Top 5 Least Intimidating Mascots of the NCAA Tournament

As the NCAA tournament creeps near, it is time to look at the 2010 version of least intimidating mascots. With the Stanford Tree, Western Kentucky's Big Red, and the University of North Carolina School of Arts' Fighting Pickle coming nowhere near the tournament, this year's field is wide open. The keys to creating an intimidating mascot are simple: slanted eyebrows, intimidating scowl, exposed teeth and cold eyes. This year's winners must have missed the memo, as they look like they are better suited for a children's holiday parade. Without further ado, I present to you the five least intimidating mascots of the 2010 NCAA basketball tournament.

#5 - Spidey - University of Richmond
If there was an award for creativity, Spidey might be the winner. After all, he is the only spider mascot in college athletics. The problem with Spidey is that one look at him and anyone suffering from arachnophobia will instantly be cured. His physical arrangement is quite comical. Spidey has two legs that are controlled by human arms, two legs that are human legs, and four legs that hang limply from his body (albeit can still be controlled by the mascot). When you take into account Spidey's large grin and two miniscule vampire-like teeth, you begin to wonder if opponents might sense they are looking at some mutated version of Sesame Street's "The Count," who of course intimidates toddlers across the country.

#4 - Brutus the Buckeye - The Ohio State University
You have to hand it to Brutus. He is probably the most intimidating buckeye around. Unfortunately, since a buckeye is basically the seed of a nut, you begin to realize Brutus's problem. Although his shoulder pads and muscular upper body might strike fear in some opponents, once they see sweatpants tucked neatly into his tube socks, the fear immediately subsides.

#3 - Bernie the St. Bernard - Sienna College
Something went wrong with the basketball version of Bernie the St. Bernard. If you follow Sienna College athletics, and I know we all do, Bernie looks like the big St. Bernard that he is supposed to be in each of the other sports. If nothing else, his sheer size is intimidating. Unfortunately, when Bernie comes out to the basketball court, he looks more like a loveable bunny rabbit than a St. Bernard. With his floppy ears and bright pink nose, one has to wonder where the Easter basket is that should be hanging from his arm.

#2 - Otto the Orange - Syracuse University
Otto the Orange of Syracuse is a loveable mascot if there ever was one, but his appearance alone invites torment. Otto the Orange is quite frankly a giant orange with big bright blue eyes and happy smile. Protruding from the sides of Otto are two arms and legs, and atop his "ballish" figure lies a baseball cap. Something about Otto the Orange makes you want to pick on him. Perhaps it's because he makes the Kool-Aid Man look like a mean older brother, or like an inflated Violet Beauregard from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you wonder if turned on his side you could roll him out the door.

#1 - Baby Jay - University of Kansas
Quite possibly one of the least intimidating mascots in all of sports may belong to the best team in the tournament. Hatched from an egg during halftime of a 1971 Kansas football game, Baby Jay joins Big Jay the Jayhawk as one of the few schools to feature two different mascots. When you look at Big Jay, there isn't an ounce of intimidation in his appearance. The big loveable bird sports a large smile, big soft eyes, and curled up eyebrows as he poses for pictures with infants and elementary school kids before the big game. You know it's bad when the infants actually stop crying in Big Jay's presence. Now take that same mascot and reduce its size by about half and you have Baby Jay. As the diminutive toddler of a mascot attempts to pump up the crowd with his baby wings, he may create more "awwws" than are heard in a puppy store. Maybe someday Baby Jay will grow up to be like Big Jay, but until then, he tops to list as the NCAA tournament's least intimidating mascot. Rock. Chalk. Baby Jayhawk.