Who doesn’t get a good kick out of team mascots? They run around, get the crowd riled up, and make fans scream and shout for their favorite team. We must admit, though, there are some weird mascots out there. Here’s a list of our five favorites.

By Jessica Anderson
Image via slu.edu 

via siusalukis.com

Southern Illinois Saluki

Greyhounds weren’t exotic enough for the folks of Southern Illinois University. Instead, they opted for the Saluki, a treasured breed of Egyptian race dogs. But what’s with Egyptian theme in the Midwest? Southern Illinois is referred to as “Little Egypt” supposedly because poor harvests in the 1830s forced Northern Illinoisans south. Many of its local towns even boast Middle Eastern origins, such as Cairo, Palestine, and Lebanon. We must say, while the Saluki might be weird, it’s definitely the cutest on our list. Go Salukis, Go!

via slu.edu

Saint Louis Biliken

One thing’s for certain: Nobody knows exactly how the  Biliken came about. And we definitely understand this quandary because we wouldn’t want to take responsibility for coming up with this unsightly creature either. But good news for SLU: the Biliken is purportedly a sign of good luck. Here’s to hoping this fat elf-like gremlin look-alike doesn’t make an appearance in our Lucky Charms anytime soon! Go Bilikens, Go!

via osu.edu

Ohio State Buckeye

We expected better from the Big Ten Conference, Ohio State. Pardon the pun, but your mascot is nutty. We get that the buckeye is the official state tree of Ohio, but what about the tree makes it nuts mascot-worthy? Is gold inside? Was the state bird already taken? And nut-related humor? You really opened Pandora’s box. Call us immature, but a quick conference with an 8th grader before ordering the jerseys could have spared poor Brutus the Buckeye infinite amounts of unnecessary ridicule and attempted “nut crackings” from competing teams’ mascots. Go Buckeyes, Go! Bonus: Watch Brutus the Buckeye get eaten by a giant squirrel on “The Daily Show,” here.

via stlcop.edu

St. Louis College of Pharmacy Eutectic

Congratulations, St. Louis College of Pharmacy! You’ve managed to singlehandedly create not only one of the weirdest mascots, but also one of the nerdiest – and we must say, it’s a feat truly befitting of a pharmacy school. We get it, you’re smart, but what the hell’s a “eutectic”? Eutectic is a very common term in pharmacy (and nowhere else) that refers to the scientific process in which two solids combine to form a liquid. Oh yes, “that”! Today’s mascot is named Mortimer McPestle (Morty among his few friends), and he looks like a rejected Sesame Street creature wearing a white lab coat – so basically, your normal pharmacist. Sorry, couldn’t help it. Go Eutectics, Go!

via wichita.edu

Witchita State WuShock

Early Wichita State football players earned the nickname “wheatshockers” because they used to shock wheat in the offseason to pay for their tuition and board. Today’s derivative, WuShock, came about in a 1948 campus-wide student competition. Humorously enough, the ferocious bundle of wheat has undergone several redesigns over the years, primarily to accommodate his top-heavy design. Our hearts extend to you, WuShock; it’s not easy being an apple-shaped bundle of wheat in today’s dainty-hulled society. No word yet on if WuShock bears any relation to the prominent Wu-Tang clan. Go WuShock, Go!

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Posted by

Clara Haneberg

1 Comment for The Midwest’s 5 Weirdest Mascots

Lindsay Fullington

And my personal favorite…the Watersmeet, MI, Nimrods. Best mascot there is! http://www.watersmeet.k12.mi.us/

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