Animals in Pro Sports (Part 1)

Every professional sports team has a monicker to identify with. So I decided to do teams with animal names first because they seem to be easily identifiable.

1. Bears

Chicago Bears

Chicago Cubs

Boston Bruins

Memphis Grizzlies

Menacing and fierce, the bear roams the North American forests and mountains. When cornered, they will attack without warning. Bears also hold mythical significance in fairy tales and in children's stories. In sports, however, a team named after a bear signifies intimidation and fear to others, although you may ask the Cubs' 108-year World Series drought or the Bears' only Super Bowl win in 1985, in which you may say, 'they're big, but slow.'

2. Wild Cats

Detroit Lions

Detroit Tigers

Carolina Panthers

Florida Panthers

Jacksonville Jaguars

Charlotte Bobcats

Minnesota Wild

Cincinnati Bengals

Nashville Predators

A cat has nine lives, hence the nine teams named after cats. In the case of the Predators and Wild, they don't necessarily belong here, but because their logo evokes the shape of a cat's head, they belong in the discussion. Dangerous and intimidating, these wild cats are hunters whose eyes spell danger to other animals. These animals have whiskers that are excellent prey detectors, and their strong teeth aid themselves in hunting prey.

3. Wild Dogs

Minnesota Timberwolves

Phoenix Coyotes

Only a few species of wild dogs exists around the world, hence the lack of professional dog teams in the U.S. and Canada. A dog, when cornered, signals a bark or a howl as a means of protections. They have a keen sense of smell, and in the case of wild dogs, are fierce hunters in groups. 

4. Birds of Prey

Philadelphia Eagles

Atlanta Hawks

Atlanta Falcons

Seattle Seahawks

These birds are capable of hunting, thanks to their strong talons and bills that are specific to the job. I did not include the Chicago Blackhawks because the team was named after a Native American named Chief Black Hawk, hence the Native American head logo.

5. Other Birds

Baltimore Ravens

Baltimore Orioles

Pittsburgh Penguins

Arizona Cardinals

St. Louis Cardinals

Toronto Blue Jays

Anaheim Ducks

They may not be as intimidating as the birds of prey, but they surely don't lack in fighting spirit. They are either a source of local or national pride, or a source of curiosity. The Ducks were named after a 90s sports movie, while the Penguins were named after their former arena the Civic Arena, which is nicknamed The Igloo. The Cardinals of Arizona and St. Louis formerly belonged to the same owner back in the 1920s.

We look at other teams with animal names in the next installment.