2009 Year In Review

It's been a busy year for the Mascot Hunter. Our travels have taken us across many sports, states and time zones. In case you missed anything, here's the recap...

1/12 Phillie Phanatic on his World Series Trophy Tour

2/28-3/1 Baylor Bears in Waco, TX

4/26 Ferrous and FeFe of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs in Allentown, PA

5/17 Hamilton of the Jupiter Hammerheads in Jupiter, FL

5/20 Billy the Marlin of the Florida Marlins in Miami, FL

6/19 NY Mets in New York City, NY (Mr. Met eluded us - we'll be back)

7/31 Pirate Parrot and Capt. Jolly Roger of the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, PA

8/2 Slider of the Cleveland Indians and his many friends in Cleveland, OH

8/5 Pinch of the Maryland Blue Crabs in York, PA

8/29 SD Chicken and Champ of the S/W-B Yankees in Moosic, PA

10/3 Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia, PA

12/12 Army/Navy Game in Philadelphia, PA

Thanks again to all of our hosts and ticket connections for their support and, of course, Mrs. Mascot Hunter for not questioning my sanity nearly as often as she should have. We've got some exciting stuff in the works for 2010. Stay tuned!

2009 Army/Navy Game

12/12/2009 - Philadelphia, PA - Lincoln Financial Field

If you haven't figured it out yet, life is 10% what you know and 90% who you know. Fortunately for us, the "who we know" includes a well-placed Army connection. We'll just call him "Pete" to keep his identity secure, but he was kind enough to work some off-the-books contacts and probably call in a favor or two along the way and before we knew it, we were sitting on the 10 yard line for the 110th playing of the Army vs Navy football game.

Although the teams are no longer the elite of college football, winning national titles and producing Heisman Trophy winners as they were from the 1920s through the 1960s, the pageantry of the Army/Navy game remains second to none. The gates opened at 10AM for a 2:30PM kickoff and despite a kickoff temperature that did not exceed 40 degrees, the stands were packed well before the CBS cameras turned on. The first pregame activity is the March-On, where the two student bodies march onto the field (Won, once again, this year by Army as "Pete" was quick to point out). As kickoff approaches, the annual prisoner exchange takes place.

Eleven Midshipmen who have been studying at Army are marched to midfield where they meet up with eleven Cadets who have spent the semester in Annapolis. Under close supervision of a commander, they are exchanged so that they may watch the game with their respective sides. Parachuters and fly-overs fill the sky as the teams take the field and you can't help but pay a little more attention to the words during the playing of the Star Spangled Banner.

The game itself would probably be considered boring by most college football fans today. There are no zone-read spread-option attacks. You won't find any 5 receiver sets. In fact, in Navy's 9 wins this season, their QB did not complete more than 5 passes in ANY of those games. These teams will line up in the circa-1950s, triple-option attack and they will run the ball right at you. I'll admit that it's not as exciting to watch but there is something about it perfectly suited to these teams. This offense requires knowing your assignments and being disciplined at all times, both for the offense and the defense. And when run properly, there is nothing more demoralizing to an opponent then when they know what is coming and cannot stop it - just ask Georgia Tech who rode the same offense into the Orange Bowl this year. My favorite part of the game was midway through the first quarter as Navy faced a fourth-and-one from their own 25 yard line. They came to the line of scrimmage and tried to draw Army offsides with a hard count. Seriously, its the Army. Did you expect a lack of discipline? Needless to say, the trick was unsuccessful and Navy was forced to call a timeout and punt. Despite holding a 3-0 lead at the half, Army was unable to break Navy's winning streak in the series. Seventeen unanswered second half points gave Navy a 17-3 victory and an eighth consecutive win in the series. After the game, both teams stood in front of their student bodies to sing the Alma Maters.

In addition to distinguished war heroes and high ranking officials, such as Secretary of Defense Robert Gates who presided over the coin toss, the sidelines were also patrolled by Bill the Goat, the costumed mascot of the Naval Academy and a finalist for the 2009 Capital One Mascot of the Year, and by Black Jack, the costumed mascot for Army. Army has had live mules for mascots since 1899 (a little of the the history here) and their costumed supporter shares a name with the live mule that roamed the sidelines from 1985-1989. Bill the Goat is the name of both the live goat as well as the costumed variety for Navy and has a history that can be traced back to 1893. While we would have loved pictures with either of these guys, there were many factors (not the least of which was the large Secret Service presence) that led us to decide that trying to get through the student sections and down onto the field for a picture would have to wait until next time. Until we can get to West Point or Annapolis, a few long range photos will have to suffice.

Once again, thanks a million to "Pete" for helping us with the tickets. Next time you need a good BBQ joint in Waco or want to know where to find a Bacon Cheeseburger where they use a Krispy Kreme Donut as the bun, you just let us know - we'll take care of you. As for everyone else, if you ever get the chance to see this game in person, do yourself a favor and show up early, cheer loudly, and appreciate these young men not just for their athletic talent but for the sacrifices that they make for us every day. Oh, and tell Black Jack we'll see him soon...

New England Patriots Mascot Arrested

OK, once again it was the guy in the costume and not the mascot himself but nevertheless...

Multiple sources are reporting that Robert Sormanti, who portrays New England football mascot Pat the Patriot, was arrested for allegedly offering to pay an undercover police officer to, well, pat the patriot. (Sorry, that one was too easy). Apparently he was caught in a prostitution sting operation after responding to an ad posted last week on Craigslist. More details available elsewhere if you wish but we can report that someone else will be filling in as Pat for the time being and that he was not in costume at the time of his arrest.

More from Slider's Birthday Party

Yes, it's a clip show. I'm sorry, I really am, but it's the offseason for baseball, college football is winding down and the Mascot Hunter has been spending too much time at his day job for any recent excursions. There is one trip on the horizon and still a few previous adventures to catch up on but until pitchers and catchers report or I figure out a way to make this my day job, you're stuck with a clip show. Here are some more pics from Slider's Birthday Party in Cleveland from this past summer:

Krash of the Columbus Clippers

Sully of the Lake Erie Monsters (AHL)

Screech of the Washington Nationals

Skipper of the Lake County Captains

Moosic, PA - Champ

08/29/09 - Scranton-Wilkes Barre Yankees - PNC Field

I've always said that one of the great things about minor league baseball is the value. For instance, not only did our trip to Scranton introduce us to a living legend (see San Diego Chicken post), but it allowed us to witness a game between the Yankees and the Red Sox and allowed us to learn the story of how Champ got to live his dream after his predecessor was sent to jail.

