Blacksburg, VA - The Hokie Bird

11/4/2010 - Virginia Tech Hokies - Lane Stadium

Blacksburg, Virginia is a tiny college town in the southwest corner of the state. To say it is in the middle of nowhere is really to underestimate how far out "nowhere" can be. Located just off the Route 81 corridor, the closest major cities on that road are Harrisburg, PA (323 mi) and Knoxville, TN (236 mi). So, it begs the question - why venture all the way out here in cold, rainy November? Four words - Thursday night in Blacksburg.

It is synonymous with atmosphere and emotion and it is where ESPN's Thursday night telecasts gained their popularity. While the yearly tradition was originally seen as a way to get additional exposure by being the only game on TV Thursday night, it has evolved into a yearly event and we were excited to finally get it into our travel schedule.

Unfortunately, we only had the day to spend in town so we weren't able to scope out any local eateries or activities this time through, but we made it through the sea of tailgating just in time for the Hokie Walk - their version of the popular team parade into the stadium, complete with band, cheerleaders, team and of course, Hokie Bird.

If you've never been to Lane Stadium before and enjoy the adrenaline rush of the team taking the field, make sure that you are in your seats in plenty of time because no one does it quite like the Hokies. The team gathers in the tunnel as the first few notes of Metallica's "Enter Sandman" begins blasting through the PA System. The crowd begins jumping up and down, shaking the stadium and, well, just watch for yourself. The game itself was a nail-biter with the Hokies picking off a late pass to survive 28-21 against the GA Tech Yellow Jackets. In fact, it was so exciting that we barely had time to leave our seats to get food. Fortunately for us, the concession stands sold Turkey legs that were enough to feed both of us without any return trips to the concourse.

The campus is a beautiful, rural setting and I'm sure that there are plenty of good local eateries (Zeppoli's, The Cellar) and activities. Hopefully our next trip to Lane Stadium will be more than a one day affair and we can see all that the Blue Ridge Mountains have to offer. However, even staying just the one day, we had a great time. And while I can't speak for weekends or day games, there truly is nothing like Thursday night in Blacksburg.

Ole Miss Rebel Black Bears

It's apparently "New Mascot Week" in the SEC...

A day after Georgia introduced their latest Uga to the world, Ole Miss has announced that the Black Bear is the champion of their new mascot selection, beating out a Land Shark (not the Lager) and a human-ish thing called Hotty Toddy that was best described as looking like "Duffman" from the Simpsons.

This whole process is seven years in the making and began when Colonel Reb (basically Colonel Sanders from KFC) was deemed offensive due to its reference to the Confederacy. After much consideration and a period of time where it looked like Admiral Ackbar might take over Oxford, the school narrowed the possible replacements to the three choices. Feelings seem mixed among the students, who are still very supportive of Colonel Reb but will likely be happy to once again have a mascot roaming the sidelines. Now, if they can only beat 'Bama this weekend...

Uga VIII to debut

The most anticipated debut of the season in Athens, GA will take place this Saturday and won't involve a new player or coach. Uga VIII will be introduced in front of the homecoming crowd and take his place as the next in a long line on English Bulldogs to grace the sidelines for the University of Georgia (UGA). Currently weighing in at 55 pounds, UGA VIII is just over a year old and takes over for UGA VII, who passed away last fall. While Georgia's season has not gone according to plan so far, his arrival should spark the team to a strong second half (as long as he doesn't get arrested or try to sell his jersey to an agent).

Bill the Goat (Bill XXXIII)

So... I came dangerously close to being run over by a goat today.

I was in Baltimore for the start of college football season and the Navy/Maryland game. The game itself was what you'd expect for an opener - high energy and a lot of mistakes, especially by Navy in the red zone. After Maryland stopped them at the goal line to clinch a 17-14 Terps victory, we started back to car when past us ran none other than Bill the Goat, the mascot of the Midshipmen. The problem was that his handlers were chasing behind him. I, of course, took up the chase with them until Bill was penned into a corner of the parking lot, darting in and out of the tall grass at the edge of the fence.

While they tried to get a hold of him, it occurred to me that I was the only one between Bill and the exit and those horns are at an unfortunate height and look pretty darn solid. Fortunately, the team of handlers (there must have been at least 10 of them) were able to corral Bill before he made a break my way and they were nice enough to stop for a quick picture before taking him back to Annapolis.

