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01/24 2011

Running Numbers: How A Team’s Mascot Impacts Super Bowl Success

Posted by Dan Levy.

We’re brining back the old Running Numbers column I did a few years ago for the fine folks at The 700 Level. This is the first of these here.

The matchup for Super Bowl XLV is set, meaning that in just two weeks, we’ll have 90 teams to look back on as Super Bowl participants, 45 of which took home a big silver trophy.

The Steelers have a chance to add some distance to their record six titles, currently one ahead of both the Cowboys and 49ers. The Packers have a chance to get to four wins, something only the three aforementioned clubs have accomplished in the history of the professional game.

Steelers. Packers. The teams have something in common more than just Super Bowl success. No, I’m not talking about their awful yellow pants, I’m talking about the fact that both their mascots are based on human characters. Here’s a look at the history of the Super Bowl, broken down by Kindom or Phyla or Class or Order or Family or Genus or Species (or what have you) of your favorite team’s mascots.

The Human Teams

There are currently 14 teams in the NFL with human mascots, including the obvious: Patriots, Steelers, Texans, Chiefs, Raiders, Cowboys, Redskins, Packers, Vikings, Buccaneers, 49ers; and the human-based Giants, Saints and Titans.

Of the 90 available slots in Super Bowl history, a human mascot-led team has taken 55 of those slots, 61-percent of all Super Bowl competitors. The record for these teams, heading into a human v. human match-up this season, is 34-19, a success rate of .642.

Obviously, the human ranking is buoyed by the success of the Steelers, Cowboys and 49ers, but keep in mind that ONLY the Minnesota Vikings (0-4 all-time) and Titans (0-1) have a losing record in the Super Bowl with a human-based mascot.

The Animal Teams

There are 15 teams in the NFL with animal mascots including: Dolphins, Bills, Ravens, Bengals, Colts, Jaguars, Broncos, Eagles, Bears, Lions, Falcons, Panthers, Seahawks, Rams and Cardinals.

Of the 90 available slots in Super Bowl history, an animal mascot-led team has taken just 33 of those slots, for 37-percent of all Super Bowl contenders. The record for these teams is a paltry 9-24 in the game, a success rate of .273.

An intriguing side-note: just one animal-led team has a winning record in the Super Bowl, as the Baltimore Ravens are 1-0 in the game. What’s most amazing about that is the fact that in the 45-year history of the Super Bowl, animal mascots that can fly are just 1-4 in the game. Of 90 opportunities (granted, some teams haven’t been around all 45 years) there have been just five teams to wear a bird on their helmets in Super Bowl history. Flying teams, by and large, have been grounded when it comes to the title game.

The Non-Life Forms

There are three teams that can’t be categorized in animal or human categories: Jets, Browns and Chargers.

A case could be made that the Browns were named after the Brown family, hence human, and another case can be made that the “dog pound” could land them in the animal class (order, genus, whatever) but with a lifetime record of 0-0 in Super Bowls, where the Browns fall is irrelevant. The Jets, while not an animal, would actually help the numbers for teams with flying mascots, as the Jets are 1-0 in Super Bowls.

The Chargers? I’m not actually sure what the Chargers are. I guess they could be a body of energy or something, but there’s no way this crazy mascot is human. I thought the old mascot was a horse, and if that’s the case, their 0-1 record in the Super Bowl would actually hurt the animal side. For now, we’ll keep it neutral.

Numbers Never Lie…

So, what does this mean? Probably nothing from an actual statistical signifier. But it is interesting to note that in Super Bowl history, this year’s game will mark the 13th time two teams with human-based mascots will face off to determine a champion while in the 45-year history of the game, a Super Bowl has taken place with neither team having a human-based mascot just thrice.

Does this mean the Texans have a better chance of winning a Super Bowl before the Jaguars or Panthers? Probably not, but if I’m moving a franchise and looking to re-brand anytime in the next 10 years, I’m naming my team “The Dudes.” Animal names are, clearly, for the birds.

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Posted on January 24, 2011 at 11:26AM
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