Many people are attracted to college sports for the athletic talent and competition between rival schools. Sure, all that stuff is interesting and great to cheer for, but what about the athletes of the sidelines? Yes, the mascots.

These are the student athletes who get the fans pumped up with their athletic tumbling skills and arm power, tossing out T-shirts. I guess you could say that this is a follow up to last week's top five freshmen article, but these athletes are far superior in talent and have much more experience than the freshmen.

There are many great mascots in the NCAA competing night in and night out. Who is the best mascot in the nation? Well that's debatable. In my opinion, there are only two truly great mascots in the nation today. Whether or not you like or dislike the schools they represent, you can still enjoy these two…unless you're from Auburn, I guess.

No. 2 “Uga V” Georgia The only non-human on the list, Uga, makes the list due to his overwhelming popularity. Uga V, now retired from sideline duty, is most famous for reaching out and trying to bite Robert Baker, a wide receiver from the rival Auburn Tigers. Had this been against Appalachian St. it might not have been as special to Georgia fans, as well as the region Uga snatched at. Let's just say it's not that comfortable spot for dog to be biting a man.

No. 1 “Demon Deacon” Wake Forest Sure the Deacon doesn't get to carry a musket into the stadium on game day, and I'm pretty sure that he has never attempted to bite an opposing player in the crotch. However if the game is on the line and "Psycho T" is near enough I wouldn't put it past the Deacon. I’m not saying that the Deacon is dirty; there is just nothing he won't do to help his team win.

The Demon Deacon is the best dressed mascot in the nation, sporting a top hat and tuxedo on game days and occasionally cruises into games on a motorcycle. With that kind of class and sophistication, how could he not be number one?

Why did Uga and the Deacon make it and others were left out? Not even I know that. I just picked the first two mascots that came to my head, but I'm sure these two would be at the top if I actually used some type of criteria to judge the best mascot.

What are the criteria for being a great mascot? Sure you probably need to know a little something about the school, maybe a line or two from the fight song or be able take down an opposing player when we are out of timeouts. Mascots are judged not by points per game, but by student involvement and likeability.

If Capitol One did decide to hold mascot golf outings or anything like that I'm sure these mascots would be at the top. The Deacon, from what I hear, shoots around 70 and Uga, although he is said to have never picked up a club, could most likely hold his own.

In college sports these athletes under the hot head gear get forgotten. Most don't even know who these people are. When the game is over ESPN isn't in their face asking how their arm is feeling after all those T-shirt tosses. They are left to shower up and go home. Sure they get to hang out with the cheerleaders on the way home, but let's give the mascots some love from now on.

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