For those of you that don't follow baseball, or watch the news, or read papers, or pretty much communicate with the outside world, the Yankees and Red Sox is currently the most heated rivalry in sports. Think the Hatfields and the McCoys, except with bats and umpires. After the Curse of the Bambino and just over 8 decades of domination, the Red Sox finally were able to overcome the Yankees (and a 3-0 series deficit) to win the AL Pennant and win the World Series back in the 2004. Since then, the two teams have combined to win 3 of the 6 world titles, have staged countless memorable postseason series and have even had an on-field fight or two. Even the Yankees bench coach tried to attack a Red Sox pitcher once on the field during a brawl. While tickets to the main events held in the Bronx and Fenway Park are a bit pricy to attend, we were treated to the undercard - the AAA affiliates of each team (one level below the majors) - for $10 a head. Like I said, value.

PNC Field (formerly Lackawanna County Multi-Purpose Stadium) is located just south of Scranton, PA. It was built in 1989 to lure professional baseball back into the area. With a steep upper deck, seating capacity exceeding 11,000 and recently built party decks and restaurants, this stadium is a strange blend of the old and new of stadium design. It is a minor league park where you can order a microbrew and then wander up the poured concrete ramps to the upper deck and watch the game through your knees. We waited until the last minute to get our tickets so we were stuck in the nosebleed seats. To be fair, they really weren't that bad unless you've spent the summer getting choice seats to Pirates and Indians games. Also worth noting was the large amount of tailgating taking place in the parking lot beforehand. This is not too common for baseball and was great to see. The real standout from the stadium was the cinnamon pecans. They are served piping hot and beat a dollar dog night anytime.

As for the mascot, the interesting story is not why it is Champ, a 7 foot tall ball of blue fur with macaroni for ears and a nose that resembles the Staples "Easy Button." The real interesting story is what happened to old guy. Previous to Champ, PNC Field was patrolled by a grouchy green monster known as The Grump. Although the Grump reportedly did a good job, the team could not overlook the fact that he was arrested twice in a week for sexual assault charges on minors. OK, technically it was the guy in the costume and not The Grump himself and it's not like he was wearing the suit at the time or anything but when the late local news leads a story with "Local Mascot Arrested Again on Sex Charges," it doesn't take a genius to know that it may be time for a product refresh. In stepped Champ and he has been a wonderful ambassador (and felony-free) ever since. As we were roaming the stadium's concrete underbelly in search of food and the San Diego Chicken, we bumped into Champ and he was nice enough to pose for a picture. As Mrs. Mascot Hunter quipped: "that was easy." Champ's official bio states that he will be there "until the New York Yankees are ready to call him up." Since the Yankees are one of only four big league teams without a mascot, let's hope that Champ's day comes soon.

RIP - Uga VII

It is with a heavy heart that we report the unexpected death of Uga VII, the live English bulldog mascot of the University of Georgia Bulldogs. Recognizable to sports fans the world over, Uga has graced the covers of Sports Illustrated and Time Magazine and had roles in movies such as Clint Eastwood's late 1990's Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. He was laid to rest alongside the six previous Uga mascots in a mausoleum inside the team's stadium and the team took the field last night without a live mascot patrolling the sidelines for the first time since 2000. Players wore decals on their helmets honoring Uga and there was a moment of silence before the game. In his two seasons as mascot, he was 16-7. Uga VII was 4 years old.

For those unfamiliar, the Uga tradition is one of the truly unique ones in sports. The Seiler family of Savannah, GA has been loaning their family pets to the University for over 5 decades. As one Uga passes, the family selects another bulldog from the current mascot's extensive brood of heirs. Once selected, he will introduced to the university and welcomed with more fanfare than any incoming freshmen. Although plans are in place to name an interim mascot for Georgia's remaining two games, Uga VIII is not expected to be named until after the football season has completed.

Boston, MA - Wally the Green Monster

06/07/08 - Boston Red Sox - Fenway Park

There is no greater venue to watch a sporting event than Fenway Park. As soon as you get within a block of the park, you begin to sense the almost fair-like atmosphere. A sea of people clad in red clothes turns what are normally passable streets into congested pedestrian walkways. The smoke from the food vendors - both outside the gates and on Yawkey Way - billows into the sky giving everything the smell of finely seasoned meat-on-a-stick. Once you get through the gauntlet of people and food, you get to enter a place where baseball fans have been watching games since it opened on April 20, 1912. To put it's age in perspective, that's the same day that the Titanic sunk. The underbelly of the stadium is barely large enough to allow the constant sellout crowds to pass through. And the seats are... well, you can see for yourself what a little age and the winters of the Northeast can do.

While at first glance these could be seen as signs that a new ballpark is needed, the common view (and the correct one) is that baseball will have a home here as long as baseball exists. Recent renovations have added luxury seats on the many rooftops as well as on top of the Green Monster, the 37 foot high wall in left field. Even with its age and limited room for expansion, the sense of history that you feel just walking through the tunnel makes it an unforgettable experience. Just think, someone born during the Civil War watched Cy Young and Babe Ruth play here. Then again, in 1912 the average yearly household income was $1,033 and today that will get you 2 Green Monster seats and a beer. Isn't inflation great?

It was my second time to Fenway and no trip for me is complete without a stop beforehand at the Cask'n Flagon and a meal afterwards at the Boston Beer Works. Both are located within a block of the park and while the Cask is great for a little pre-game warmup, the Boston Beer Works and their unique Bluebeery microbrew is the perfect post-game relief pitcher (there are blueberries floating in the beer - a little unsettling at first but delicious). And they have deep-fried pickles!