Lancaster with the Phillie Phanatic

Lancaster, PA - 08/14/2010 - Clipper Magazine Stadium

Our tour through the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball landed us in Lancaster, PA on a beautiful Saturday night (mid 70s in August!) for a game between the league's two closest geographic rivals, the York Revolution and the Lancaster Barnstormers. As one of the league's top draws, weekend games in Lancaster typically are close to sold out. Add in a rivalry game and a celebration of all things Philadelphia (with an appearance by the Phillie Phanatic), and those without tickets purchased in advance - namely us - found themselves on the lawn. Although the capacity is officially listed at "6,200+", 8,069 fans turned out to watch Lancaster outslug York 11-7.

Lately, getting mascot pictures had become a little easy. In many cases, we found ourselves at sparsely attended games or at places where the mascot had a set time and location to meet with the fans and pose for pictures. Not this time. We've met Cylo (Lancaster's cow)

a few times before and since Junior is fresh off of his Cheesesteak tasting excursion, we set our sights on the legend himself, the Phillie Phanatic. Watching the Phanatic walk through a sea of people is similar to seeing a politician move through a crowded room. His handlers were telling anyone the would listen "no autographs" and "he won't be stopping for pictures." Lucky for us that there is one thing politicians can't resist - kissing babies. Well done, Junior!

Camden, Philly and a book update

Sorry for the long break since my last post but I've been busy. All this book research and proposal writing is hard work. For instance, just the other week, I found myself sampling cheesesteaks in Philadelphia with Mrs. Mascot Hunter, trying to decide who had the best ones. Ah, the hard life I live. At any rate, the scope of the book has changed slightly to now only include the teams within the Atlantic League. These eight teams span from Connecticut to the southern tip of Maryland and will still allow me to approach the book how I want but will allow more detail on the teams and adventures than I could have fit in with the original plan of 30. I'll update the book's website to reflect this as soon as I get a few free minutes (or my cardiologist bans me from cheesesteak tasting for a week).

To date, I have received one rejection from an literary agent stating, in so many words, that the project was not far along enough to warrant her getting involved. At this moment, I have a completed proposal on my desk awaiting one last proofread and then it will be off to a publisher that I have identified as a possible fit based on some of their previous books. In the meantime, any activity or restaurant suggestions within a hour of Bridgeport, CT, Long Island, Somerset, Camden or Newark, NJ, Lancaster or York, PA or Waldorf, MD are always welcome at mascothunter@aol.com. OK, enough ramblings - you really just wanted to see pictures of us with Finley and Blooper of the Camden Riversharks and a six month old taste-testing cheesesteak. For the record, he preferred the roll at Pat's and the flavor of the steak at Gino's.

Phillie Phanatic Being Sued (Again)

Everyone likes the thought of holding a record at some point in their life (some day, mine will involve the most pictures with mascots and cause most of my in-laws to disown me). Today, however, a present day record got extended as the Phillie Phanatic got sued for $50,000 relating to an injury suffered by a fan at a 2008 Reading Phillies minor league game. Unlike Sluggerr's incident with an air-powered hot dog cannon, this one simply involved climbing through the stands and pushing down on a woman's arthritic knees. Make your own judgments on the merits of the lawsuit but this makes at least 6 such cases since 1990.

When asked why the lawsuits are piling up for the Phanatic, a professor of sports law cited that he had been around since the late 70's (me too), has a "bulky, hard-to-control body" (2 for 2), and we live in "a litigious society." All of a sudden, I'm a little concerned that I too may end up in court some day.

Oh, and if you ever need a character witness, Mr. Phanatic, you know where to find me.

Washington, DC - Jack and the Hoya

01/19/2008 - Georgetown Hoyas - Verizon Center

My intentions were good with this one. Really, they were. My college roommate (you may remember him from such posts as The Leprechaun) loves all things Notre Dame so I figured the perfect Christmas gift would be tickets to the nearest ND sporting event that I could find. That happened to be a basketball game in Washington DC against the 6th ranked Georgetown Hoyas. It's been a few years and my memory has blurred as to the exact details but when ND went down by somewhere around 30 points early in the 2nd half, he sarcastically thanked me again for the thoughtful present and offered to pick up some tickets to see my beloved Oregon Ducks football team get drubbed by USC sometime.

