Mental Floss

MASCOTS

Hip-Hop, Squatch, and the BrooklyKnight have all been retired.

Some of these former mascots were beloved—and some have been gladly forgotten.

Meredith Danko




Doug Pensinger, Getty Images

Mascots for major sports teams are supposed to get crowds excited. Sometimes, they get cheered. Other times, they wind up the target of a lawsuit.

Jake Rossen




Mr. Peanut attends the 90th annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.

In the 1970s, Mr. Peanut ran for mayor of Vancouver on the “Peanut Party” ticket. He was endorsed by novelist William S. Burroughs and received 3.4 percent of the vote—which isn't peanuts.

Jake Rossen




YouTube

The collegiate figureheads aren't your average icons and cheerleaders—they get their strength from the mighty food pyramid.

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