OUT OF THE TUNNEL: THE CFL’S TOP 10 MASCOTS

BY: RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF

What we got this week is something we are all in need of: a little hope. Our fearless leader, Rod Pedersen, stirred up the CFL world by naming Winnipeg as the preferred Hub City for a potential 2020 CFL season. There was a lot of hand-wringing over the scoop but no one was outright denying the statement.

This, along with the news that the Hamilton/Burlington area is being discussed as another Hub City means that there is now a glimmer of hope in our football lives.

Either way we will soon know for sure after the report that the CFLPA has given the league a drop dead date of July 23 for the complete outline of a potential abbreviated season in Hub Cities. There is a lot of work to do over the next two weeks to get this done. Let’s get it done!

Alas, there are two monumental hurdles to overcome: First, money. The second is the news of massive COVID-19 outbreaks in the majority of football-playing American states where many CFL players come from. These are two large mountains to overcome, but hopefully they are not insurmountable.

With so many hoops to jump through to be able to have any sort of season, it feels like there isn’t much hope but there is a little and really that’s all we need right now.

Now to the most controversial Top Ten list we may ever compile: The Top Ten mascots in CFL history.

Mascots don’t have a long history in the overall scheme of sporting things. Colleges had them and mostly live animal representations as well as a couple in the NFL (the Chicago Bears had a weird one in the 60’s). The mascot boom didn’t hit until the mid-70’s with the success of the San Diego Chicken.

While not a sole team mascot, the San Diego Chicken became the Padres mascot with much success and then also the San Diego Clippers before becoming a mascot for hire to any team that would pay.

This gets us to the CFL where the costumed versions began in full force in the mid-1970’s after the success of the San Diego Chicken. As per usual we are a bit all over the place and have a couple of human, cartoon human, live animal and anthropomorphized animals on our list. So let’s begin with what will really get the conversation going.

10. Leonard – Gainer the Gopher’s cousin Leonard was a staple at Taylor Field during the 80’s and early 90’s. It’s tough to find the complete lore of Leonard except that he was among numerous cousins of Gainer. Leonard disappeared during the 90’s when the complete focus (and rightly so) would be put on Gainer. Good luck trying to find the Leonard costume, it was probably burned and buried beneath Taylor Field.

9. Crazy George – Another controversial pick because the American mascot for hire wasn’t actually the B.C. Lions mascot but during the 80’s he was a staple at B.C. Place. When he was at a game he turned up the enthusiasm of Lions fans and feels more like a Vancouver-type mascot than their current one, Leo who is just….meh. One mark against Crazy George, he was the one responsible for the beginning of the wave. The wave sucks.

8. Ralph the Dog – What is it with Calgary and having dogs as their team mascots without having any sort of dog history? The Flames have Harvey the Hound and the Stampeders have Ralph the Dog. So strange. Though weird, the Stampeders have stuck with the canine and it has become more of a community representative than a game-day piece. Ralph is also the oldest mascot in the CFL.

7. Touché – For some reason we have a soft spot for the Montreal Alouettes beloved mascot Touché. He is more of an athletic mascot than the fun, friendly mascot. Touché moves well and gets the crowd going in Montreal. It’s a good thing that Touché is so good because the Alouettes other mascot, Blitz, is the worst in the CFL. Half blow up doll, half furry mascot, moves poorly and is just a poor representation of the club.

6./5. Buzz and Boomer – The fuzzy birds of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers are fun and are a big part of their game day in the stadium and outside before the games. They fit the team name have great props and kids love these two. A great part of the CFL and the city of Winnipeg. 

4. Big Joe – The Redblacks cartoon Lumberjack is the perfect modern football mascot and also the newest member on the list. The giant, jacked-up, smiling lumberjack with an axe is both friendly but with a whiff of menace. The Redblacks had time to find the right mascot for the franchise and this works now and for many years to come.

3. Quick Six – The only live animal on this list is the perfect representation of the Calgary Stampeders. The horse makes the mad dash down the length of the sidelines after the Stamps score a touchdown and after the success of the past ten years, Quick Six is a healthy animal. Yes, Ralph the Dog is cute but Quick Six is the better representation of the Stampeders and the city of Calgary.

2. Pigskin Pete – Yes, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have T.C. and Stripes and they are your basic run-of-the-mill fuzzy creatures but nothing comes close to Pigskin Pete. This has been a part of the TiCats since the 1920’s leading the Hamilton faithful in the Oskee Wee Wee yell during games. There have been five Pigskin Pete’s in the history of the franchise and this is one of the many parts of the CFL that makes this league fantastic.

1. Gainer the Gopher – There isn’t a single CFL character that can topple the king of mascots. Gainer has been a part of the Saskatchewan Roughriders for over 40 years and has gone through numerous makeovers with the most controversial coming at the beginning of the 2019 season with the new, green-eyed, Adderall addicted version of Gainer. It lasted just one game before a softer version of the mascot joined us. Gainer has had his controversial moments but no mascot better represents his team and a fan base. He is beloved by Rider fans young and old all over the world.

This is our list and it’s not perfect. We can be convinced to make a few moves so let us know, but remember, mascots have feelings too! Edmonton, you’ve got a lot of work to do.

(RODPEDERSEN.COM STAFF)