During a recent sporting event, a shocking incident occurred when a mascot was smacked by a fan. This unfortunate incident took place in front of a large crowd, leaving many in shock and disbelief. The mascot, known for entertaining and engaging with the audience, received a physical blow from an unruly spectator. This incident highlights the need for better security measures at sporting events to ensure the safety of all those involved. The mascot, who often serves as a symbol of team spirit and positivity, should never be subjected to any form of violence or mistreatment. Such actions not only harm the individual inside the mascot costume but also tarnish the reputation of the team and the entire event.
The coach -- who will remain nameless -- paused for a moment, fuming.
Following a 1997 home sweep of Philadelphia, Lowe danced with a broom in front of the Phillies dugout -- a gag that left Philly s third base coach livid. When Edmonton Oilers coach Craig MacTavish tore out the tongue of Calgary Flames mascot Harvey the Hound a few weeks ago, it was yet another reminder that the life of a sports mascot is anything but warm n fuzzy -- no matter how warm n fuzzy their costumes happen to be.
Such actions not only harm the individual inside the mascot costume but also tarnish the reputation of the team and the entire event. It is crucial for event organizers to take the necessary steps to prevent such incidents from occurring in the future. This may involve increasing security personnel, introducing strict guidelines for fan behavior, and implementing effective surveillance systems.
Mascot is smacked
And you thought base jumpers, coal miners and NFL wedge busters had it rough.
When Edmonton Oilers coach Craig MacTavish tore out the tongue of Calgary Flames mascot Harvey the Hound a few weeks ago, it was yet another reminder that the life of a sports mascot is anything but warm 'n' fuzzy -- no matter how warm 'n' fuzzy their costumes happen to be.
To the contrary, our fur-covered clowns inhabit a dog-eat-hound world, a black-and-blue realm of bumps, bruises and taking it on the foam-covered chin.
| Harvey the Hound was speechless when Craig McTavish got through with him. |
"A lot of mascots have stories about getting hit in the 'nads," said Dr. Edward McFarland, director of sports medicine and shoulder surgery at Johns Hopkins and the author of a study on mascot injuries. "That's just about the right height for kids to punch. They think they're aiming for the stomach. But they're not."
Just ask Paul Pierson. A mascot with the Atlanta Braves and the Harlem Globetrotters, he's endured more between-the-legs near-misses than he cares to remember -- along with a broken hand, pulled neck muscles, bruised ribs and muscle cramps worthy of the action on the field, never mind the sidelines.
"People say, 'Oh, I could be a mascot, I have a lot of energy,' " Pierson said. "Well, you could have a lot of energy. But if it's 80 degrees, you're operating at 120. And you have to keep your wits about you, because you're running up steps with little kids that you can't see all around. Plus, you have to entertain the crowd, be physically active, worry about breaking a leg.
"There are points when you're out that you literally think you're going to die."
Given mascotting's occupational hazards, death might be a blessing. Consider:
"Kind of reminds me of Jimmy Carter and the rabbit," Orioles owner Peter Angelos told the Baltimore Daily Record, referring to the former president's run-in with a bunny during a canoe trip.
Of course, there are some things even he won't do.
"You never put on another guy's (costume) head," said Johnson, a mascot in the Eastern Conference. "It smells terrible. You do 300 appearances a year, and you can never wash it.
"If you put (my head) within a foot of you, you might gag. I take it in to get worked on, and they can barely stand it."
Mascotting is a stinky, smelly job -- and by smelly, we mean skunk-repelling, weapons-grade funk. Think wet dog, infused with the eau de used jockstrap.
Spread upon it, ye Right Guards, ye Degrees, ye Old Spices. And despair.
"I don't notice the smell during the game," Butz said. "But at the end, the first thing I'm thinking about is getting a shower. The costume is plastered to you. By the ninth inning, you just itch."
Butz and company generally bring two costume skins to each Orioles game, the better to change between shifts. Like most mascots, they dry clean their getups on a regular basis.
Costume heads -- which can't exactly be thrown into the washing machine -- present a different challenge.
"The hardest thing to keep clean is the beak," Butz said. "Because that's where you're kissing people. So it picks up all kinds of crud. Plus, that's where all your sweat seems to come through."
In order to keep his beak clean -- relatively speaking -- Butz swears by a half-water, half-vodka spray solution. Others use a combination of water and rubbing alcohol (though one soccer mascot warns that if you use too much alcohol, "you can be overwhelmed by fumes").
While traveling around the world with the Globetrotters, Pierson worked a six-month stint in which he had his costume cleaned only once.
