WING, CHEESE AND CELERY RACE!!!!!

When researching fun mascot races in sports, I came across this hilarious race which takes place during home games for the Buffalo Bison, the triple A affiliate of the NY Mets.  It is the  Wing, Cheese, Celery Race!!!!!!!! (Also referred to as the WCC race!) This unique mascot race began in 2011, and is back again in 2012, with a new participant (Atomic Wing).

Each race participant even has their own twitter page! but poor Celery, it still hasn't won a race yet...“A crunchy, awkward stride” and “Bad aerodynamic design” have all put the lanky Celery at a disadvantage against his smaller, more nimble foes.......LET CELERY WIN!!

Wing, Cheese, Celery Race - Win Totals

46 Chicken Wing Career Wins

3 Atomic Wing Career Wins

26 Bleu Cheese Career Wins

0 Celery Career Wins

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Here is the scouting report for the mascots!! The main entree. The Chicken Wing dominates the field with a BBQ style that's big, bold and quick. Has many different recipes for success, racing out to early leads or his classic comeback. Has a saucy demeanor and sometimes can get a little 'crispy' after losses. You can count on the Atomic Wing to really heat up a race. Might not always be on the menu, but when Atomic comes to play, you know it'll pack a punch and leave you sweatin'. A twist on the classic wing, Atomic is dangerous and fantastic all in one.                                          Bleu Cheese can absolutely smother the competition. With the mold of a champion, Bleu Cheese serves as a creamy rival to Chicken Wing. Uses a trademark spin to pull off upsets over the wings. Can sometimes "crumble" when winning.  The healthy option, Celery has a lean physique, but a stalky stride that hurts its speed. Celery can sometimes get big leads, only to fail in the 'crunch' Still looking for Win #1, Celery will also be good to the hearts of Bisons fans.

SO who would you pick to win?  Who is your favorite of the mascots?? If the Phillie Phanatic could chose to eat one of these mascots - which one would it be??  Should any more participants be added?  Maybe a Carrot??  or a Wet-Nap Towelette?!  YES!!!!

Meeting Teddy!! And pierogi mascots? they do exist!!

First of all, i had a great time at the Phillies-Nationals game yesterday, even though the Phillies lost. I did not complete my mission to meet Screech, the Nationals mascot, but I may have done one better.....I met Teddy, one of the Nationals' racing US Presidents!  He sure was tall!! and yes, Teddy is giving me a thumbs down because he did not like my Phanatic t-shirt!




While drinking beers and watching the game at the Red Loft Bar at the Nationals' stadium, I met a Pittsburgh Pirate's fan, who enlightened me about an interesting mascot story (once I mentioned mascot nation), in light of the fact that the Pittsburgh pirates are playing the Washington Nationals in a series next weekend....Well, turns out there are Pierogi Mascots!!!!!  YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

According to wikipedia, The Great Pierogi Race, is an American mascot race between innings during a Pittsburgh Pirates baseball game that features four contestants racing in giant pierogi costumes: Jalapeño Hannah (green hat), Cheese Chester (yellow), Sauerkraut Saul (red) and Oliver Onion (purple).



The pierogies travel once a year to Miller Park to take on the Milwaukee Brewers' racing sausages (the inspiration for the Pirates' version of the promotion) when the Pirates play the Brewers, as well as to Nationals Park to take on the Washington Nationals' racing U.S. Presidents when the Pirates play the Nationals. Conversely, both the Brewers and Nationals bring their respective characters to PNC Park when they play in Pittsburgh. 
here is a rare video of the Pierogies taking on the Presidents...


Hmmm...this story just made me hungry for dinner!! :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8wpWwuBIauw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Kentucky Derby Mascot!!!?? YES!!!!

Hmm...so I am sure every time this year when the Kentucky Derby rolls around, you sit in your big wide brimmed hat and sip a mint julep and think...does the Kentucky Derby have a mascot??  According to Wikipedia, Pegasus, the winged, divine horse, is the “Mascot of the Kentucky Derby Festival, a community celebration leading up to the Run for the Roses (aka: the Kentucky Derby) in Louisville, Kentucky, USA.”  WHO KNEW the Kentucky Derby had a mascot???!!! 

Well, you know now! 

Peggy Pegasus was a New Mascot created for 50th Derby Festival (in 2005).  There are few images of Peggy, and here she is below with Gus.  “Gus the Pegasus” was born as an official costumed mascot in 2000 for the Kentucky Derby.  Gus spends much of the year in hibernation, emerging each spring from a heavy slumber to entertain Derby Festival patrons with his playful antics and contagious enthusiasm. Happy Kentucky Derby....and wait until you read about the Preakness mascot :)

 

Phillitude vs. Natitude....

It's Phillies v. Nats weekend!  In addition to the ballclub's "Take Back The Park" initiative, Washington D.C. Mayor Vincent Gray has officially declared this Friday, Saturday and Sunday as "Natitude Weekend" in the nation's capital.   Natitude, you ask, what is that?  hmm...“It’s a young team, with an edge and attitude,” Nats COO Andy Feffer explained. “But now it’s different than the past: they’re talented, and they’ve got the skills to back it up. That kind of edge and attitude is Natitude.”

