Sports Cartoons typically featured several of the same four characters in each episode. However, in episodes involving teams, the team was usually made up of numerous identical versions of the same character (for example, a football team of cats, or a hockey team of hippopotami).
The hippopotamus is calm and usually emerges as the victor. The hippopotamus is the most frequent opponent of the cat. The hippo remains peaceful and collected, unless a smaller helpless creature (such as a butterfly or a flower) is threatened, in which case he becomes highly protective.
The cat is the antagonist who, for the most part, does not play fair. He frequently faces off against the hippopotamus, wherein he tries to interrupt, distract, or otherwise throw off the hippopotamus' efforts. Usually this backfires, as the hippopotamus always wins. Another variation of the cat is the Big Cat, which is a larger, burlier rendition of the small cat.
The pig appears less frequently, and along with the hippopotamus, competes against the cat (or cats). Like the hippopotamus, the pig always comes out on top, though usually through dumb luck.
The dog is rarely seen, and usually portrays the referee/judge.