"On a scale of 1 to 10, the stench (was) about a 50," he said. "The stench (was) horrible. I'll tell you what: You can wash a costume, get it from the dry cleaners, use Bounce, Snuggles, whatever. But the moment you put it on and go out there for five minutes, that clean smell is gone. And that stench just comes straight through."
Injury
Three years ago, Lowe was about to begin a shift at Camden Yards when he accidentally caught his hand in a spring-loaded steel door. He lost the tip of his finger.
"It was gross," Lowe said. "I was screaming, squirting blood. They had to rush me to the hospital. They found the tip in the Bird glove. But they couldn't sew it back on."
If McFarland's first-of-its-kind study of mascot injuries is any indication, Lowe's misfortune is hardly unique. Among the grisly statistics:
In 1995, Seattle's Mariner Moose broke his leg after inline skating into an outfield fence. One week later, Cleveland's Slider botched a somersault off a wall, tearing his ACL.
"I've broken bones, been knocked out," Pierson said. "Bruises, cramps, the list goes on and on. I even knocked myself out once by running into a goal post. I must have been too excited. I saw black. I saw stars. I barely made it back to the sidelines."
Then there's the former mascot for the now-defunct Baltimore BayRunners, Basil. Two years ago, the grinning sea beastie blew out his knee while -- we're not making this up -- playing air guitar.
| "Hey, how'd you like to be Ambassador to Iraq?" |
Johnson is only half-kidding: Thanks to an emphasis on trampoline dunks and high-flying acrobatics, basketball mascots have the highest injury rate in the business -- 4.9 for every 1,000 performances, about the same as male college gymnasts.
In six seasons on the job, Johnson has dislocated a finger. Suffered a half-dozen twisted ankles. Smacked his chin and chest on the rim. Even undergone knee surgery.
"There's some pretty good pounding," said Johnson, a former Arizona State gymnast. "But if it wasn't scary, it would be a boring job."
One of Johnson's primo non-boring bits involves dunking a ball through the aforementioned flaming ring.
"The scary thing is that I'm wearing a nylon costume," he said. "So instead of burning, it melts. If something happened, it would melt to my skin."
Even the sheer weight of the average costume -- 21.2 pounds, with some as heavy as 40 pounds -- can lead to health problems. Not to mention a few trips to the local chiropractor.
"(The costume head) is so top heavy," Butz said. "You bend over, and your back is just like, 'ahhh!' Usually, I go home and put a heating pad on for an hour or so. That helps."
Assault
Harvey the Hound isn't the first mascot to come under attack. In 1988, former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda traded blows with the Philly Phanatic. Six years later, Colorado Rockies mascot Dinger got into a fist fight with the team's radio announcer.
In 1999, a Philadelphia electrician shoved Krownapple off the right field wall at Camden Yards. The Orioles mascot fell 15 feet, broke his left ankle and spent a month in a wheelchair. He later won a $59,000 judgment against his assailant.
In 1995, Lowe had $500 worth of damage done to his costume by an intoxicated, off-duty Long Island police officer.
"It can get ugly," Lowe said. "Once, I had three kids -- that preteen, 'Beavis and Butt-Head age.' I didn't have anyone around me. And they kept on punching me. I had to leave. What else could I do? You're not hired to be a human punching bag."
Former Washington Capitals and Detroit Tigers mascot Erin Blank can relate. While entertaining fans at the 1994 World Cup soccer tournament, she suffered a close fan encounter of the, er, lewd kind.
"Right outside of (Washington's) RFK (Stadium), some guy from Denmark groped me," she said. "I would have people come up to me on the street and ask me if they could punch me. I've been headlocked and dogpiled many times.
| Dressing like a stuffed animal isn't all the glitz and Hollywood glamour you think it is. |
Pierson concurs. During his tenure as a Liberty University student mascot, a drunk fan tossed him into the school's football bleachers -- which, it should be noted, are made of metal.
"I got up and did the naughty motion with my finger," Pierson said. "So the guy -- he was huge -- threw me again. This time, I landed on my head. On cement steps. I pulled four muscles in my neck. I'm lucky I didn't break it."
To prevent similar incidents, the Orioles shadow their mascots with a pair of security escorts, called "Birdkeepers." But Pierson said a mascot sometimes has to take matters into his own, um, extra-large gloves.
"If a kid gets too aggressive, I use the Vulcan Pinch," he said. "Like Mister Spock. Nobody can see it, so mom and dad aren't going to get mad at me for slapping their kid. I stick my pointer finger and middle finger between the shoulder blade and press down. They stop immediately. Of all the tricks I've learned, that one works 100 percent."
