Turbo was the OG. Clutch the Bear is stupid and a marketing ploy for a nation that hasn't given a sloppy shadookie about us in a decade. The hottest take? Our "new" mascot should just be Orbit.
I'm just confused how a Houston sports team named the Rockets decided that a bear should be their mascot.
I 100% agree. But other than Turbo, what makes sense? An anthropomorphized rocket? A beer-gutter bear is just silly, though rather appropriate for the city of Houston.
Please know your houston history. Gray bears were native here until they were hunted into extinction for their fur.
Clutch is fun. I actually prefer him to Orbit. I'll allow a mascot change but not until a full logo and jersey revamp.
Because you're not the one they're trying to sell jerseys to. From what I recall, they wanted a mascot kids would identify with and could be used in promotional material more. This, of course, meant something cartoony with a big head, I guess. I doubt you could get kids to fall in love with and say "Look! It's Saturny the Saturn V Rocket!" Turbo was awesome, but I think Clutch works for what he was probably intended for, and I really have no problem with him. I don't really follow baseball, but when I see Orbit, I think "vomit". Orbit to me seems like the Astros' version of the Rockets' former mascot, Booster, except Orbit's design doesn't look quite as drug-induced. But Orbit's kind of cute, too, so it works. Toro, on the other hand, just looks like a genetic experiment gone way wrong.
No. The Rockets technically had Turbo and Clutch together for a while at games. And is Mini-Clutch still around? I don't remember, but he's the sample-sized version.
I hate Clutch so much. He makes no sense. If he were a chimp then I'd get it. At least we sent one of those to space. But bears aren't even native to this area. So wtf? I'd like an animal that is native to Houston, like a stray pitbull or chihuahua, or even a nutria or opossum. A grackle would work too.
I'd take the derpy AI anthropomorphized rocket before a damn bear. At least turn him into a tardigrade. An astronaut? Just a guy in a space suit and you can't see the face cuz it's reflective. An alien. Turbo v.2. Some Buzz lightyear knockoff. A teddy bear. Lazy. Lazy mascot, lazy themework, lazy brand. With the space theme served up on a platter, they can't even embrace it or make it cool.
As far as merch goes like stuffy toys; bears (as in like teddy bears) is one of the best selling animal a company can choose. For acrobatic NBA mascots not in an animal suit. Celtics' Lucky comes mind; somehow I don't think a Lucky action-figure sells that well with NBA kids.
The Astros had a jackrabbit as their mascot. They changed back to something beloved, a refreshed throwback branding, something theme-relevant and started winning championships. Just saying.
