What is the best animal mascot in American sports?

The Detroit Lions were named after the Detroit Tigers, and that is only the start of American sport's animal obsession. Bears, Ravens, Bengals, Jaguars and more, ranked head to head.

1

Detroit Lions

Named in 1934 in deference to the city's baseball Tigers.

2

Detroit Tigers

Detroit's older cat, and the team the Lions were named after.

3

Chicago Bears

The NFL's oldest surviving nickname, and its most literal.

4

Chicago Cubs

Wrigley's young bears.

5

Baltimore Ravens

Named for a poem, not an animal.

6

Philadelphia Eagles

The bird that fills a stadium with noise.

7

Carolina Panthers

The NFL's big cat of the Carolinas.

8

Jacksonville Jaguars

A cat that does not live within 3,000 miles of Florida.

9

Cincinnati Bengals

The stripes are on the helmet, not just the cat.

10

Clemson Tigers

College football's loudest tiger.

11

LSU Tigers

Home of Mike the Tiger, a live mascot on campus.

12

Penn State Nittany Lions

A mountain lion named for a local ridge.

13

Seattle Seahawks

An osprey by another name, and the loudest crowd in the league.

14

Miami Dolphins

Florida's sea mammal, since 1966.