Easter is a busy time for rabbits. The Easter Bunny, of course, spends the holiday hopping from home to home and hiding candy; meanwhile, other rabbits are busy helping people decorate with a spring theme. In honor of all these hard working bunnies, here are five rabbits that work year-round.
Rabbits serve as mascots at all levels of sports. High schools have them as mascots, as do professional teams.
These are the top five rabbits in sports:
Mesa High School Jackrabbits
In an area where jackrabbits are one of the few animals that can survive, it is appropriate to have them as a school mascot. The Mesa High School Jackrabbits, decked in purple and gold, take on their opponents with the power of a jackrabbit. Do not be deceived. Jackrabbits are not your cute little bunnies. Jackrabbits are larger than most bunnies, and they have extremely powerful legs, for mega ups on the basketball court. Of course, "bunnies" also can be found at Mesa High School. The cheerleaders are often called "bunnies."
South Dakota State University Jackrabbits
Competitors at South Dakota State University also are known as the Jackrabbits. Their mascot, however, wears blue and yellow, so as not to be confused with Mesa's mascot. Last year, South Dakota State University had a contest to name their 105-year-old mascot. After much deliberation, in which nearly 4,000 people participated, they came up with a very creative name: Jack. Thankfully for SDSU, its performance in sports is not based on their creativity.
Philadelphia 76ers' Hip-Hop
For years, Hip-Hop was the rabbit that cheered on the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. During 2011, the team decided to retire Hip-Hop.
Here is the official statement from the Philadelphia 76ers:
"The Philadelphia 76ers new Chief Executive Officer and co-Owner Adam Aron announced today that its rabbit mascot, Hip-Hop, informed the team's new ownership group that he has fallen in love, married and will relocate to a rural part of Pennsylvania to start a family. He will therefore be unable to serve as the 76ers team mascot going forward, and will not again appear at a Sixers game."
South Sydney Rabbitohs
The South Sydney Rabbitohs are a professional rugby team in Australia. Even though overpopulation has made rabbits a nuisance in Australia, South Sydney elected to have one on its team. Its rabbit is often depicted against a red and green background, in mid-hop.
Sochi 2014 Olympics' Hare
The 2014 Winter Olympics will be the first time the hosting country's people have decided upon the event's mascots. Russia, which will host the 2014 games, will have a hare as one of the mascots. The hare will cheer on athletes, along with a polar bear and leopard. Don't worry, all of these critters enjoy the cold.
Scott Brodie enjoys watching a variety of sports, including football, basketball, soccer and rugby, played at all levels. He writes on the latest sports-related news.
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