Anytime mascots get brought up on TBJ, I’m always quick to throw my hat in the ring for Benny the Bull. And while that may seem like a homer pick, I truly believe Benny’s the best in the business. He’s funny, his head is both silly and mischievous, he can dance his clip-cloppity hooves off and — most importantly — he is always doing something. Seriously, if you’re at a game where Benny’s at, whether it be Bulls or All-Star, he is legitimately always messing with somebody, climbing on something or just generally mascotting all over the place. He never stops. It’s awesome.

But now we can finally put this argument to rest because the people have spoken. From Forbes:

Benny the Bull, who’s been entertaining fans at Chicago Bulls games for more than four decades, keeps a killer schedule that goes way beyond the Bulls’ 41 home games a season (or more like 50 including the preseason and playoffs). Benny does 250 events a year, from appearances at Chicago businesses and charities to private parties.

The work ethic and the athleticism he displays during game breaks at the United Center have paid off: Benny stands as this year’s most popular sports mascot. That’s the word from The Marketing Arm’s Davie Brown Index, which is based on a survey of public perception of celebrities and their influence on brands. For mascots, the DBI measures popularity by the following criteria: Awareness, likeability, attention-getting, photo-friendliness, interaction and fun. Fans were also asked if a given mascot happened to be his “absolute favorite” or “one of my favorites.”

Benny led the pack in pure likability and gets more photo requests than any other mascot in sports. His ascension to the top is something of an upset, moving against this year’s anti-NBA trend. Perhaps the trampoline-bouncing, slam-dunking hoops mascots are starting to become old hat: past favorites like the Phoenix Suns’ Gorilla, the Denver Nuggets’ mountain lion Rocky and the San Antonio Spurs’ Coyote are nowhere to be found this year.

Boom. There it is. Forbes, you guys. Indisputable champion of the mascot game.

And really, the choice seems pretty obvious.

How many mascots would do this sort of thing? Maybe a lot, but only one has. And that one is Benny the Bull, America’s favorite sports mascot. No coincidence.

(via Chris)