Feats like these. What a catch. Hewl America's sports obsession. It is caught by Kelsey for the countdown. Mahomes-kelsey connection in the AFC Championship, propelling the Chiefs to the Super Bowl. Coco Goffs blistering backhand, winning the US Open last summer, even the debut of the San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation. The first points in the career of Victor But this isn't about the big shots. It's about these guys behind the big moments. Team mascots. You can't help but notice the Philly fanatic, Benny the Bull, Casey Wolf, Billy Buffalo, and hundreds more. Some have been around for decades, while others just pop up and break the Internet.

The mascots spread joy. That's their job. If the mascot helped provide even a little bit of a good experience during that game, that's what you're going to remember anyway.

They're much more than furry creatures doing silly moves. Inside every costume is a full-fledged performer. Some, like the San Antonio Spurs coyote, displaying athleticism rivaling players on their teams, amassing huge followings all their own, and some are cashing in big. At the very top, Rocky the Mountain Line, the Denver Nuggets mascot, reportedly making 625 a thousand a year, followed by the Atlanta Hawks, Harry the Hawk, that's 600,000, and that's just their salary.

You could make close to a million dollars a year if you're just for the game day and then side gigs, too. Mascots are a huge deal. It's brand extension. I mean, if you've got the mascot out in the marketplace, that is adding more and more eyeballs to your product.

But in the world of Major League mascots, it doesn't get much bigger than Gritty, with over 2 million followers on social media. Beyond the rink, he's quickly become one of the faces of the city, even appearing on ABC's Habit Elementary. I'm going to have to Photoshop Jeanine out of this, but this is a cute picture, though? Do people love Gritty more than any other mascot? You make me happy, that's for sure. I've been smiling as soon as you walked into this interview. It's no easy feat. Speaking with a seven-foot-tall creature, you can only gesture for answers. After asking one too many questions, I quickly lose cool points with Gritty. He knows I'm from Boston. I think that's what it is.

There it is.

I'm out of here. Oh, brother. No one knows the hard work it takes to reach Gritty's level of Fame better than his creator, Dave Raymond.

You know when you've done a good job, Gritty, when the rest of the masc The rest of the mascots in an AHL are a little jealous.

Are the rest of the mascots jealous of Gritty?

That's only going to level other people up. They're going to say, We need to be as good as, and Gritty is one of the placeholders. The Fanatic is one of the placeholders.

Anyone who's anyone in this world knows Dave Raymond.

I am the fanatic's best friend. I watch out for everything that he does.

The original Philly fanatic from 1978 to 1993, a pioneer who pretty much wrote the blueprint for all the mascots mascots who followed.

The Fanatic was the first team-created concept that they treated it like the most important marketing decision they could make.

Since then, he's been at the forefront of shaping mascoting into a thriving career and business model.

The first step always is, show me the backstory. Where are they from? How did they get here? The only way you can get people to care is to tell a story that comes right from you. Nice to see you.

I hope that this experience is going to be really hardcore.

Creating that backstory is key when Dave hosts his annual Mascot Boot camp. With a so-called fraternity of characters, get to know others like them.

I am well known as a mascot performer for the Lake Elson Storm.

I perform as Hoody, the Hustlin' Owl for the Oregon Institute of Technology.

My character is Buster. We associate him as the cousin of the fanatic.

I am the mascot and entertainment manager for the Richmond Flying Squirals.

They've gathered from across the country for three intense days of training to learn the secrets of their crowd.

So you have to invest in them. A good performer, a great costume.

From the practical.

Okay, let's talk about hydration. We're going to be using a lot of ice, and you should be drinking water. To the musical.

Even the philosophical. This isn't just silly furriness.

They're really changing people's days. They're making people feel better.

In addition to having a strong backstory, story. A good mascot has to become a fearless performer by getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Tell me how you felt about it. So I ran out of breath. I think it was screaming for a little too long, but It's exhilarating.

So the reason why we do this is just to make you feel weird because there are going to be things you're going to be asked to do in acting that is out of your comfort zone.

Another important part of the craft. Coming a mascot. Suiting up. What happens when you put on that suit?

I can be myself. The barrier that stands between me being myself just finally falls down, and it's just unbridled joy for me that I can hopefully, ignite into someone else.

Oh, no, that's right. Yeah.

While I'm practicing in a suit filled with air.

And then the floss.

The mascots act out complicated skits, dance and do tricks and costumes weighing upwards of 40 pounds, and make it look effortless. This is a lot of work, man. What separates to you a good performer? Because they're all good from a great performer.

I think it's mostly nonverbal communication and their ability to move in a way that you remember them.

Mascots who have carved out a name for themselves end up here at the Mascot Hall of Fame in the small city of Whiting, Indiana. What is it about masc that you guys wanted to bring that to your city? It's just unique.

Obviously, it's the only place like that in the country, and it's a unique draw for sure.

This is our winner's display. You can see here who they are, when they were inducted, and what their species is. A sphéroid humanoid.

I've always wondered, what is Mr. Met? Designed for kids of all ages, the Hall of Fame is also an interactive museum.

All of our exhibits are steam-based, and basically, you walk through our exhibit area and you learn what it takes to be a mascot.

And today, visitors are in for a treat. Dave puts his class to the test at a birthday party. The mascots win the audience over. One smile and one selfie at a time.

They just connect on this emotional level, and you forget about whatever's going on bad for a few minutes.

My dream is to have Hoody inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. I am so proud of the work that I've done with him.

Justin or Mini Thunder, who's just 17, has NBA dreams with an acceptance to college in Oregon and a mascot gig waiting for him there. He's on his way.

I started seeing all these big mascots all over the world. I was like, Whoa, that's what I want to do.

I would like to, hopefully one day, maybe if I'm blessed enough to be the Philly fanatic, I would love to bring female energy into Philly.

Regardless of the score, Dave says it's the mascots that are making the memories.

What mascots do is serious fun. This is something that can change lives. We got to make sure we recognize how important fun is in our lives, not just to take a break, but to be better mentally and physically.

Hi, everyone. George Stefanopoulos here. Thanks for checking out the ABC News YouTube channel. If you'd like to get more videos, show highlights, and watch live event coverage, click on the right over here to subscribe to our channel. And don't forget to download the ABC News app for breaking news alerts. Thanks for watching.