19 Creepiest Sports Mascots That I Wish Didn't Exist

    Hide the children. Save the children.

    Jeremy Hayes
    by Jeremy Hayes

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    "Masklophobia" is the fear of masks, people in costumed clothing, and mascots...yes, mascots.

    Gifphy

    Great idea: If a kid can't get into sports, let's lure them in with a terrifying, costumed nightmare.

    Here's a ranking of the scariest mascots in the biz:

    19. This mascot is not smiling...he's screaming.

    MASN

    From the wide-open beak to the glistening whites of his eyes, Washington Nationals mascot Screech is a frightening design.

    18. Sluggerrr is gripping his towel the way he grips his blunt objects, ready to strike.

    Royals' lion mascot wielding a flag.
    Ed Zurga / Getty Images

    The Kansas City Royals decided that a lion with a crown was too predictable. What if it were molded into his face like a Guillermo del Toro character?

    Plus, sharp teeth on a mascot for kids is never a good idea.

    17. The Coyote's lifeless eyes will cast a spell on you.

    Coyote mascot looking ahead.
    NBA

    The Coyote, mascot of the San Antonio Spurs, looks like an old animatronic puppet from Chuck E. Cheese that they found and brought to life. If they added him as a character in the video game Five Nights at Freddy's, no one would bat an eye.

    16. G-Wiz is pointing at his next potential victim.

    G-Wiz pointing to camera
    Will Newton / Getty Images

    Gee whiz, I wish I could unsee this guy. I think it's the droopy nose of this Washington Wizards mascot, and whatever that hair is supposed to be around his eyes.

    15. Fin the Whale always looks angry, and he is coming for you.

    Vancouver Canucks

    I wish I could say this was a GIF, but I am pretty sure it is the real Vancouver Canucks mascot trying to break through your screen to possess your soul.

    14. You're alone in a hallway. You hear footsteps. Behind you is Swinging Friar running at full speed. What do you do?

    Swinging Friar running down a hallway.
    Great Big Story

    The San Diego Padres thought an oversize friar screamed "kid-friendly." Teams need to stop making human mascots.

    13. This is Pierre the Pelican after he got a facelift...and he is still horrifying.

    via @PelicansNBA

    I blame the big beak of the New Orleans Pelicans' official bird because he is otherwise an okay mascot, but there is still something unsettling about him.

    12. Youppi has googly eyes, so you never know when he is looking at you.

    Youppi by a staircase.
    Montreal Canadiens / Via youtube.com

    Habs fans love Youppi, but come on, this thing is scary.

    11. Mariner Moose, out of Seattle, is either hugging or attacking this reporter. You decide.

    Moose hugging reporter.
    NESN

    There is a lot of bias here because I hate moose. They're big, dumb, and dangerous creatures. I don't even want to be near a man dressed as a moose.

    10. The Phillie Phanatic looks like he is part of a nightmare sequence in Winnie-the-Pooh.

    Phillie Phanatic behind a baseball net.
    NBC Sports Philadelphia

    Double-P is one of the most popular mascots in sports. Fun? Maybe. Scary? A little. I still don't know what he is supposed to be.

    9. The Suns' Gorilla looks like if Michael Myers lost his mask, found a gorilla costume, and somehow convinced an organization in Phoenix that it would make sense to have a freaky-looking ape as a mascot for the Suns.

    Suns' Gorilla holding a towel
    Christian Petersen / Getty Images

    I am speechless. Just look long and hard at that plastic mask.

    8. They went for Chewbacca but got Squatch.

    Squatch on a skateboard
    Otto Greule Jr. / Getty Images

    Stare into the black eyes of this creature. What scares me is, now that the Seattle Supersonics are a defunct organization, where the heck is this terrifying creature?

    I know it hurts for fans, but Seattle probably deserved to lose their team because of this monstrosity.

    7. Temoc looks like every guy you went to school with and asked, "If I jumped off that, do you think I'd get hurt?"

    UTC

    The University of Texas at Dallas got original with the design, but the cheap-looking face and bizarre skin color were a choice.

    6. I don't know what the hell Big Red is supposed to be, but we should lock it away forever and never talk about it again.

    WKU

    Put that thing back where it came from, or so help me...I have no clue what Western Kentucky is going for here. They're the Hilltoppers. If I ever see this thing on top of a hill, it's gonna go for a little tumble off a cliff.

    5. The Utah Jazz Bear likes to watch...you...when you are unaware.

    ROOT Sports

    The darkened eyes, the wild hair, the menacing headband... Seriously, if his face weren't so creepy, I'd probably love the design.

    4. Captain Fear has a face only a Floridian could love.

    Captain Fear gawking.
    Jamie Squire / Getty Images

    He lives up to his name. I give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers credit for making his as pirate-y as possible, but yikes.

    3. WuShock looks like he always asks, "Do you have more full-body pics?" when he's on Instagram.

    Wichita State University

    Giving real hair to a mascot is never a good idea. This Wichita State University mascot looks as if he was drawn by a child and brought to life "DoodleBob" style.

    2. Gritty looks like the type of mascot who would say, "I'm not saying human flesh looks good, but I'm just saying..."

    Gritty staring.
    Bruce Bennett / Getty Images

    It's the beard connecting to the bottom lip for me. This Philadelphia Flyers mascot is a grade A creep. That being said, I refuse to make Gritty No. 1 because he tries too hard to be creepy.

    1. The Stanford Tree is eco-friendly but not human-friendly.

    Multi-colored tree mascot
    Ezra Shaw / Getty Images

    That's not a person under there — it was his latest victim.

    The Stanford mascot takes home the gold and reminds me too much of a creepy Power Rangers monster.

    Which one did you find the creepiest? Comment below or one of these mascots will appear under your bed tonight.