The Sox (or Sawks as the local say) beat the Mariners 11-3 on this muggy, 95 degree day. It was so hot that when a guy a few rows back tried to hit the beach ball that was floating around, his wedding ring flew off and landed right in the lap of Mrs. Mascot Hunter. You should have seen his face, just staring down at his bare hand trying to figure out how to explain it to his wife. Needless to say he was quite relieved to see what we had caught. As for Wally (he's a Green Monster, like the wall), he isn't as accessible as some of the other mascots so when we saw him walking around the stands in the 7th inning, we went for him. He must have seen us coming because he took off down the section, through the tunnel and into the clogged underbelly of the stadium. We chased him for about 200 yards until he got to the back stairs and began climbing. At this point the little kids pursuing him had fallen off (quitters) and it was just us and Wally climbing onto and across the roof of Fenway. Maybe it was my wife's cries of "Wally, no", a reference to his SportsCenter commercial. Maybe he could hear me gasping for air, a pathetic admission that a few years since college and one too many meats-on-a-stick makes me unable to close ground on a guy in a giant costume on a 90+ degree day. Whatever it was, Wally stopped and posed for our picture just before he disappeared for good into the luxury suites. Best of all, we got back to our seats just in time for the great Fenway Park tradition of singing "Sweet Caroline" in the middle of the eighth inning.

Good times never seemed so good.

Philadelphia, PA - Phillie Phanatic

10/03/09 - Philadelphia Phillies - Citizens Bank Park

Last January, we met up with the Phillie Phanatic during his World Series Trophy tour and we promised him that we'd pay him a visit this season. After all, he had recently moved into a new home and all that we knew of Phillies games was Veteran's Stadium. C'mon, the Vet? Who would want to go there? That's where they booed Santa Claus. He assured us that his new home had all the amenities of the newer ballparks (for instance, real grass) and that we had to check it out. Well, a promise is a promise and after all, they happened to be celebrating Oktoberfest this day so we joined up with the Mascothunters-in-law (both die-hard Phillies phans) and headed into Philadelphia.

First of all, the Phanatic was right. Citizens Bank Park is everything that the Vet was not. First and foremost, it is a baseball park. Not a cookie-cutter, multi-purpose, artificial turf-wearing concrete eyesore. The entrances have statues of old ball players and allow you glimpses of the field before you even get your ticket out. Seats are angled properly to let you watch the game without craning your neck to the side. And as a plus that even some of the newer ballparks don't have, the concourse is open allowing you to see the action while you wait in line for another bratwurst and a beer (did I mention it was Oktoberfest?). The most unique feature has to be the giant likeness of the Liberty Bell above the outfield bleachers. It rings every time the Phils hit a home run or win the game. With the Phils recent success, good tickets aren't cheap but if you are willing to plunk down around $75 a seat on Stubhub, you can find yourself pretty much even with the dugout in the lower level.

Although my stomach got sidetracked by anything and everything ending in "wurst", the stadium offers some good food as well as some Philadelphia staples like Tony Luke's cheesesteaks. We did the cheesesteak thing a few years back when we were in town to see the Penn Quaker and had already gotten our Phanatic pic so today was all about taking it easy and watching a good ballgame. Fortunately, the two teams obliged. The Marlins jumped out to an early lead and withstood a Ryan Howard homer and a late Phillies comeback to hold on for a 4-3 victory. But the Phillies got the last laugh as they are currently still playing (up 3-1 in the NLCS) while the Marlins have been working on their golf game for the last 3 weeks.

As the baseball season comes to a close, a few interesting tidbits:

1. Of the four teams to advance to the championship series (Phillies, Dodgers, Angels and Yankees), only the Phils have a mascot. There are only four major league baseball teams currently without a mascot (the three mentioned above and the Cubs) and if the Phils repeat this year, this may prove something. The Angels had a Rally Monkey, who was fired after they won the 2002 World Series and they haven't been back. The mascot-less Cubs just completed their 101st consecutive year without raising a banner. The Yankees spend and spend but its been nearly a decade since their last title. Coincidence? We'll see who's celebrating in another week or two.

2. This makes 5 major league parks that we visited in 2009 (Pirates, Indians, Mets, Marlins, Phillies). When we went to see a winning team play in their home park (93-69 Phillies, 87-75 Marlins), they lost. When we went to see a team who finished with a losing record (70-92 Mets, 65-97 Indians, 62-99 Pirates), they won. Probably just a coincidence but definitely a good argument for the Nationals or Orioles to give us season tickets.

2009 Mascot Grand National

I'll be the first to admit that British humor is a bit of an oxymoron to me but I have to laugh at one of their newer traditions. For whatever reason (I'll assume a few pints were involved), they started staging a yearly race among mascots of their soccer teams. It's held at a horse track (around other horse races) and I'm pretty sure wagering is permitted, which makes it even better. The 2009 edition took place last Sunday (October 4th) and while I was in Philadelphia, PA to meet up with the Phanatic and therefore unable to attend, here's some good video. OK, here's some jumpy amateur video but it's a mascot race from Europe, what do you expect. I only have one question... is that an avocado? And a little bonus video from the 2007 edition where a streaker tried to join the race only to be tackled by a swan. I take it all back, British humor is funny after all.

Important Election Today for University of North Dakota

At stake today in the Standing Rock Sioux tribal election is the future of the nickname of the University of North Dakota. Members of the local Native American tribe are voting on their next tribal chairman. One candidate, Ron His Horse is Thunder, is opposed to the usage while his opponent, Charles Murphy, is for it. For those of you new to the college nickname p.c. debate, all schools with potentially offensive nicknames were informed in 2005 that they needed to either change their name or get approval of the local tribes or else risk NCAA sanctions such as the inability to participate in the postseason. The Fighting Sioux (not to be confused with the Fighting Sue, which is what you encounter if you challenge whether or not my mother-in-law's pies and cakes are homemade), has been the nickname of the university since 1930. The other Sioux tribe in the state, the Spirit Lake Sioux, has already approved the University's continued use of the name.

South Bend, IN - The Leprechaun

10/04/08 - Notre Dame Fighting Irish - Notre Dame Stadium

Love them or hate them. There is no in-between with most people when it comes to two sports teams - the New York Yankees and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. As you can probably guess from the rest of this blog, I'm not most people. I can appreciate Notre Dame as an important piece of the college football landscape. You can't discuss the history and tradition of the sport without them. On the other hand, losing every bowl game for a decade shows that you may be a touch overrated. Bottom line is that if you are a true college football fan or just a sports road-tripper, you need to witness at least one game at Notre Dame Stadium in the shadow of Touchdown Jesus (He's painted on the side of the library overlooking the stadium). As an interesting side-note, taking this picture is closer than I got to either a church or the library during my four years at college.

