Mascots are more than the ultimate hype for the team. Nor are they just logos on a jersey. They're embodiments of spirit, power, and identity. Mascots are brands in themselves, and as such, a great mascot can give their respective team — and more importantly, their fans — a sense of pride and unity throughout their university careers.
While it's fun to rank and objectively review every single mascot, it's way more fun to consider them as real-life representatives of each team. Over in the OUA, this hypothetical was asked and answered as if teams were fully stacked with a team full of their mascots, with the Guelph Gryphons coming out on top.
But it's called the wild west for a reason, and if the wild west was known for anything, it was one-on-one duels. Rams vs. Bisons, Huskies vs. Golden Bears — let's match each mascot up in a bracket and assess who would win in a one-on-one fight to find out who is the ultimate mascot of Canada West.
Based on the 2024 season standings, we've seeded the six CanWest Football teams and placed their mascots in a wild, no-holds-barred bracket. Forget stats and standings, this is the ultimate survival of the fiercest.
Round One battles
(1) Bisons vs (6) Dinos
On one end, you have the Bison, a majestic and muscular beast of the plains. It has long stood as a symbol of strength and resiliency
lives by the symbolism of the bison
While, I'm sure the Bison would put up a formidable fight, there's no escaping the sheer size of a literal T-Rex.
Infamously known as an apex predator in the era of the dinosaurs, the University of Calgary have chosen the T-Rex to "symbolize the power, performance and fierce spirit" of the campus.
If it's a question of size, the Dinos win. A T-Rex can weigh in anywhere between 5,000 to 7,000 kilograms, while there's a legend that the largest bison ever was reported to weigh 1,518 kilograms.
Winner: Dinos
(2) Huskies vs (5) Golden Bears
Huskies are a beloved dog breed known for their loyalty, love for running, and above all, a sense of protectiveness of their own. Commonly known as sled dogs, they operate as a pack, showing their strength as a group over prevailing individually.
But across the battleground, we have the Golden Bear. Based on the real-life grizzlies that roam the Rockies, the University of Alberta's mascot is all about brute force.
In nature, grizzlies are solitary and territorial animals. While rarely confrontational, mother grizzlies are known to be extremely protective of their cubs and capable of standing their ground when they feel threatened.
While this writer can argue that a pack of huskies may be capable of taking down a grizzly bear, in a one-on-one fight, a grizzly or golden bear will come out on top.
Sorry Huskies, heart doesn't always beat brawn.
Winner: Golden Bears
(3) Thunderbirds vs (4) Rams
For the last battle of Round One, we see a mythical creature from the Pacific Northwest: the Thunderbird. A supernatural creature, it is said to cause thunder with a flap of its wings and can strike lightning with its eyes. As far as mascots go, UBC's brings the heat.
Meanwhile, the Regina Rams boast a rugged, horned, and utterly stubborn mascot: the ram. Rams are known to fight by headbutting each other at incredible speeds with thick skulls to be able to take these sudden impacts. They're durable, are known to stand their ground, and are not to be underestimated.
But in this case, the supernatural and mythological would easily overpower a natural being. One lightning bolt and you'll get lamb chops, sorry Regina.
Winner: Thunderbirds
Round 2 battles
The Thunderbirds get a bye for being the highest seed, so let's observe the ultimate Battle of Alberta.
(5) Golden Bears vs (6) Dinos
If this were a battle of intelligence and adaptability, the bear might have a shot. But let's be honest, a T-Rex is built for maximum destruction. Not only is it taller and stronger, it runs faster and bites harder.
The bear may put up a good fight with a few swipes of its massive claws but the Dinos’ sheer mass and primal rage make this matchup feel like an evolutionary mismatch.
Winner: Dinos
Final Face-Off
(3) Thunderbirds vs (6) Dinos
Now this is a clash of titans: ancient myth versus the King of the Dinosaurs.
The Thunderbird controls the skies. It can generate storms, soar at supernatural speeds, and fire lightning bolts with just a blink of its eyes. The T-Rex, meanwhile has the ground advantage. A beast of pure physical dominance with raw muscle, knife-like teeth, and the the ear-piercing screams, it's a terrifying force of nature on its own.
If the Thunderbird can stay airborne, it has the upper hand. But a mistimed dive-bomb attack could spell its own demise. However, a couple of lightning blasts and a clap of its wings would be the combo to edge out the T-Rex.
In the end, myth edges out muscle. How can you beat the speed of light AND the speed of sound?
Winner and CanWest Mascot Champion: Thunderbirds