For an off-campus arena, I was very impressed by the student support. As best as I could tell, most of them came to arena on some sort of mass transportation and I don't know about your college experience but the thought of being up by noon on a Saturday much less taking a bus ride and being coherent enough to cheer... Like I said, I was very impressed. Despite the outcome, my roommate was a good enough sport to help me get a picture with the Hoya and Jack, their live animal mascot.

Since it was a professional arena, the food options were typical arena fare - nothing special to report. There are plenty of great eating options in the DC area, from the #1 rated, uber-expensive Komi on 17th Street all the way to Five Guys Burger and Fries (best fast food burgers EVER). So, in other words, there is really no reason to rely upon the arena hotdog to get through a gameday.

A weekend with the Blue Crabs and Nationals

Checked two more parks off the list this past weekend, Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, MD (home of the Atlantic League's Southern MD Blue Crabs) and Nationals Park in Washington, DC (home of the NL Washington Nationals). Other than some lodging issues - when I reserve a non-smoking room, I want a room that people haven't smoked in - it was a fun time. Got to try the Pincher in Waldorf, which is a made to order, deep-fried concoction that can best be summed up as a Shepard's Pie if he were herding hot dogs. Think hot dog and mashed potatoes, deep-fried in a tortilla and then covered in chili and cheese sauce.

Sunday was a fun day in D.C. We managed to meet up with three of the four Rushmores (Abe was fast enough to win the race and elude us). I got a video of the President's Race - I'll try to post it when I have a few free minutes. I'll save the rest of the details of the parks for the book but here are some pictures to keep you entertained...

Arlington, TX - Rangers Captain

05/13/2010 - Texas Rangers - Ameriquest Field

I truly don't know what would possess two college-educated individuals to fly halfway across the country with a four month old (sorry fellow Delta passengers!) but one thing led to another and we found ourselves in Dallas with a free afternoon. Fortunately for us, Major League Baseball has been trending lately towards a "getaway day." These games occur when both teams are leaving town after the game and don't particularly want to play a night game and then hop the redeye to Toronto or Oakland. They typically lead to poor attendance (most people work or are in school on a Thursday afternoon in May) and although I first wrote them off as another way pro athletes were getting soft, I realized that what they really were was an opportunity to snatch up some good seats cheap. Thanks to our old pal StubHub, we paid $9 a ticket and landed in the second row of club level.

Ameriquest Field - formerly called The Ballpark at Arlington - opened in 1994 and serves as the home of the Texas Rangers (MLB). It is easily recognizable by the grassy batter's-eye and the white steel facade office building beyond it in center field. Between the two lies an expansive children's play area, complete with whiffle ball stadium, speed pitch booth and other random kid-friendly activities. Views of the field are good from most areas that I walked around to, including a neat view from beyond the left center field wall where you can both watch the game and peer into the visitor's bullpen.

The game itself was a pitcher's duel, won by the Rangers in extra innings. The highlight of the game for me occurred as the teams were taking the field. Most teams show a montage of their franchises greatest moments - no hitters thrown, pennants won, etc. While the Rangers did that, they finished the video with probably the greatest fight of all time. You know the one that ended with the batter, Robin Ventura of the White Sox, ending up in a headlock administered by non other than team president and baseball hall-of-famer Nolan Ryan.

The people were very friendly and the large number of students in attendance (they claimed to be on field trips) made for a fairly enthusiastic bunch. We tracked down Rangers Captain around the 6th inning after he had finished leading everyone in singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas." I wanted to ask him why his name wasn't Walker (you know - Walker, Texas Ranger) but his handler mumbled something about being scared of Chuck Norris so I decided to let it go. The food options were mostly standard ballpark fare but I was impressed at the oversized bottles of water for only $3. I guess everything is bigger in Texas.

This game brings me to 12 major league parks (9 current). While I am certain to be adding to that total in the near future, I am focusing my immediate efforts towards writing a travel book about baseball, food and fun in the mid-atlantic states. If you want to follow my progress or contribute any ideas or insight (please do), you can find all you need at baseballtravel.blogspot.com. Whether or not it ever makes it to print is anyone's guess but as usual, I'm going to just enjoy the ride and see where it takes me. In the meantime, I'll be checking in here whenever I end up someplace not destined for the book.