This trip was my second to South Bend, both with my old college roommate. He is a die-hard Notre Dame fan (currently owns 18 signed ND mini-helmets) who was born and raised in Penn State country. We went in 2001 to see them beat Purdue and when the opportunity came to go again, I wasn't about to pass it up. We drove into town Thursday night and spent Friday playing 18 holes at Warren Golf Course on the ND campus. It's a challenging course that's well worth the money but if you're going to try to play on a gameday weekend, make sure to get your tee time in advance because it fills up quickly. After a couple of rounds on the patio to help forget my round on the course, we headed in town to the College Football Hall of Fame. Full of the usual interactive exhibits, plaques of enshrined players, and memorabilia, the Hall of Fame is a nice afternoon activity (skip the movie though - it was pretty bad). If you time your visit right, you might even get to take the tour with Notre Dame's weekly opponent. Most teams walk through Friday afternoon when they're in town and we shared our visit with Stanford. (It was recently announced that the Hall is relocating to Atlanta within the next 3-4 years so if you're planning a trip, make sure it's still there)

Campus on gameday is what you'd expect it should be. Since the stadium is right in the middle of campus, parking is mostly offsite and requires shuttle buses to get you there. Although this is inconvenient at the start and end of your day, it means that once you're there it feels like you're back at school. You can walk the quads where students are playing. You can buy food from the different campus clubs that set up tables around the stadium. I even saw one place that you could get your face painted and get a smoked bratwurst, all in one transaction. A few hours before kickoff, there is a pep rally in the basketball arena - complete with activities for the kids, the cheerleaders and, of course, The Leprechaun. About the same time, you may hear the sound of police sirens and helicopters. Don't be alarmed, that's just the police escort for the ND team bus reminding you that in this town on a Saturday in the fall, everything stops for the football team.

Tickets to see Notre Dame, either home or away, are pricey and almost always bought through ticket agents. If you are fine seeing a mid-level opponent (think Purdue, Stanford, Michigan State), you're looking at a few hundred dollars for a decent seat. If you want to see a top level opponent (USC, PSU, Michigan), expect to sell the rights to a vital organ. A few year's back when ND hosted #1 USC, I recall seats listed for upwards of $3000 each. My advise - hang on to your spleen for when you might need it, grab some upper level tickets to a mid-level opponent and enjoy the experience. Men in kilts march onto the field ahead of the team. There are no jumbotrons. Omnipresent advertising is nowhere to be found. It's just a classic, one-level bowl design stadium in the middle of rural Indiana. Notre Dame won that day and although it made the ride home better (imagine driving 11 hours with someone who's team just lost to a school who's mascot is a tree), sometimes the outcome of the game isn't the point. Love them or hate them? It doesn't really matter. If you call yourself a football fan or even a traveller who likes sports, South Bend belongs high on your list of destinations.

Goodbye until Spring, Independent Baseball

This coming weekend marks the final regular season weekend for the Atlantic League, an 8 team independent professional baseball league located in CT, NY, NJ, PA and MD. Even though these teams are not affiliated with major league organizations, their rosters are filled with ex-major league players and AA and AAA talent trying to work their way back to the show. We spent last night bidding adieu to the home schedule of the York Revolution, located in York, PA. They had giveaways galore and yours truly was chosen to be Velcroman. Basically, they strapped me to the right field wall for three innings and told me if I catch a ball, I win $5,000. I didn't win any money but did have the best seat in the house for about an hour.

Prior to this league, we had no previous exposure to independent baseball but it is definitely worth the price of admission (which is typically under $10). They have frequent giveaways, constant between-inning entertainment and the fact that the hitting talent is a bit more advanced than the pitching usually yields some high scoring games. We've seen all of the teams in the Atlantic League and have captured half of the mascots so far. Maybe once spring comes, we'll track down the rest. Just 218 days till Opening Day 2010!

Finley of the Camden Riversharks

Downtown of the York Revolution

(yes, we were at a bar - everyone should have a giant, neon green drinking buddy)

Pinch of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs

Cylo of the Lancaster Barnstormers

Spanish Soccer Live Bear Tryout

OK, so this guy may not end up being the day-to-day mascot for Spanish soccer's Real Valladolid but you have to admit, he aced the tryout. He's got spirit (he plays the horn), he's got athletic ability (look at those somersaults) and he definitely has referee interaction down to a science - pay special attention to seconds 15 through 17. Wouldn't it be great if you got a treat every time you flipped someone off.

Virginia Cavaliers Mascot Mishap

It's been a rough start so far for the University of Virginia football team. Two weeks into the season the team is 0-2, including a loss to William and Mary and one to Texas Christian University. But possibly worse was the riding of the mascot, Cavman, on his horse, Sabre. Apparently, the horse became spooked when it realized that it was about to gain a first down, something not very common so far in Charlottesville.

Welcome Back NFL Football

The National Football League Season begins tonight with the World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers taking on the Tennessee Titans. A special thanks to the friends and family division of Mascothunter for this picture of the Steelers' mascot Steely McBeem. No word yet on whether or not they are paying ex-head coach Bill Cowher royalties for the use of his jaw.

Tuscaloosa, AL - Big Al

11/15/08 - Alabama Crimson Tide - Bryant-Denny Stadium

After many years of watching college football and hearing everyone talk about how the SEC football experience was a level above the rest of the country, we decided that the big college football trip for '08 was going right into the heart of SEC country. A little research of the schedules and local eateries brought us to a pretty easy decision - Mississippi St vs. Alabama in mid-November to go see Big Al.

We flew through Atlanta and into Birmingham on Thursday ahead of the Saturday game and were immediately met with a state obsessed with college football. Every other car seemed to have either a 'Bama sticker or an Auburn sticker on it and with Auburn hosting Georgia that weekend, the state was in full tailgating mode. We drove into Birmingham on Friday and toured around the city. As lunchtime descended, we headed to the corner of the UAB campus and a little BBQ joint with a big reputation, Dreamland Bar-b-que. It's one of those places where the menu is on the wall and they only serve about 6 things but they are all wonderful. We split a slab of ribs, a side of mac and cheese and banana pudding for desert. Words can't describe how good this food was. I sat in the rental car in the parking lot afterwards, breathing heavily and wiping my forehead from the meat-sweats. If you find yourself within a tank of gas from this place, go there.

