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Insider Justin

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  1. The University of Cincinnati's Bearcat mascot has once again demonstrated exceptional talent and spirit by securing its third national title at the 2025 Universal Cheerleaders Association (UCA) Mascot National Championship. This victory, achieved in January 2025, follows previous championships in 2022 and 2023, solidifying Bearcat's position as a dominant force in collegiate mascot competitions. In the Division IA Mascot category, Bearcat delivered a captivating performance that earned a top score of 93.33, tying with the University of Tennessee's Smokey for first place. This accomplishment reflects Bearcat's consistent dedication to excellence and the University of Cincinnati's commitment to fostering school spirit. The UCA Mascot National Championship evaluates participants on various criteria, including creativity, crowd engagement, and overall performance. Bearcat's routine stood out for its dynamic energy and ability to captivate both judges and spectators. Beyond the competition floor, Bearcat remains an active ambassador for the University of Cincinnati, making over 400 appearances annually at sporting events, community engagements, and university functions. This extensive involvement underscores Bearcat's role in promoting school pride and connecting with the broader community. As Bearcat celebrates this third national title, the University of Cincinnati community beams with pride, looking forward to future displays of spirit and excellence from their beloved mascot. For a closer look at Bearcat's award-winning performance, you can watch the routine here: Featured Photos of Bearcat
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  3. Mascot Insider is Pleased to have a Chat with The Hubbard Eagle, and His Pal Isaac has helped provide the answers. We hope you enjoy this Interview! What is a Favorite Skit you've done in the Past? My favorite skit would have to be those at Christmas time! The Eagle brings many gifts to basketball games during the holiday season; a favorite is giving some of Hubbard’s favorite older community members coal for Christmas, while kids can go home with teddy bears, dolls, and even Eagle Plushies. You attend a lot of Mascot Parties in the Area how do you normally get invited to those events? I believe that with The Hubbard Eagle’s popularity growing rapidly, the invitations are easy to come by. The Hubbard Eagle has reached almost 100,000 people through his social networking (that peeked when I was recognized nationally) which gives an easy pass to a lot of recognition. The Eagle has been invited to events and games as far Florida & Oregon. I’ve become friends with many mascots so they also put in a good word to their teams. What was it like to visit Disney World and compete in the Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards? The whole week was so humbling, the send-off through town had community members lining the streets to wish me off to the National Awards Show! Being able to bring The Eagle to Disney was incredible! My whole family is obsessed with Disney, and we have visited almost every year. Of course, this visit was special. During the awards show, there were many points that The Eagle had the whole crowd involved, many of which were not aired on CBS Sports (The Official Award Show Taping). At one point the audience was chanting as I stood on my chair dancing to the DJ music during a commercial break. I had almost every local news channel calling me asking for phone interviews when I was in Orlando! It was an awesome and very rewarding week! I’m just glad I was able to represent Hubbard in such a positive way, at the end of the day that’s my goal. Are there any mascots in which you idolize? Of course! A lot of my work comes from my interests in The Phanatic, Orbit, and Gritty! A close role model I have is Sir CC of the Cavs. I like to think of him as a personal idol, he works hard to create something special for Cleveland and has shown me a lot of what I’m capable of doing! He even called me up while I was in Disney to congratulate me. I wish every young aspiring mascot had someone like him to show that with hard work, you can reach your goals. How has the Prize Money that you’ve earned from winning the Varsity Brands School Spirit Awards helped? Although the prize money was the last thing on my mind during the award show, it has really helped to bring some serious professionalism to the program. All jerseys are now made custom and designed professionally including mascot handlers, new props, costume pieces, and even expenses to pay off travel. Do you have a favorite sport that you like to attend or perform? My favorite to attend is Hubbard’s Friday Night Football Games. The fans are crazy there and I am able to work the crowd really well. It’s for sure the season I look forward to all year. To perform is for sure basketball games. I do two big halftime shows each year, while also being able to provide various skits, costumes, and giveaways for the fans during the course of the season. Outside of Hubbard, I love to bring The Eagle to hockey games! He has his own custom-fitted hockey jersey that’s fitted to his wings! The ice is really fun to play on and the crowd really gets into it! At various professional minor league hockey games, The Eagle has participated in football games, obstacle courses, kickball, races, broomball, and dance-offs which all took place on the ice! What was it like attending the opening of The Mascot Hall of Fame? Being able to attend The Mascot Hall Of Fames, Grand Opening was not only historic for The Hubbard Eagle, but for the Hall Of Fame. No matter where the future takes sports mascots in the Hall Of Fame, the grand opening photograph will forever hold Slugger (Kansas City Royals), KC Wolf (Kansas City Chiefs), Lil’ Red (Nebraska), Nittany Lion (Penn State), Tommy Hawk (Chicago Blackhawks), Thunder & Mini Thunder (Lake Elsinore Storm), and of course The Hubbard Eagle arguably one of the most iconic mascots through High Schools in America. It was also inspiring to see how true dedication to a mascot program can lead to making such an impact on the sports industry by being placed in the Hall Of Fame, where only the greatest are placed, I’d love to be just a little bit like every one of them! In conclusion, I love what I do. It’s a job that all you do is make people happy and laugh! I’m thankful for those who have got me to where I am, and the catch of being a high school mascot is, that every one of my appearances has been free of charge which helps me reach out to a variety of different people and groups. The Hubbard Eagle is a dream come true. We want to thank The Hubbard Eagle and his Pal Isaac for joining us for an interview today. You can find The Hubbard Eagle on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Stay tuned as we bring you more Mascot Interviews over the upcoming weeks right here on MascotInsider.com!
