To help celebrate, we present you a list of the best live dog mascots in today’s pro and collegiate sports world.
MORE: Athletes and their dogs
Our comprehensive list includes all the good doggos. Some live dog mascot legacies date all the way back to the 1800s (i.e. Yale’s “Handsome Dan”) while others are new team acquisitions. We didn’t rank the pups, though: Every dog is a good dog. Let’s just assume a 25-way tie for first, OK?
Let’s take a look at the best dogs in sports.
NFL
Cleveland Browns - “Moose”
The lone NFL franchise to sport a pup also boasts the famous “Dawg Pound” fan section in the east end zone in FirstEnergy Stadium. Well done, Cleveland.
NHL
Buffalo Sabres - “Buff” - @lil_buff_
When Buff isn’t cheering on the Sabres, you can likely find him in the household of his owner, Sabres center Tage Thompson.
A post shared by Buff 🐾 (@lil_buff_) on Feb 13, 2019 at 2:19pm PST
Minnesota Wild - “Breezer” - @mnwildpup
A recent Wild acquisition, Breezer joined the fold after being picked up from a dog rescue in the Twin Cities.
Montreal Canadiens - “Flambo” - @chiotcanadiensmtl
Flambo’s Instagram presence (more than 16,000 followers) more than makes up for a rather limited physical presence (30 pounds).
A post shared by Flambo 🐶 (@chiotcanadiensmtl) on Jun 7, 2019 at 8:59am PDT
Nashville Predators - “Smash” - @predspup
Lord Banner of Smashville is regarded within the Nashville organization as the team’s “official office pup.” You can find him near the water cooler.
A post shared by Lord Banner of Smashville (@predspup) on Aug 15, 2019 at 9:10am PDT
New York Islanders - “Radar”
Radar got his name after the late Islanders coach Al Arbour, who led the franchise to four consecutive Stanley Cups in the 1980s.
New York Rangers - “Ranger” - @nyrangerspup
This Lab is currently training to assist a child with autism. Ranger, a formidable puck handler, is known to snack on peanut butter pre-game.
A post shared by Ranger (@nyrangerspup) on Jan 15, 2019 at 10:31am PST
Ottawa Senators - “Rookie” - @rookiethesenspup
Rookie, an Australian native, is progressing toward becoming a CNIB guide dog after his hockey career.
A post shared by Rookie the Sens Pup (@rookiethesenspup) on May 30, 2019 at 6:18am PDT
San Jose Sharks - “Finn” - @sharkspup / @sharkspup
What’s not to like about this 8-pound yellow Lab? Finn will soon empower the San Jose community as an assistance dog.
A post shared by Finn (@sharkspup) on Jul 24, 2019 at 12:02pm PDT
St. Louis Blues - “Barclay” - @stlbluespup
It was a huge year for Barclay. The yellow Lab became fast friends with announcer Doc Emrick and even feasted out of the Stanley Cup trophy in June.
A post shared by Barclay (@stlbluespup) on Jun 25, 2019 at 2:20pm PDT
Tampa Bay Lightning - “Bolt” - @boltspup / @boltspup
Bolt will carry his positive impact toward a service dog career once he hangs up his Lightning jersey.
A post shared by Bolt ⚡️ (@boltspup) on Aug 19, 2019 at 11:59am PDT
Vegas Golden Knights - “Bark-Andre Furry” - @barkandrefurry
Quite easily the best name on this entire list and a pup-tastic reference to VGK goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury.
A post shared by Bark-André Furry (@barkandrefurry) on Aug 13, 2019 at 8:47am PDT
NCAA
Butler - “Butler Blue” - @butlerblue3 / @ButlerBlue3
Fewer images in college basketball are as iconic as Butler Blue embracing the roar of fans inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.
A post shared by butlerblue3 (@butlerblue3) on May 31, 2019 at 6:55am PDT
Connecticut - “Jonathan” - @jonathanhusky14
UConn’s good boy carries on the legacy of Connecticut’s first state governor, Jonathan Trumbull.
A post shared by Jonathan the Husky (@jonathanhusky14) on Aug 21, 2019 at 4:24am PDT
Fresno State - “Victor E. Bulldog” - @VictorEBulldog
Sports. Dogs. Puns. This is someone’s dream come true.
A post shared by Victor E Bulldog III (@victorebulldog) on Jan 16, 2019 at 4:23pm PST
Georgia - “Uga”
Uga, a pure white English bulldog, is nothing short of both the face of Georgia athletics and college football as a whole.
Louisiana Tech - “Tech XXII” - @TechXXII
The son of Tech XXI continues the strong legacy of Tech bulldogs in the university’s history.
A post shared by Tech XXII (@techxxii) on Jun 19, 2019 at 4:36pm PDT
Mississippi State - “Bully XXI”
Another facet of MSU’s tradition, Bully the bulldog is synonymous with the gritty culture of Mississippi State.
N.C. State - “Tuffy”
Former N.C. State assistant athletic director Dick Christy welcomed Tuffy, a Tamaskan, to revive the live mascot presence in Raleigh.
Northern Illinois - “Mission” - @NIUMission
The star of Northern Illinois’ #MissionMondays, this Siberian Husky makes consistent appearances to NIU games and team events.
Tennessee - “Smokey X”
Smokey, a Bluetick Coonhound, was first selected in 1953 by the student body to represent the university.
Texas A&M - “Reveille” - @reveille
Reveille’s paw print on Texas A&M dates all the way back to the 1930s. Miss Rev is an icon around the Aggie campus.
Washington - “Dubs II” - @uwmascot
You won’t find a Washington athletics hype reel without a clip of Dubs, an Alaskan Malamute. We can understand why.
Wofford - “Blitz”
If you went mascot-crazy in this year’s March Madness bracket, there’s a good chance you’re already familiar with Blitz and the Wofford Terriers.
Yale - “Handsome Dan” - @HandsomeDan18
Handsome Dan is the face of Yale athletics, a title he has held since the late 1800s.
Don’t forget to follow these great pups on social media and fill your feed with excellent dog/sports crossover content. It’s what any great sports fan and dog lover deserves.
