MUNICH (AP) — “Leo” stood on a table and encouraged fans to cheer on Barry Sanders as the Detroit Lions great used a mallet to tap a wooden keg of beer at the team pub in Munich.
Leo, whose shaggy mane sports the colors of the German flag, is the Lions’ German mascot who has been appearing around Munich this week ahead of Detroit’s game against the New England Patriots on Sunday.
NFL teams are using mascot diplomacy to win over international fans, and several teams have created German versions of their fun and furry characters with names like Wolfgang, Fritz and Leo.
The funsters are welcome additions in Germany, where fans are accustomed to the mascots of Bundesliga soccer clubs.
“We like it when the mascots are running around or making a show in the stadium. It’s very funny, and the atmosphere, we love it,” local fan Theresa Goebel said Saturday during a visit to the Lions fan fest in Munich.
Germany is the most sought-after country among NFL teams, 11 of which have league-granted marketing rights in the country. That’s the most in the NFL’s global markets program.
Several of the mascots are in Munich this weekend as all 11 teams with German rights are holding fan-related events.
The Lions created Leo last year to join longtime mascot Roary. The team also has Reizinho for Brazil, where the Lions also have marketing rights. Reizinho wears No. 10 in a nod to Brazilian soccer culture.
The Kansas City Chiefs already had KC Wolf when they decided a year ago to share his burden with four other mascots catering to some of the team’s designated markets: KC Wolfgang with “disciplined energy” for Germany, KC O’Wolf with “a touch of leprechaun energy” for Ireland, KC Wolfington “with cheeky charm” for Britain, and KC Lobazo “with presence and flair” for Spain.
But the first NFL team to add a German mascot was the Atlanta Falcons. Fritz Falcon was introduced in August 2024, joining longtime mascot Freddie Falcon. Fritz was front and center in Berlin last year when the Falcons played the Indianapolis Colts. Fritz is also in Munich this week and ran a 40-yard dash — naturally tripping and falling in the process.
“People love the Americana but we see that to reach that additional layer of fandom we do have to, collectively the league’s clubs have to go that extra mile and have to find ways how we can also talk to the fans,” said Alexander Steinforth, general manager of NFL Germany.
“And that’s why those local angles are super important for us. Teams kind of reinventing a second mascot — it’s great, it's fun,” he added. “But it’s just one layer of things that are happening when it comes to trying to be local.”
Some teams stick with their regular mascot for international duty. The Colts' mascot Blue was a fan favorite in Berlin and the team recently partnered with German lifestyle brand Lobster & Lemonade to bring “limited edition ‘Blue’ collection to Germany.” The jerseys and hoodies feature Blue throwing a pie.
New England stalwart “Pat Patriot” — fictional birth date July 4, 1776 — also goes on the road with team. He's been visiting fans in beer halls as well as playing flag football with local kids.
The Seattle Seahawks added “Bam C. Hawk” as the team's international mascot two years ago. Goebel, the local fan, was more familiar with the regular mascot. She owns a “Blitz” figurine.
“We have it in our living room," she said. "We love it, really.”
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AP Sports Writer Ciarán Fahey in Berlin contributed to this report.
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