We headed into Tuscaloosa late Saturday morning and wandered the campus a bit. Unlike many schools where tailgating takes place in the parking lot, the bulk of the pregame festivities is front and center right on the quad and about a block from the 92,000 plus seat stadium.

And tailgating at Bama isn't just beer and throwing around a football, this is satellite dishes and flat screens. Seemingly the whole quad was watching the Auburn/Georgia game (and rooting against Auburn). The southern hospitality was as-advertised and we seemed to amuse some of the locals as we munched on some boiled peanuts and explained to them about our sports-related travels. All this lead up to The Million Dollar Band (and of course Big Al himself) leading the crowd from the quad to the stadium in a tradition known as the Elephant walk. It's basically tens of thousands of fans following behind the band and walking together into the stadium about an hour before kickoff. If that doesn't get you ready for the game, nothing will. #1 Alabama rolled to an easy victory over Miss. St. between the hedges and ultimately into the Sugar Bowl. The fans were amazingly friendly (and quite dedicated), the atmosphere was as it should be for an SEC football game under the lights and the food was great - what else could you want. We learned a few things:

1. Airline tickets to Birmingham through Atlanta are $50 a ticket cheaper than the same flight stopping in Atlanta. In other words, they paid us $50 each to keep going once we got to Atlanta.

2. "Roll Tide" is a saying with many uses in this great state. It can be a greeting, as heard on the quad or the post-game call-in show, where people begin conversations "Roll Tide." It can be used as an addition to a refrain, as the student body adds "Roll Tide Roll" in between "Sweet Home Alabama" and "where the skies are so blue". And it can be used as a reason to wear rolls of toilet paper on your head and Tide boxes on your chest for the day.

3. We can't wait for our next trip to SEC country.

ROLL TIDE!

Miami, FL - Billy the Marlin

05/20/09 - Florida Marlins - Landshark Stadium

Is there any better way to spend a vacation than dodging unpredictable May Florida thunderstorms and hanging out with Billy the Marlin? We couldn't think of one so we headed down the Florida coast and into Miami for the day. The scheduled night game turned into a doubleheader after a rainout earlier that week but we decided to avoid the early game and head into Miami for the day. First stop: South Beach. Although South Beach does include the stretch of sand that it is famous for, I was interested to find out that it also stretched inland for about a dozen blocks for what has turned into a pedestrian-only area of shops and restaurants. We had lunch at a little Cuban restaurant (where else, it's Miami) and wandered the shops and the road next to the beach until it was time to go see Billy.

Landshark Stadium (formerly Dolphins Stadium, formerly Pro Player Stadium, formerly Joe Robbie Stadium...) is a football stadium. Period. The scoreboard is football-size huge, all of the seats face forward (as opposed to angling towards home plate) and I'm pretty sure the upper deck isn't even open for baseball. As you can see from the background of the picture, it was "come dressed like an orange seat" night at the game, which seems to be a popular promotion at Marlins games. To be fair, although it was probably the smallest crowd I've seen at a big league game, the fans that showed up were really in to it. The team has been involved in a long running dialogue with the city to get a baseball-only facility closer to the city (Landshark is a solid 30 minute drive from downtown) and it looks like that will be happening in the next few years. Hopefully that will increase the fan base because this team has won 2 World Series in the last 15 years and its a shame to see a big league team having to play in front of 70,000 empty seats.

Billy spent the game hanging out in the luxury box area in left field so we snuck up the ramp and into his section to get our picture. You can't tell in the pic but his snout is pretty long and pointy and I was a little afraid to make any sudden noises for fear that I'd get a skewered eyeball. Fortunately, we made it out of there with a good picture and without getting shishka-Billyed and headed back to our seats.

The only advantage to poorly-attended teams is you can usually score some good seats cheap. We landed front row by the visitors bullpen for the whopping sum of $17 and the bullpen catcher was nice enough to give Mrs. Mascot Hunter a ball. Here's hoping that Billy gets a nice new home and that baseball survives in South Florida. Miami is a great city and its great to be able to catch a ball game when you're in town.

The Famous San Diego Chicken

For anyone who has followed mascot-related humor over the last 2 or 3 decades, this bird needs no introduction. It is the legendary San Diego Chicken. Ted Giannoulas has been performing as the Chicken since 1974 and is still going strong. He's performed at Elvis Concerts, for various US Presidents and at more baseball games than anyone can count. And last night, he was at the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees game. (Let me go on the record again to say that Mrs. Mascot Hunter is a very patient and wonderful person. You would expect to hear "six hours in the car in one day to go see a guy in a chicken suit?" But with her, I didn't really even need to ask twice.)

I won't drone on here about the history of the Chicken but if you've never seen his antics, take a few minutes to check out some of his highlights. While most mascots hang out on the dugout or wander through the stands, he is interactive with the players, the home mascot and (of course) the umpires. His between inning bits included a dance-off with the home mascot, the theft of a vendors bag of cracker jacks which he then distributed to the fans and the "hatching" of a practice baseball in which he stole the infield warmup ball, ate it, shook around and, let's just say, hatched it. He even served as the first base coach for a half inning and voiced his displeasure for the umpire's strike zone.

After his performance, which lasted from the second through sixth innings, the Chicken sat in the concourse behind home plate and made it a point to meet with everyone who wanted to meet him and sign anything and everything (for free). In a sports world where access to the performers is often limited, it's great to see that a legend of the game is willing to take the time to acknowledge the fans. I told him that it was an honor to meet him. He shook my hand and then tried to eat my head. It's a thing we have.

Life Magazine Names Creepiest NCAA Mascots

Since colleges are starting to get back in session, Life Magazine decided to contribute a slideshow of what it deemed the "creepiest NCAA mascots." I can't argue with most of these and I will admit a recurring nightmare that I've been having about the Providence Friar (he's the thing in the white robe in the first slideshow picture). Two of our buddies made the list - the Penn Quaker (above) and Deac (see visiting team mascot post). At first I felt bad for our friends but after giving it some thought I realized that if your chin is the size of a normal person's head (sorry, Quaker) or if you have a bow tie sewn to your chin and look like you should be wearing a monocle (got you on that one, Deac), it does add to your creepy factor a bit.