-MH

Hagerstown, MD - Woolie

04/30/2010 - Hagerstown Suns - Municipal Stadium

Our never-ending tour through the minor leagues continued last night in Hagerstown, MD, home of the Hagerstown Suns. Even though it is only the end of April, it is our 4th minor league game so far this year and our 3rd different stadium. The Suns are the Single-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals and play in one of the oldest minor league ballparks in the country, Municipal Stadium. The stadium was built in 1930 and despite a few recent renovations it is still truly a glimpse into the old days of minor league baseball.

If you've ever watched Bull Durham - and if you haven't please stop reading now and go rent it - walking into Municipal Stadium gives you the immediate feeling that Crash Davis is about to jog out of the home dugout. The seats only extend from first base to third base and only the first 3 rows are actually seats. The rest are grandstand benches and a recently-added, standing room only beer garden in left field. The press box? Well, Mrs. Mascot Hunter described it as a trailer parked on the roof and I can't really come up with a better description.

The field itself had some unique nuances as well, most notably in left field. As you approach the warning track, the ground starts to go uphill until you reach the wall. The wall itself is probably around 30 feet tall, presumably to help protect the homes and businesses on the other side of it, and straight away left field has a manual scoreboard where the scoreboard cowboy hangs giant numbers on pegs on the front of the board. This place is seriously old school.

Not only did Crash Davis not jog out of the dugout but Nook LaLoosh wasn't starting for the Suns tonight either. The second batter of the game hit one so far that it should have had a flight attendant on it (seriously folks, watch the movie). The visiting Augusta Green Jackets jumped all over the home team early and coasted to a 14-6 victory. Even though the crowd couldn't have totaled more than a few hundred people, they were very vocal and even cheered loudly for Mrs. Mascot Hunter when she took the field in the eighth inning to race in the shopping cart derby. Although she lost the race back to the on deck circle, we left with a bag full of complimentary groceries for her troubles.

And of course, there was Woolie. Listed at 7 feet, 9 inches tall and 593 1/2 pounds, Woolie seems to be some sort of caterpillar. I don't know how that ties in with the Suns nickname but I've learned not to question things with that much of a size advantage on me so we just tracked him down and smiled for the camera.

Note: This was Junior's second mascot picture but the first that he was awake for. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the mixture of fear and uncertainty towards his parents.

New York, NY - Mr. Met

06/19/2009 - NY Mets - Citi Field

I've had the privilege to travel into NYC on many occasions in my lifetime and as travel cities go, I can't imagine anywhere exceeding the experience that the Big Apple has to offer. There are

Broadway shows and some of the best (not to mention diverse) restaurants in the world. You can spend days just being a tourist - wandering around Times Square, taking the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Depending on the time of year, you can witness the ringing in of the new year or the downing of dozens of Coney Island hot dogs. No matter what you enjoy, you can find it in New York City.

This trip to New York was courtesy of my birthday present from Mrs. Mascot Hunter and consisted of a dream weekend for me. We got into the city Thursday night and spent Friday just being tourists. We stayed in Queens and rode the subway into the city. After walking through Central Park and heading to the Top of the Rock for some very picturesque views of the city, our stomachs led us into Times Square and right to John's Pizzeria. This pizza shop is located in an old church and between the views of the stained glass and the smells of the brick ovens, has

unbelievable ambiance (yes, a pizza joint can have ambiance). After trekking through the city for most of the day, we took the subway to Flushing and right to Citi Field, the brand spanking new home of the NY Mets.

First of all, I love taking mass transportation to a sporting event. It seems to build a feeling of camaraderie amongst the fans. Instead of fighting someone for a parking space that you just paid $20 for, you can talk about the starting pitcher or the cleanup hitter with a complete stranger - a unique experience that you won't find too many places. Upon exiting the subway, any baseball fan with a sense of history will be floored by Citi Field's first impression.

The facade of the park was designed to mimic the old Ebbets Field, home to the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1913-1960. Once inside, you walk through Jackie Robinson Rotunda. This area is dedicated the man who broke the color barrier in major league baseball 63 years ago today. Quotes and pictures of the baseball legend fill the great hall and in the center is a sculpture of his retired jersey number. As a interesting side note, it was the first time I have ever stood in front of an eight-foot tall statue broadcasting my pant size.

