Players, coaches, personnel, medical staff and media all made their way to Glendale, Arizona, this week ahead of the Super Bowl LVII matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Along with them, each of the team's biggest fans made their may as well. Yes, I'm talking about the lovable, over the top and often dramatic mascots.
The Chiefs' mascot is K.C. Wolf and if the name did not already give it away, it is a wolf. The Eagles' mascot is an eagle named Swoop.
K.C. Wolf's last Super Bowl appearance was in 2021, when the Chiefs lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The last win the wolf got to see was in 2020, the year the Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers. Swoop's last appearance was also the last Eagles win they saw, coming in 2018 with a Philadelphia victory over the New England Patriots.
Now let's take a closer look at these mascots, including how they got their name and how they came to be:
K.C. Wolf
K.C. Wolf has not always been around. The Chiefs mascot was originally named Warpaint and was a horse ridden by a man in a headdress. K.C. Wolf took over in 1989 and was inspired by iconic fans known as the "Wolfpack." These fans sat in temporary bleachers at the baseball and football stadium, Municipal Stadium, that was home of the Chiefs from 1963 to 1971.
K.C. Wolf was the first mascot to be inducted in the Mascot Hall of Fame, making him the only active member of the Chiefs currently in the Hall of Fame; even if it's not one that comes with a gold jacket, it still counts. The mascot is often seen in pair of fun pants and a Chiefs shirt.
The Chiefs have had their current logo since 1972.
Swoop
The Eagles selecting an eagle for their mascot is a bit more obvious than the Chiefs picking a wolf. According to the Eagles' website, Swoop is "one of the most beloved and iconic mascots in the NFL, is known for his fun-loving personality, being the center of attention, and entertaining fans of all ages." Swoop debuted as the team's mascot in 1996.
Swoop is listed at 6-feet-3, 216 pounds and his position is the "center of attention." Swoop wears a No. 00 jersey and is typically in white pants.
The Eagles have a unique logo as it is the only one in the NFL that faces towards the left. The reason for this is that the direction it faces allows for a hidden "E" in the logo.
𝐅𝐮𝐧 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) October 14, 2022
The reason that the @Eagles logo is the only one in the NFL facing to the left is because it allows for a hidden "E" to be incorporated.
Stare at the eagle's neck and you'll find an upper case E! https://t.co/yry56bkcFa
This Eagles logo has also been around since 1996