Sam the Minuteman Helping Out

Coming soon to an ESPN commercial break near you:
I really thought that everyone except for bored journalists and Viking fans had tired of the Brett Favre re-un-retirement watch but apparently Sam the Minuteman (University of Massachusetts) stopped by their studios to lend a helping hand getting the news out. On a completely unrelated topic, did you know if you spellcheck "Favre", "farce" is the second suggested spelling? Hmmm....

Allentown, PA - Ferrous and FeFe

04/26/09 - Lehigh Valley Ironpigs - Coca-Cola Park

As the country was coming to grips with the scope of the H1N1 (Swine Flu) outbreak, we decided to head to Allentown, PA to meet up with our favorite pigs, Ferrous and FeFe. They are the dual mascots for the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs, the AAA affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. And honestly, I couldn't help but anticipate the conversation with the doctor. "...that's a nasty cough you have there. Have you had any close contact with pigs lately?" "Well, now that you mention it..."

This is a new stadium (team started play in 2008) and it has all the bells and whistles of a nice, high-minor league park - somewhere for the kids to play, somewhere for the parents to drink and a nice selection of food in-between. My favorite was the nachos covered with what must have been a half pound of pulled pork. We ordered tickets from the team about 2 weeks prior to the game and even though we were in the last section in right field, had a pretty nice view.

Despite the team only being in its second year of existence, Ferrous is already on his second name. His original name, PorkChop, lasted only two days until a small public uprising brought it to management's attention that this was a derogatory name towards an ethnic group in the area. They quickly changed it to Ferrous, which is a nod to the iron industry in the area. For all you science nerds, a little bonus stuff here: His female cohort, FeFe, is named after the atomic symbol for Iron (Fe) and Ferrous's jersey number? 26 of course - the atomic number for Iron. All this is quite clever but it still leaves me with a slight feeling that political correctness won again. PorkChop was actually suggested in a naming contest by a 5 year old and I kinda doubt he had any malicious intent.

Regardless of the name, we had a good time in Allentown. The game was a sellout and the community has obviously embraced their new team as people wandered the concourse sporting pig snout and shirts with curly tails embroidered on the back. And best of all, I never had to explain the trip to my doctor...

West Virginia Mountaineer Mascot Named

Congratulations to Rebecca Durst, who was recently named the West Virginia Mountaineer for the upcoming season. Unlike most schools, who choose to have costumed characters or live animals, WVU is one of the few colleges who have a person dressed in a specific attire serving as mascot. She will be only the second female to hold this position.

Berlino takes out World Champion

Berlino the Bear, the mascot of the just-concluding 2009 Track and Field Championships in Berlin, Germany, was a hit amongst all of the athletes. No one more than Melanie Walker of Jamaica, who had just won the 400M hurdles when she accepted this ill-advised piggy-back ride on Berlino during her victory lap. A few points of emphasis here:
1. When it comes to mascots, their field of vision may not be proportional to the size of their eyes. In other words, just because Berlino's eyes are as big as your head, don't trust that he has any clue where he is going.
2. You just won the 400 meter hurdles. Let me stress again - HURDLES. These represent additional obstacles in the way of your semi-blind friend.
3. No world champions or mascots were harmed in the making of this mishap (we think).

Welcome Mortimer J. Moose

A warm welcome to the world of mascots from us to Mortimer J. Moose, the newly introduced mascot of the Moose Jaw Warriors, which is a Canadian major junior ice hockey team. For those of you who have never heard of it, Moose Jaw is a town of 34,156 and is located in Saskatchewan, Canada, just north of the North Dakota/Montana border (we are here to educate). It's most famous draw - other than Mortimer, of course - is the underground tunnel system, which is a holdover from the days when Al Capone and his bootleggers came north from Chicago and needed a secret way of conducting business. Daily tours are available so next time you drop in to see Mortimer, be sure to check it out.

Visiting Team Mascots

Tonight's picture montage is in honor of all the visiting team mascots that we've managed to get our pictures with the last few years. This isn't the easiest task for a variety of reasons but if your favorite team isn't a local team, it's a chance to track them down without travelling clear across the country. A few rules:

1. This usually only applies for college sports and often only those college programs with the budgets to send their cheer squad to away games. Don't show up at an Arizona Diamondbacks game expecting to see the Philly Phanatic just because his team is in town - not gonna happen.

2. Stadium choice is important. Those stadiums with high walls around the field are great for keeping the view obstruction down for rows A-F but are terrible for trying to get a pic with the opposing mascot.

3. Keep in mind that people are trying to watch the game so try to use stoppages in play to your advantage. As soon as the usher asks you to leave, you're pretty much done so try to not give them a reason to do so.

4. Learn their names. Not the school nickname but the actual mascot's name. You'd be surprised how much farther "Yo, Deac" gets you than "hey, Wake Forest guy."

Sparty (Michigan State) taken at Penn State

Deac (Wake Forest) taken at University of Maryland

Harry (University of Washington) taken at Syracuse

Final 2 Mascot All-Americans Set

As a follow-up to last week's posting, Capital One has named Boomer (University of Oklahoma) and Hairy Dawg (University of Georgia) to join the 10 previously announced mascots on the 2009 All-American Mascot Team. No word yet on what the challenges will include to determine the winner but you can bet Boomer likes his chances if any of them end in a tie. Butch T. Cougar is the only previous winner in the field but the sentimental favorite has to be Big Red from Western Kentucky. He basically resembles a red trash can with a disjoint upper head (official medical term) and is listed at 6'1'' tall and 7' wide and his main talent is eating everything in sight. This will be his sixth appearance in the past eight seasons and I feel that his time has come. Go get 'em, Big Red!

-MH

Syracuse, NY - Otto the Orange

08/31/07 - Syracuse Orange - Carrier Dome

I love college football. If every day could be a Saturday in the fall, I'd be OK with that. The tailgating, the bands, the student sections - the fact that 6-8 times every fall, little college towns like Tuscaloosa, State College, South Bend and Blacksburg turn into small cities with fans and alumni coming in from miles around. As the 2007 season was preparing to kickoff, we did what we always do. We grabbed the schedule and sought out a part of the country that we wanted to see and found a game that interested us. In this case, I couldn't even wait until that first Saturday instead choosing a Friday night contest in Syracuse, NY between the Syracuse Orange and the Washington Huskies. And since sports travel isn't just about the game, we took a little detour to Buffalo and Niagra Falls.

