs by the rival Philadelphia Phillies. But frustrated Mets fans can take heart in this: Their beloved Mr. Met has returned the favor by nosing out the Phillie Phanatic atop our annual list of America's Top Sports Mascots. Perhaps it's an omen that things will improve for New York in 2009. Even if they don't, Mr. Met's sustained success over 45 years shows one thing: The Mets' family friendly image continues to be strong, a successful differentiation from the corporate, humorless Yankees across town (what mascot could anyone imagine the Yankees employing? Pinstripe--the hedge fund billionaire?).
But even the furriest on-field friends are all business now. Once a fun gimmick used to entertain fans between breaks in the action, mascots morphed into an important marketing tool, chiefly to bolster franchises' appeal to kids. There's nothing like adding a Muppet character to a sporting event to hook a young fan for life.
A 6-year-old would rather see a mascot than a player," says Andy Appleby of Rochester, Mich.-based General Sports & Entertainment, an industry consultant. To see which score best with the public, market research firm the Marketing Arm measured awareness, appeal and likability among sports mascots. Through its Davie Brown Index, the firm gathered data on nearly 100 mascots of professional and major college sports teams, gauging reactions from a cross section of people that demographically represent the U. S. population.
This year, Forbes included college mascots for the first time, many of which are adding fans far beyond the schools they entertain. They dominate the rankings, snapping up six of the top 10 slots. Among the highest scoring: the University of Georgia Bulldogs' Hairy Dawg, Michigan State University's Sparty (as in Spartan) and the University of Minnesota's Goldy the Gopher, who is hugely popular with local fans despite looking like a squirrel.
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