The stadium itself is magnificent and, as you would expect, well attended. Our Pepsi Porch tickets (right field - upper deck) cost upwards of $90 each on the secondary market but due to the unique overhang of the section over the field, ended up being pretty nice seats. We were treated to a home run by the home team and an appearance by the home run apple in center field (a tradition carried over from the team's days at Shea Stadium). Unfortunately, the closest we got to Mr. Met was his appearance on the Jumbotron. Although the mascot picture is our calling card, its hard to be disappointed since Mr. Met's elusiveness just means we'll have to go back again.

Despite the late night, we rolled out of bed early Saturday morning and drove out Long Island to Bethpage Black and the rain-soaked second/third round of the US Open (told you it was a dream weekend). It was my second trip to a PGA event (first major) and despite muddy conditions reminiscent of Woodstock, good times were had by all.

After two days and well over 20 miles of walking, we retired to our hotel room with some Chinese takeout and something to clean off my shoes. We left town Sunday morning completely

exhausted and with the list of things we didn't get to do far exceeding what we did. Which poses the question: what to do next time we're in town? Katz's Deli, a Broadway show and a Yankees game? A Rangers game at MSG followed by ice skating at Rockefeller Center? I think the point is that you can't go wrong in New York as long as you show up with a thirst for adventure... and machine washable shoes.

Me and the Oriole Bird in 1984

I found an old picture in the archives. Turns out this all started a long time ago...

1984

2007

Jupiter, FL - Hamilton R. Head

05/17/2009 - Jupiter Hammerheads - Roger Dean Stadium

On our trip to meet Billy the Marlin last summer, we found ourselves with a free evening in central Florida. And while Florida is best known to baseball fans as a Spring Training destination, those stadiums that welcome Major League stars each spring also serve as summer-long homes to the Florida State League (Single-A). While teams are spread throughout the state, Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, FL is home to two of the teams (Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals) which assures that there will be baseball here almost every night of the summer.

I'm not sure if it was the single-A nature of the product of the field or the fact that there is nightly baseball but to say that this is not a tough ticket is an understatement. We pulled up about 30 minutes before first pitch hoping that it wasn't a sellout. What we found was a crowd that paled in comparison to some of my little league games growing up. After we took our seats (5th row behind the dugout and the only people in our row), I decided to start counting heads. Most attendance figures that teams publish are bogus anyway so I started in the right field corner and by the time I got to home plate, I was right around 100 people. And two of them were crash test dummies!

I'm an atmosphere guy so I will admit that the lack of fans was a bit of a disappointment but it did allow for some unique experiences. For instance, we were able to hear the infielders communicate on plays up the middle and could even hear the pitchers back foot drag on the mound as he completed his delivery. Oh, yeah, and the knowledge that the players would be able to hear each and every one of my snarky comments was kind of fun too. We enjoyed some $1 hot dogs, snagged a few free tee shirts and had no problem meeting up with Hamilton R. Head (get it, Ham R. Head) for a picture.

I wouldn't suggest driving a few hundred miles out of way or anything to check out Roger Dean Stadium but if you're a true baseball fan who wants an unobstructed view of the action or dreams of being able to call off the third baseman on a popup and have him actually hear you, its not a bad place to spend a few hours.

Goodbye February, Hello Baseball

For all you hearty souls that have survived the winter, keeping your spirits up with college basketball or the Olympics, fear not, you have made it. When the sun rises tomorrow it will be March and with March comes Spring Training Baseball. Pitchers and catchers reported to camp earlier this month and all across Florida and Arizona, baseball players are shaking off the winter rust and preparing for the long season ahead.

I encourage you to grab a schedule and plan a road trip this summer. Pick your favorite team or one in a city that you've never been to, check out the promotional calendar (everyone likes free stuff) and get out there. Because that's what it's all about - hitting the open road, meeting some new people, tasting new foods and just taking it easy for a few hours. By my count, we are at 11 MLB parks so far (8 current, 3 defunct). We'll keep working our way towards all 30 stadiums but in honor of Spring Training, I'll do my best to post a recap today from last year's excursion to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida. It's home to 2 minor league teams during the season and the Spring Training home of the Florida Marlins and the St. Louis Cardinals.

Lawsuit Claims KC Mascot Blinded Fan With Wiener

Please raise your hand when this officially seems like a bad idea...

Take your costumed mascot.

Arm him with an air powered gun.

Wrap hot dogs in tight foil wrappers.

Load hot dogs into said air powered gun.

Let him stand on the dugout and fire the tubed meat into the crowd.