For those of you who don't know, Buffalo Wings originated in Buffalo, NY and we went right to the original source - Frank and Teresa's Anchor Bar. They've been serving these up since 1935 and they don't waste their time with a zillion different flavors or a spicy so hot that it makes your nose bleed (don't laugh, I've seen it). The wings here are a basic mild or hot and come out with a crispy skin rarely found in the large-volume wing joints throughout the country. These were good. Real good. I've always said you should try every food where it was meant to be served before you decide if it is for you. Have a cheesesteak in Philadelphia, clam chowder in Connecticut and these wings here. If you don't like these, don't bother ordering them anywhere else.

Afterwards, we headed up the road and across the border into Canada to Niagra Falls. For those of you who have never been there, its something you should definitely see once. Granted, it's a bit touristy but it is an impressive sight. Take a ride on the Maid of the Mist, which will take you right under the falls. And look out your hotel room window at 3AM, just to make sure that the falls are still on even when there is no one watching. (I would be remiss if I failed to mention that Mrs. Mascot Hunter beat me at mini-golf north of the border. Even she will admit that this is not an every day occurrence and I think it has something to do with the exchange rate or the metric system. The scorecard said 15 meters, which I assumed to be somewhere around 40 feet but the dollar was weak against the yen that week and before I knew it I had a pocket full of square coins for change and a scorecard that said I lost by 3 strokes, which I figure to be at least 5 strokes back in the states.)

An afternoon drive across New York state got us into Syracuse mid-afternoon for the 8PM kickoff. They had a great party going on the quad with some quality tailgating fare and a performance by none other than Mini Kiss, a Kiss tribute band made up entirely of little people. It was here that we caught up with Otto, Syracuse's mascot who is (you guessed it) an orange. Syracuse University used to be named the Orangemen until 2004 when someone came along and saved us from our political incorrectness and changed it to the Orange, which we were led to believe was not a color or a fruit but a state of mind. Fortunately, they didn't feel the need to change Otto, who has been hanging around campus since 1980 and is truly one of the more entertaining mascots in the business.

We then headed into the on-campus stadium known as the Carrier Dome. A few things struck me as soon as I walked inside. First of all, I had never walked through an air lock to watch a sporting event before. It was kind of like watching a game from inside a big balloon. Secondly, it was uncomfortably hot and stuffy in there. Last time I checked, Carrier made air conditioners and it seems like they could have spared a few more for inside here. Maybe it's a home field advantage thing - let's show the team from the pacific northwest what humidity is. Well, it didn't work this time as Washington beat the over matched Orange 42-12. We had a great time on the whole trip but the best moment of the game was walking back through the air lock and feeling our heads decompress. Syracuse has a great football tradition that has fallen on hard times the last few years. Like it or not, college football is better with a competitive presence in the northeast and Syracuse is as likely as any to grab the vacant New York City market. My suggestion is some good recruiting classes and an outdoor stadium to take advantage of those late fall conditions.

Capital One's 2009 All-America Mascot Team Taking Shape

Ten of the twelve members of the 2009 Capital One All-America Mascot Team have been named for the upcoming season. Butch T. Cougar (Wash. St.), Jack Rabbit (South Dakota St.), Bucky Badger (Wisconsin), Big Red (Western Kentucky), Bearcat (Cincinnati), Testudo (Maryland), Bill the Goat (Navy), Superfrog (TCU), Mike the Tiger (LSU) and Sebastian the Ibis (Miami) are on the team with the final two members likely coming in the next few days. We're good buddies with Testudo and he has our full support but we'll hold off until the entire team is announced to officially endorse anyone. The Mascot of the Year is typically announced during the Capital One Bowl, which pits teams from the Big 10 and SEC and will be played on January 1, 2010.

NBA Mascot of the Year

Congrats to Rumble the Bison, the mascot of the Oklahoma City Thunder, for today being named the NBA Mascot of the Year by his peers. The vote took place at the league's mascot convention this week in Las Vegas. I'm a little torn on this one. On one hand, this guy kinda looks like what would happen if one of those Geico cavemen would stop shaving. On the other hand, he hangs out with the cheerleaders and gets to go to Vegas on "business" every year. We'll call it a wash. Either way, congratulations Rumble - just don't cash the prize check on your way to the craps table.

Cleveland, OH - Slider

08/02/09 - Cleveland Indians - Progressive Field

I'll admit - expectations were fairly low. I had never been to Cleveland before but it's sports reputation preceded it. No team championships in any sport in who knows how long (1964 NFL Championship - I had to look it up). The Mistake By The Lake. Frankly, the only sports memories I have of Cleveland consist of John Elway scoring on them or Michael Jordan shooting over them. And, no, Ricky Vaughn and Pedro Cerrano highlights do not count. In fact, at Saturday night's game, they were giving away bobbleheads of their star player - that they had traded away a few days earlier. So we rolled into Cleveland fresh off of a Pirates game the night before and with 24 hours until Slider's birthday party on Sunday, in need of an activity.

As we drove into the city, the first thing that struck me was the lack of traffic. It was noon on Saturday and there might have been 10 cars on the road. We made it to our hotel and headed off to the first (and often only) thing that people suggest when going to Cleveland, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. If you need directions, just drive until you see the 50 foot tall steel free stamp and then turn towards the lake - you can't miss it. This is definitely THE activity in Cleveland and we had no problem burning a solid 4-5 hours there.

For dinner, we headed downtown and ended up at a place called Phat Fish Blues, which featured some delicious seafood and live music. And walking around afterwards, we got the impression that we could have chosen any one of a dozen restaurants that would have had the same combination of good food and live music.

I'll save the mascot/birthday party details for the Slider's birthday party post but after the pregame party we headed into Progressive Field, formerly known as Jacobs Field. Whatever they want to call the stadium, when it comes to baseball, your dollar seems to go farther in the midwest. We grabbed some box seats off of Stubhub! two weeks before the game and we found ourselves behind home plate, nine rows from the field for under $40 a ticket! Similar to the Pirates game, the Indians ran between-inning promotions to keep the crowd entertained (I was this close to catching a tee shirt), the food was above-average (a burger that didn't double as a hockey puck) and the Indians managed to stick it to the first place Tigers 10-1 - even without their recently-departed, bobbleheaded star.

