...Steeley McBeam is the coolest fucking name for a mascot ever. At least if the team is named Steelers. It's a name I would have come up with. Probably belongs on a arena league steelers team though, heh. It's a little silly for an NFL team.
They drum up excitement? For anybody under age 8 maybe. They are a symptom of marketing gone wild, the idea that the game isn't enough to keep the fans' interest, so there has to be constant noise and movement to keep people awake.