Sluggerrr, the crown-wearing, lion mascot of the Kansas City Royals (MLB) apparently had some aiming issues last fall at a Royals game and mistakenly hit a fan in the eye with a hot dog during this promotion. According to that fan, the hot dog caused a detached retina and he is suing the team for $25,000 for negligence and battery.

Not that I am condoning such lawsuits, but someone had to see this coming. Well, someone other than the guy who took the wiener to the eye. I've been to many games where they do this promotion at a break in the action. Below is a picture of Captain Jolly Roger doing this at a Pirates game last July and he was getting them into the upper deck! I'm all for free handouts and getting food to people as quickly as possible but this never seemed like it was going to end well. Now if they offer to wash it down with a beer hose after the next half inning, maybe then we'll talk.

Oh, and just so you know, it officially seems like a bad idea at the words "arm him."

Welcome Nutzy the Flying Squirrel

Last Thursday, the Richmond Flying Squirrels of the Eastern League (Minor League Baseball) held a public event to introduce their new mascot. After soliciting suggestions from the public in a "name the mascot" contest, the team decided to name him Nutzy. The team is a AA affiliate of the San Francisco Giants and moved to Richmond this past off season from Connecticut, where they were known as the Connecticut Defenders. The local fan that submitted the winning entry won a personal appearance from Nutzy and a 20 person picnic at a 2010 home game. If you are in Richmond and want to meet Nutzy, the team begins their home schedule on Thursday April 15th.

While we are happy for Nutzy, we must admit a little bitterness towards our suggestion not being selected. We recommended "Cooper" and argued that the team could setup the whole kid's area as "Cooper's Town." Assuming it didn't infringe upon any trademarks, it seemed like marketing genius. And we really wanted that 20 person picnic. Oh, well, maybe next time.

Mascot Hunter Version 2.0

Through all of our sports travels, the one thing we at Mascot Hunter began to realize was that kids have a pretty sweet deal. They get giveaways all for themselves (I never got a chest-protector shaped backpack when I was 8), they get to run the bases after designated games (go ahead and try it adults, see how it goes) and no one is going to charge them $8.50 for their favorite beverage. So with that in mind, we at Mascot Hunter have expanded to include a third member to take advantage of the kid-friendly aspects of sports travel. He arrived in late January and has already shown an interest in the NFL football playoffs, Australian Open tennis (which thankfully is on at 2 in the morning) and drinks that come in bottles.

"Junior" is 1 foot, 7.5 inches tall and weighs in at just over 8.5 pounds. He currently lists his favorite mascot as the stuffed Virginia Tech Hokie Bird that he lives with and lists his goal for 2010 as meeting the real Hokie Bird.

Philadelphia, PA - The Penn Quaker

10/20/07 - University of Pennsylvania - Franklin Field

At first glance, this may seem like a strange destination for a Saturday in the fall. After all, there is major college football going on everywhere. Baseball playoffs were still going strong. So what, you may ask, brought us to Philly for an Ivy League football game? Why, art, flying food and one of the creepiest looking guys you'll ever meet, of course.

As the planning began for a destination for our anniversary weekend, the Mrs. suggested Philadelphia, PA. Good cultural experiences and delicious foods were enough to sell me on the trip so she took care of the travel arrangements and I snuck a peek at the local sports schedule. We arrived Friday morning and detoured to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Now I'm not going to fill space here trying to act like I'm some sort of cultured art buff. Frankly, I don't know my Sergio Asti from a hole in the ground. But, c'mon, these are the steps from Rocky! OK, truthfully, I don't mind art. We walked through the museum for about 4 hours, had a somewhat overpriced lunch, and wandered down those famous steps to the see the Rocky statue, which now has a permanent home near their base, and I had a good time. We saw a few Picassos, a bunch of medieval weapons and some nudity. Art lover or not, that's a full day.

After checking into the hotel, we grabbed a local magazine (you know, the ones sitting on the coffee table in your room when you arrive) and looked for a good restaurant. Deciding to try something new, we went for Israeli cuisine and took a cab ride to a little hole in the wall place just off of South Street. Seeing as how neither of us had a clue what we were ordering, we opted for the sampler. What they brought us was a gigantic plate for two filled with cultural favorites from their menu. I wish that I could tell you what I ate because the vast majority of it was really good. After struggling to find room for desert, we walked South Street for a little people watching. Although enjoyable, after a day of Renoir and tabouli, it was time to switch the focus back to something a little more familiar - college football.

