Oly Fan Survey: Mascots

[Sir Rols]

We love 'em or hate 'em. Love the concept or despise the concept. We have our favourites or ignore them. What's your favourite Olympic mascot? Or who do you detest?

[Alexjc]

Mascots are creepy...but UNOFFICIALLY. Fatso the Fat arse Wombat stands out for 2000.

Weren't they actually snatching them off athletes at some medal ceremonies? Not offical merchandise blahdeblah?

[Sir Rols]

The athletes were banned from taking him onto the podium with them after he featured in the official stamp the day after one of the swim relay wins.

[BR2028]

I'll go with Cobi...he's classy

[Olympic Fan Darcy]

I personally like the Beijing mascots. The plush mascots as well are adorable.

Vancouver, Sochi and Sydney would probably be up there with Beijing as well.

Hated the mascots for London and Athens though.

[Athensfan]

I love Sam the eagle. I don't think any other mascot comes close to his personality. He was used very well during the Games too. Honorable mention to Nagano's Snowlets. Cute and different.

[baron-pierreIV]

I like the Salt Lake trio - cute, naturalistic, well-named and playful.

Runner-ups are Sam 1984 and the Sydney trio as well.

[thatsnotmypuppy]

Cobi was 1992.

[Sir Rols]

I need me a good sub pups.

[mr.bernham]

Mandaville and Wenlock, for me they translated best into the overall brand, though Cobi comes close.

[Tony E Loves Architecture]

I voted for London 2012 Mandeville and Wenlock.

[zekekelso]

Put this down to recency-bias, but Mishka was great in Sochi. The bear was everywhere, greating the crowds, cheering on the teams.... heck, even had a great role in the closing ceremony.

[baron-pierreIV]

Put this down to recency-bias, but Mishka was great in Sochi. The bear was everywhere, greating the crowds, cheering on the teams.... heck, even had a great role in the closing ceremony.

When did they finally name him/her? So "Mishka" was a brown bear, like the 1980 Misha; but there was also a white polar bear mascot prancing around at the various venues. Couldn't they even get that right -- or was that the two-faced nature of Vladimir already showing itself???

[StefanMUC]

Cobi was cute, the others not really most of the time.

[Rob2012]

Stand down Wenlock and Madeville, you're not getting my vote here.

Arise Miga, Quatchi, and Sumi and Mukmuk.

Paedo Bear, you stay out of it.

[Athensfan]

I voted for London 2012 Mandeville and Wenlock.

I'm shocked.

[Sir Rols]

When did they finally name him/her? So "Mishka" was a brown bear, like the 1980 Misha; but there was also a white polar bear mascot prancing around at the various venues. Couldn't they even get that right -- or was that the two-faced nature of Vladimir already showing itself???

I don't know if it was official (I have doubts that it was), but towards the end of Sochi they started referring to the polar bear in some of the coverage as Mishka - before, it seemed they were all just "un-named mascots".

[aismanggo]

sochi mascot was really adorable and some look fierce,all of them look strong and bold..i used to love Mandaville and Wenlock but those one eye kind of creepy..just my personal opinion.

[mattygs]

Have to go with Cobi here .

[Palette86]

1992 Albertville,Magique. Cute like a fairy.

[olympiaki-agones]

I think Misha is the one who put into the Olympic map the mascot tradition. Hodori was also friendly and quaint (in a good way). I absolutely dislike all mascots from any English speaking host city: LA, Calgary, Atlanta, Sydney, SLC, Vancouver and London. They all were odd and awkward.

[zekekelso]

When did they finally name him/her? So "Mishka" was a brown bear, like the 1980 Misha; but there was also a white polar bear mascot prancing around at the various venues. Couldn't they even get that right -- or was that the two-faced nature of Vladimir already showing itself???

Mishka was a white polar bear. Ziaka was the rabbit. I don't think they ever came up a name for the stupid Leopard that everybody not named Vladimir Putin hated. Yes, I'm embarassed to know this. Not half as embarrased as I am in admitting I used to know which Fuwa is which.

PS - Tony - the London mascots? Worst. Ever.

PPS - No wait, I had burned Izzy out of my memory. Equally horid. The post avoid is corret. Other than Fatso, the English langauge hosts haven't done so good with mascots.

[Rob2012]

W&M worked much better in animated form than they did in the furry man-suits. But they were quite good fun in and around the venues nevertheless, and they were used well in other ways (I loved the painted W&Ms around London):

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.334326499992002.75796.128155803942407&type=1

The worst for me were the uncooked sausages served up in 2004. For a Games that got so much right design-wise they were a horror.

[baron-pierreIV]

No word about Neve and Glitz?? Nor the phlebitis poster-kids, Athena und Phebos???

[runningrings]

My favourite is not listed--- Waldi from Munich 1972. A classic - and so beautifully German and in synch with the rest of the 1972 branding and colours.

____

Honourable mention to 1980 Mischa and 1984 Sam. The rest are either too Disney or too abstract and/or evil- although Nagano's Snowlets are probably my favourite of the Winter mascots.