Siddhārtha Gautama was the spiritual teacher who founded Buddhism. He is also considered the ninth incarnation of Vishnu in Hinduism.
Hotei Buddha – No. 49
Not the real Buddha, but a laughing deity of Chinese folklore. I bought a sitting Budai figurine in Manhattan just after 9/11 and have kept it in my car ever since. For good luck. I am also quite taken by this recent photo of a Hotei Buddha statue resting seemingly undisturbed in the tsunami-destroyed town of Sendai, Japan.
Jesus Christ – No. 48
Time to switch things up. Now begins a series of characters that aren’t based on college sports mascots. First is the central figure and namesake of Christianity who was born from the Virgin Mary.
Vanderbilt Commodore – No. 47
The Vanderbilt Commodores mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #46 of 347. SEC mascot #12 of 12. (View reference images.)
Tennessee Volunteer – No. 46
The Tennessee Volunteers mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #45 of 347. SEC mascot #11 of 12. (View reference images.)
South Carolina Gamecock – No. 45
The South Carolina Gamecocks mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #44 of 347. SEC mascot #10 of 12. (View reference images.)
Mississippi State Bulldog – No. 44
The Mississippi State Bulldogs mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #43 of 347. SEC mascot #9 of 12. (View reference images.)
Mississippi Rebel – No. 43
The Mississippi Rebels mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #42 of 347. SEC mascot #8 of 12. (View reference images.)
LSU Tiger – No. 42
The LSU Tigers mascot, Mike the Tiger, is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #41 of 347. SEC mascot #7 of 12. (View reference images.)
Kentucky Wildcat – No. 41
The Kentucky Wildcats mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #40 of 347. SEC mascot #6 of 12. (View reference images.)
Georgia Bulldog – No. 40
The Georgia Bulldogs mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #39 of 347. SEC mascot #5 of 12. (View reference images.)
Florida Gator – No. 39
The Florida Gators mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #38 of 347. SEC mascot #4 of 12. (View reference images.)
Auburn Tiger – No. 38
The Auburn Tigers mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #37 of 347. SEC mascot #3 of 12. (View reference images.)
Arkansas Razorback – No. 37
The Arkansas Razorbacks mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #36 of 347. SEC mascot #2 of 12. (View reference images.)
Alabama Crimson Tide – No. 36
The Alabama Crimson Tide mascot is NCAA Division I pixel art mascot #35 of 347. SEC mascot #1 of 12. Read about the 1930 origin of the “Red Elephants.” (View reference images.)
P.S. After a nine-month hiatus, more mascots are on the way.