Franklin Field was built in 1895 and although its most famous events (such as the 1960 NFL Championship and FDR's presidential nomination acceptance speech) are probably in the rear-view mirror, it still serves as a nice home for an Ivy League football game. Tickets were available at the gates and we got to our seats in time to see the marching band perform "Drink a Highball" during their pregame field show. During the song, the band marched into the formation of giant Martini glass and as those students representing the level of liquid slowly marched towards "empty", the music became sloppier as if the band was becoming drunk themselves. Ah, those clever Ivy Leaguers.

We used halftime as our opportunity to head down to the field and meet up with the Quaker himself. He is downright creepy. I mean, seriously, I wouldn't blame a 5 year old for needing therapy if this guy snuck up on him. Fortunately for us, he was nice enough to come over and pose for a picture with Mrs. Mascot Hunter. You'll also notice that she finally secured a set of thundersticks, something that many stadiums have banned and that she had been wanting for years. At the end of the third quarter, the band again struck up "Drink a Highball", only this time during the phrase "toast to dear old Penn", the student section hurls toast onto the field. It was surreal. One piece made it to the twenty yard line. One piece hit me in the back of the head. If you look carefully at the picture, you'll notice the sky seems full of little specs. That would be flying toast. They even have a toast zamboni (modified street sweeper) to clean up the debris. The game was fun and would be a good option for a family with young kids. After all, the tickets are cheap, seating is plentiful and they get to throw food. Just make sure they keep a safe distance from the Quaker.

We rounded out our stay with a walk around Penn's Landing (not very exciting) and a trip to see the Liberty Bell. After an authentic cheesesteak we decided that we had hit our limit for culture and calories and headed home.

Congratulations Big Al

Congratulations to Big Al. Thanks to your support (and a timely injury to Colt McCoy), your Alabama Crimson Tide are College Football National Champions!!!

We had the privilege to take in a game in Tuscaloosa and meet Big Al back in 2008 and both he and his followers treated us with wonderful southern hospitality. I can't think of a more passionate or loyal fanbase to celebrate this victory and I'm sure they were consuming ribs and champagne well into the night.

But why Crimson Tide you may ask? And why an Elephant? Early Alabama teams wore red socks which led to the school's color. Then, in the early 20th century, a sportswriter began quoting a Rudyard Kipling poem using the phrase "A Thin Red Line." One rainy night, the thin red line turned into a Tide of Red moving down the field and the Crimson Tide was here to stay. As for Al, early 'Bama teams were quite large relative to their opponents, leading one fan to call out that "the elephants are coming." With most of their starters returning in 2010 and another top-tier recruiting class lined up, I think the Elephants will keep coming for a while now.

RIP - Tusk II

Tusk II, the live mascot of the University of Arkansas Razorbacks, died of natural causes this past Monday on the family farm where he lived during the offseason. Like many college teams, Arkansas has a costumed mascot as well as the live version. Tusk II inherited the job from his father in 2005 and led the Razorbacks to a 35-28 record including a 20-17 victory last Saturday in the Liberty Bowl. His brother, Tusk III, will take over as official mascot.

Pistol Pete suspended for tonight's game

Pistol Pete, the mascot for New Mexico State University, will not be on the sidelines tonight as the Aggies open conference play in basketball. This is a result of the incident from last year's WAC playoffs where he got into an altercation with Utah State's mascot Big Blue. Basically, someone offered Big Blue $100 to try to rip off the fake mustache of Pistol Pete during a timeout. Pistol Pete responded by chasing down, attacking Big Blue and, well, you can watch the video for yourself. Since Utah State won that game, Pistol Pete's season ended and the suspension was held over until their first league game of this season which, as luck would have it, is against Utah State. Fear not Aggie fans, even though Pete will not be patrolling the sidelines, DJ Downs, the student who portrays Pete, will still be in attendance and they plan on passing out fake mustaches to the first 5,000 fans in attendance. No word if Big Blue has been offered a $100 bounty on any of those.

The game is live tonight at 9PM on ESPNU.

Capital One Mascot of the Year Announced

Congratulations to Bearcat from the University of Cincinnati for being named the Capital One Mascot of the Year yesterday. He defeated Bill the Goat from Navy in the finals. Unfortunately, it was not as successful of a day on the gridiron for Bearcat as his team fell 51-24 to the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl.