USFL Maulers Mascot Draws Comparisons to Steely McBeam

The Pittsburgh Maulers of the USFL have unveiled their mascot and it has a certain family resemblance to another Pittsburgh football mascot, Pittsburgh Steelers mascot Steely McBeam.

The yet-unnamed Maulers mascot is dressed similar to the person depicted in the team’s mascot: a man wearing a hard hat, swinging a maul, which is similar to a sledgehammer.

In person, though, the description apparently looks a lot like McBeam. The Steelers’ mascot carries also wears a hard hat and both mascots wear overalls. McBeam carries a steel I-beam instead of the USFL mascot’s maul. McBeam has a beard, while the Maulers’ man is clean-shaven.

But the familial resemblance seems quite clear.

It’s not clear if the similarity was an intentional homage or if there are just only so many ways to make a steelworker-looking mascot.

The Maulers will be spending their entire 2021 regular season, along with the rest of the league, playing in Birmingham, Alabama. The league has not announced any plans for when or if teams will move to their “home” markets.

The 2021 playoffs and championship games will be held at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, which will be the closest the Maulers could come to Pittsburgh this season.

The team’s first game is this Sunday, when they will play the Tampa Bay Bandits at 8 p.m. on FS1. The Bandits are coached by former Steelers offensive coordinator Todd Haley. Former Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson helms the Maulers.

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