  4. Mascot Insider is excited to present another Mascot Interview this time we are interviewing Chompers from the Yartford Yard Goats his pal Caden helped with the answers check them out below! What is a Favorite Skit you've done in the Past? My favorite skit I’ve done was a WWE style royal rumble with 10 other mascots at a hockey game. It was in a big inflatable wrestling wring we all got in and once the bell rang everyone went at it. I had a WWE championship belt with the Hartford yardgoats logo on it and I lifted it up in the air and knocked someone over the ropes with it and the crown went insane it was the best feeling and the most memorable skit I’ve ever done so far. Are there any mascots in which you idolize? The mascots I “Idolize” are KC wolf and Stuff the Magic Dragon. I idolize them because ever since I was little and liked mascots I would always think to myself it’s crazy the amount of stuff they can do in that big suit and I never really understood how much it really takes to do that until I got in a suit that big (Chompers). How do you collaborate with ChewChew? I collaborate with ChewChew on TikTok we go to the baseball stadium once a week to load up on TikToks to post throughout the week. We also go to appearances together all the time and it’s truly amazing how much Chompers and ChewChew click when they do appearances together What have you been doing since the Extended Off Season of Baseball? During the extended off season I have been joining Zoom calls for kids and adults that have birthdays, I go to off site appearances and do drive by birthday party’s for kids and adults around CT it’s really awesome to put a smile on peoples faces especially in a time like now. Another thing I during the extended off season is make lots of TikToks and make Tweets for the Chompers twitter account. Based on what we’ve seen from your online Bio, we understand you like to do Bat Chewing any brand particular that you like the most? My favorite bat to chew would probably be a slugger Bat. We wanna thank Chompers and his pal Caden for taking the time to do an interview with us. You Can follow Chompers on TikTok, Twitter and can follow some of his adventures on the Facebook Team Page.
  5. Mascot Interviews Is Back and Mascot Insider is pleased to present an interview with Top Gunner the official mascot for the West Texas Warbirds take a read below. Can you tell the Fans a little about your Self and how you became to be the Mascot for Warbird Football Team? I'm Bishop Greene aka Mascot Sensei and I've been a mascot entertainer for over 20 years. I've entertained masses from high school to my collegiate days as Sammy the Bearkat for Sam Houston State. As semi-pro/ professional entertained for the Midland RockHounds ( minor league affiliate of the Oakland A's) and the Odessa Jackalopes (NAHL hockey). Which lead me to this new opportunity to entertain as Top Gunner. Interesting enough, the WTX Warbirds play in the same arena and the owner loved what he witnessed while I entertained the hockey fans and I was asked if I would be the mascot for their sports franchise. I said yes and the rest is history. It was exciting to be a part of creating a mascot for a new team and having complete control developing the character's persons from scratch. Your team has taken home the Championship Two Times so Far. And now you’re joining the NAL League in 2023 how excited are you for the Team and for yourself? I'm super excited about entering the NAL, where they not only the players and fans but also the mascots. They have a mascot of the year award and I am going to compete for the award next season! The West Texas Warbirds are undefeated and fully expect to be challenged next season. We have a target on our backs and we know it but I'm confident that we'll be ready for whichever team we play first. It's been a wild two years for us and our fans are starting gel with this franchise. Is there a Favorite Skit you've done in the Past on the Field or off the Field? One of my personal favorite skits was when I came out to the intro music of James Brown's "Living in America" in front of a baseball crowd in complete awe! It was July 4th and I rocked it!!! I've done skits that received way more appreciation but that one moment I appreciate so much because I introduced the Godfather of soul to a crowd that had no idea he existed! 🤣🤣🤣 Do you have a Pre-Game Ritual if so, what is it or if so, what do you do? I sometimes like to walk amongst the crowds entering the arena before the game begins and scope out fans that appear ready for fun times! I read crowds and navigate from there. How is a game structured for yourself (are you free to do as you please or is it be in a certain area until a certain time) As Top Gunner, it varies from game to game. There may be sponsored events that require my presence. Other times I'm able to improvise. This franchise has shown that it trusts my mascot experience and appreciates my ability to entertain our fans. Do you have a favorite Fan Interaction or Memory if so, what is it? I have certain things that I'll do for certain fans and it's just wit inside joke between the mascot and the fan. Every "penalty box heckle" moment is a favorite of mine. The crowds would get rowdy and I fed off of their energy. But the most memorable moment I had as a mascot was during my days as Sammy the Bearkat. I was standing on the sidelines of the football field and became (informally) introduced to the late Steve "Air" McNair as he was hit out of bounds. Steve later became the starting NFL QB of the Tennessee Titans. The moment was brief but never forgotten! We wanna thank Top Gunner and his pal Bishop Greene for taking the time to do an interview with us. You can follow Top Gunner on Twitter and follow some of his adventures on the Facebook as well. Plus you can also Follow his pal Bishop with his Facebook Page by Clicking Here.

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