A few days ago, my esteemed colleague Charles Curtis issued his definitive rankings of all the mascots competing in this year’s NCAA tournament. While I generally endorse Charles’ thoughtful rankings, it’s becoming clear on the first full day of action in this year’s edition of March Madness that there’s a new king of the mascots: Izzy the Islander.
You’re forgiven if you’re not familiar with Izzy, the mascot of the 16-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders — not only because of the small offshore school he represents but also because he’s only existed in his current form for less than a year. In May 2022, Izzy was given a makeover after his previous design was deemed culturally insensitive. Now, rather than being a caricature of Pacific Islander culture, Izzy is simply the coolest dude who has ever lived.
