The results are disputable. The match-up was unlikely. But the dust has cleared on the NFL’s Fiercest Mascot competition, and the Baltimore Ravens’ Poe strikes fear into the hearts of men and animals.
Don’t let anybody fool you about automated voting. Poe, the unheralded 16th seed in the competition, faced Washington Redskins mascot and man of a thousand stereotypes Chief Zee in the championship round. In a world where the Ravens are one of the most unheralded teams in the NFL, Poe winning this contest infuses hope in a sports city unsure of its place within the national landscape.
The baseball team hasn’t be relevant for a generation. The Ravens may be the most looked-down upon Super Bowl champion in the last 30 years due to their lack of offense and lack of historical importance. There is no basketball team, and lacrosse hasn’t made the leap to mainstream adoration.
Plus, the fact that Poe crushed its Beltway rival makes it all the more sweeter.
The Washington Nationals and Orioles interleague match-up provides comedy where the Ravens-Redskins annual scrimmage is a spectacle to behold. There is bad blood between the two cities, but the franchises just aren’t good enough for any real competition to genuinely matter.
The mascots? They matter. And the fact of the matter is that our Poe is the Big Chief of NFL mascots.