My expectations were easily exceeded. Prior to arriving, I read one site that listed Cleveland as the most boring city in America. Not even close (sorry, Birmingham). If you like sports, this is a two-day city. Hit the R&R Hall of Fame one day, a game the other and throw in some good food and live music and you have yourself a weekend.

Been to Cleveland and have a restaurant to suggest? Post it in the comments section and we'll give it a go when we come back to see the Browns or the Cavs (that should make Moondog happy).

Pierogies vs Presidents

MLB Teams have a variety of between inning races that take place to entertain the crowd. The most famous is definitely the Milwaukee Brewers Sausage race, which occasionally ends with a player attacking a sausage or a sausage attacking a player. Vying for the second most famous race in the majors are probably the Pierogie Race in Pittsburgh and the President's Race in Washington D.C. Tonight in Pittsburgh, the two worlds collided. Literally. With Pittsburgh and Washington playing each other this evening, the racing Presidents (also known as the Rushmores since they are the likenesses of the four presidents on Mount Rushmore) came to PNC Park to face off in a relay race against the Pierogies (who are Jalapeno, Cheese, Sauerkraut and Onion). The race began right in front of us and continued around the warning track into right center field. With a winless Teddy Roosevelt close to the lead, we thought we might be seeing history. Unfortuntely for Teddy, he never saw Oliver Onion coming.

Pittsburgh, PA - Pirate Parrot and Capt. Jolly Roger

07/31/09 - Pittsburgh Pirates - PNC Park

It was a very nice walk from Primanti Brothers, through the city and across the Clemente Bridge to the stadium. Formerly the 6th St. Bridge, the bridge was renamed in honor of Roberto Clemente and is closed to automobile traffic a few hours before the game as well as during and after. I'm sure that there is parking on the stadium side of the river but it is such a nice experience to walk across the bridge with all the fans - much better than the usual experience of sitting in the stadium lot trying to merge eight rows of cars into one lane of traffic.

Seating at PNC is as cheap and as available as anywhere in the majors. We got our tickets from the Pirates about 3 weeks before the game and were in the left field corner about 10 rows from the field. I usually recommend the 3rd base side when buying tickets to avoid the setting sun in your eyes but at PNC Park, this is true because of the view. Even the Pirates took the 3rd base side dugout so they could enjoy the scenery (maybe not the real reason, but I wouldn't blame them).

Our trip coincided with the first home game after the trade deadline, which for the last decade or two in Pittsburgh has meant the annual selling of established talent for prospects. As the Pirates march towards their 17th consecutive losing season (what were you doing in 1992?), this year was no different as they had just traded their starting pitcher, first baseman, second baseman, shortstop and (I'm sure) a few others. Fortunately for us, they did not trade either of their mascots and we were able to get some pics with the Pirate Parrot (who made his debut when the Pirates last won the World Series in 1979) and Captain Jolly Roger. The game experience is full of between-inning entertainment that is usually found in minor league parks (more MLB clubs should do this), a 5th inning Pierogie Race (see next post), and if the Pirates win, they raise the standard-issue, black, skull and crossbones flag in centerfield - a tradition known as "raising the Jolly Roger."

The park is beautiful, accessible and affordable and despite management's unwillingness to spend the money to chase a pennant every few decades, the fan support was not lacking. The announced attendance was somewhere around 23,000 (on a night that they played the worst team in the majors) and they stayed until the end. Despite some shaky bullpen work, the Pirates held on for the 5-4 win and raised the Jolly Roger!

Mascot Beats Up Fan - Manly Sea Eagle

A warning to everyone - if you go to a Australian Rugby match and get a little drunk and jump the fence, you may run into something worse than security. You may run into this guy. My favorite part is the post-fight interview with the head still on. Kinda reminds me of those Ricky Williams interviews where he wouldn't take off his helmet.

Pittsburgh, PA - The Food

I'm sure there are plenty of delicious places to eat in Pittsburgh. I'm sure there are plenty of delicious things to eat in Pittsburgh. I don't care. I'm going to Primanti Brothers in the Strip District. This calorie-infused monstrosity is the Pastrami, loaded down with their trademark french fries and slaw right on the sandwich. I gained four pounds this weekend and although I'm not going to blame it all on our friend here, it was a good start.

With it's close proximity to all three of Pittsburgh's sports facilities, Primanti's is a great place to stop in for a mid-afternoon bite and then you can use the mile and a half walk to the stadium to burn off enough calories to rationalize that hot dog later. Did I mention that it was dollar dog night at the Pirates game too! I never did track down the pierogies at PNC Park but its always good to leave yourself a reason to come back.

Have you been to Pittsburgh and have a restaurant to recommend? Maybe the Wings at Quaker Steak and Lube? Leave it in the comments section - we'll give it a try next time passing through.

Slider's Birthday Party - 08/02/09

The Mascot Hunter and Orbit of the Akron Aeros give this party 2 thumbs up. We had a great time before the game celebrating with the birthday boy himself and a handful of his closest friends. In attendance were all of the pro Cleveland mascots - the Brown's Trapper, Slider of the Indians and a VERY friendly Moondog from the Cleveland Cavaliers. VERY friendly. He really liked the ladies (those over the age of 18) and seemed to take a special liking to Mrs. Mascot Hunter. Trust me, a year or two down the road you're going to be watching SportsCenter and there is going to be a story about some sexual harassment lawsuit against Horndog, I mean Moondog, and I'm going to be sitting here with a big can of "I told you so." Just like the Cav's billboard says, We Are All Witnesses. Anyway... in addition to the pro mascots, most of Cleveland's minor league affiliates were represented, including the Lake County Captains (A), Akron Aeros (AA), Columbus Clippers (AAA) and the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL. Finally, Screech of the Washington Nationals made the trip as well. Our theory is that he caught a ride with the Rushmores, who were in Pittsburgh this weekend to race the Pierogies. (If that last sentence made any sense to you, I'm very proud. If not, check back in a few days for the Friday night Pirates game posts and it will). Once we shook Moondog, we wished Slider a happy birthday, got some pics with a few of his friends and then headed into the park for the game.

We had a wonderful weekend in Pittsburgh and Cleveland. More to come in the next day or two on the stadiums, games, cities and (of course) food but for now the Mascot Hunter is a little road weary and in need of some sleep.