The college mascot is the embodiment of all that a university stands for. It's a symbol of strength, of spirit, and, in many cases, of Third-World athletic department budgets. But, hey, that's the greatest strength of the Tourney, right? It's an open tent. Team No. 300 has the same shot at a championship as team No. 1. But in its willingness to invite the Martin Lawrences of college basketball alongside its Will Smiths, there's invariably going to be some hurtful laughter. Presenting Big Momma's Mascots 2008...

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The Stanford Tree
Seriously? A frigging tree? No wonder everybody hates the Ivy League.

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South Paw, the South Alabama Jaguar
Apparently, on the way to the tourney, the Jags decided to pick up a mascot at The Salvation Army.