Fact is, a mascot never can be too careful. Following a 1997 home sweep of Philadelphia, Lowe danced with a broom in front of the Phillies dugout -- a gag that left Philly's third base coach livid.
Some 45 minutes later, Lowe was surprised to hear a knock on the mascot locker room door.
"I'm sitting on the couch, and the third base coach kicks in the door," Lowe said with a laugh. "He says, 'Where's that Oriole Bird?' I'm like, 'I think he left about 20 minutes ago.' "
The coach -- who will remain nameless -- paused for a moment, fuming.
"He looks around, sees costume parts all over the place," Lowe said. "Then he yells, 'You tell that Bird that if he sweeps through our dugout again, I'm going to take that broom, snap it in half, and shove it up his )(expletive)!"
Working Conditions
Mascots aren't risking life, limb and the occasional shot to the groin for big bucks. Though a few MLB and NBA performers earn six-figure salaries -- Rocky, the Denver Nuggets' mascot, is thought to be at the top of the pay scale -- the majority make a modest living.
| Rocky gets the "Garnett money" of the mascot trade. |
Peter Lund, a former D.C. United mascot, took home even less.
"I made $40 a game," said Lund, a University of Michigan student. "That isn't much for four hours of work, especially if I'm promoting 10 companies a night and wearing a MasterCard logo on my back."
During his first season with United, Lund was given his own mascot room at RFK Stadium, complete with a bathroom, a shower and a trainer's table.
A year later, however, the room was gone. In its place? An oversized storage closet.
"There was no shower, just a public bathroom down the hall," Lund said. "I had to wait after the game to use the showers in the coaches' locker room. Teams have a lot to deal with -- ticket sales, marketing, facilities, players, coaches, front office. The mascot just always gets the short end of the stick."
Patrick Hruby is a sportswriter for the Washington Times. You can reach him at [email protected].
"He looks around, sees costume parts all over the place," Lowe said. "Then he yells, 'You tell that Bird that if he sweeps through our dugout again, I'm going to take that broom, snap it in half, and shove it up his )(expletive)!"
Additionally, educating fans about proper conduct and respect towards mascots can help create a safer and more enjoyable environment for everyone. The incident serves as a reminder that respect and sportsmanship should always prevail in any sporting event. Spectators must remember that their actions can have a significant impact on the overall experience for players, staff, and fellow fans. The mascot is an integral part of the event, and they deserve to be treated with kindness and appreciation. In conclusion, the incident where a mascot was smacked by a fan highlights the importance of maintaining a safe and respectful environment at sporting events. The incident serves as a reminder that violence and mistreatment have no place in the world of sports and should be firmly condemned. By implementing stricter security measures and educating fans about proper conduct, such incidents can be minimized, allowing everyone to enjoy the event to the fullest..
Reviews for "From Hilarity to Hostility: Examining the evolution of mascot violence"
1. John - 1 out of 5 stars:
"Mascot is smacked" was a complete disappointment. The storyline was confusing and lacked depth. The characters were not well-developed and their motivations were unclear. The acting was subpar, with stiff performances that made it difficult to connect with any of the characters. Overall, this film failed to deliver on its promise and left me feeling unsatisfied.
2. Sarah - 2 out of 5 stars:
I had high hopes for "Mascot is smacked," but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The plot was convoluted and hard to follow, and the pacing was way too slow. The dialogue felt forced and unrealistic, making it hard to invest in the story. Additionally, the acting was uneven, with some performances feeling over-the-top and others lacking in emotion. While the concept had potential, the execution left much to be desired.
3. David - 2 out of 5 stars:
"Mascot is smacked" left me scratching my head. The film seemed to try to be a mix of genres but failed to commit to any one of them. It started off as a comedy, then switched to a suspenseful thriller, and eventually dabbled in romance. The constant shifting in tone made it confusing and disjointed. The ending was especially disappointing, leaving major plot points unresolved. Overall, this film lacked coherence and failed to deliver a satisfying experience.
4. Emily - 1 out of 5 stars:
I cannot recommend "Mascot is smacked" to anyone. The script was poorly written, with clichéd dialogue and predictable plot twists. The characters were two-dimensional, with no depth or complexity. The cinematography and editing were lackluster, giving the film a cheap and amateurish feel. The whole experience was a waste of time and money. Save yourself and skip this one.
5. Mark - 2 out of 5 stars:
"Mascot is smacked" had potential, but it ultimately fell flat. The story lacked originality and failed to hold my interest. The pacing was uneven, with slow periods dragging on and sudden bursts of action feeling jarring. The film also relied too heavily on stereotypes and clichés, making it hard to fully invest in the characters. While there were a few entertaining moments, they were not enough to redeem the overall film.