Well, the phillies have Phillitude!  Haha, take that, I can be creative too!  How does this fit in with mascot news...well, earlier this week The Nationals had a truck parked in front of Citizens Bank Park. Washington’s mascot Screech booted Phillies fans out of the back of the truck, which appeared to be for a one of their in-game videos at Nationals Park. ooooooohhhhhhhhhhh, that sure sounds like a lot of Natitude if you ask me. hmm...can't wait to see that on saturday when I head down to the game!

Here is Screech, who is very often confused with Swoop, mascot of the Philadelphia Eagles.  Can the Nats do anything original???
 
SCREECH                                           vs.     SWOOP     

    

Screech is the mascot of the Washington Nationals. He is a bald eagle that wears the home cap and jersey of the team. He was "hatched" on April 17, 2005 at the "Kids Opening Day" promotion at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium. A nine-year-old fourth grade student in Washington, Glenda Gutierrez, designed the mascot and won a contest sponsored by the team, explaining that it was "strong and eats almost everything." In 2009, the Nationals unveiled a redesigned Screech. The new costume, designed by Major League Baseball's design department made the mascot slimmer. The Nationals explained that the original design was of an eagle that was always intended to grow up one day. A Nationals official described him as "like a teenager now". 

This was baby screech - if you ask me, i like him a whole lot better!!!!

And while we are talking about Washington DC mascots, we can't forget about the Presidents....

Taking a page from Milwaukee's sausages, the Nationals showcase caricatures of Jefferson, Washington, Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt running a daily race and schmoozing fans in the stands.
The Presidents Race is a promotional event held at every Washington Nationals home game at Nationals Park (and previously at RFK Stadium) during the fourth inning. The Presidents' Race features likenesses of four former Presidents of the United States, namely those found on Mount Rushmore: George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and Theodore Roosevelt; their nicknames per the race graphics are George, Abe, Tom, and Teddy. The Presidents are dressed in period costumes and topped with giant foam caricature heads. Occasionally, they are dressed in Nationals jerseys with the number on the jersey reflecting what number president they were (1 for George, 3 for Tom, 16 for Abe, and 26 for Teddy.) Teddy has notoriously never won a single race as of yet.

LET'S GO TEDDY!!!  SHOW 'EM SOME NATITUDE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WHAT?!!!!! NO WAY MR MET IS #1 MASCOT?!!!!

Clearly the marketing firm who created this list of top mascots must be based in NY and are probably nerdy Mets fans. (well, actually they are based in Texas but do have a ny office).   A story that came out this week in Forbes dishes on how the Marketing Arm's Davie-Brown Index determined that Mr. Met edged the Phillie Phanatic for the top spot, like he did in 2009.  RIDICULOUS!  see the link to his article/fabricated survey results here. http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper/2012/04/30/americas-favorite-sports-mascots/

I do not agree with the results from this "Davie-Brown index", but since this is mascot news nonetheless (thanks to our contributing writer Katie W.) I felt I should share will my followers. I am outraged that Mr. Met would take a top spot in any mascot ranking, as there is NO QUESTION that the Phanatic deserves the #1 spot. Share your thoughts on the rankings below.

(Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The Mets Beat The Phillies…For Top Mascot in Sports

The marketing firm who made the decision says Mr. Met beat the Phillie Phanatic for the first time since 2009, and that Canadian Mascots are not part of the study. Here’s who they do have:

1. Mr. Met — New York Mets
2. Phillie Phanatic — Philadelphia Phillies
3. Benny the Bull — Chicago Bulls
4. Wally the Green Monster — Boston Red Sox
5. Racing Sausages — Milwaukee Brewers
6. The Gorilla — Phoenix Suns
7. Billy the Marlin — Florida Marlins
8. Coyote — San Antonio Spurs
10 (tie). Racing Presidents — Washington Nationals
10 (tie). Rocky — Denver Nuggets

Who do you think is the best mascot in sport? Offer your thoughts and comments below…

ps....an interesting excerpt from the Forbes mascot article....

• While Mr. Met is a favorite for his light-hearted humor, the more zany and aggressive mascots still carry plenty of influence. The Phillie Phanatic, who has won this poll in the past, places a solid second this year. And the Phanatic’s “mentor,” the San Diego Chicken, puts forth another strong showing at No. 4. Even though the Chicken now freelances, having cut formal ties with the Padres years ago, he remains one of the most recognizable and appealing mascots out there.

This raised several questions...who knew the phanatic had a mentor?  and who is the san diego chicken?!

well.....

The San Diego chicken is to pro sports mascots what Washington was to U.S. Presidents, or what Redenbacher was to popcorn. The Chicken is also one of the few mascots who wasn't birthed on a marketing director's dry-erase board: Way back in 1974, Ted Giannoulas was hired by a local rock radio station to bounce around at a zoo wearing a chicken suit; he started doing the same at Padres games shortly thereafter, and a legend was born. The initial pay? $2 an hour. The success of the Famous Chicken helped lead to mascots becoming widespread throughout professional sports, particularly Major League Baseball. The Chicken was named one of the 100 most powerful people in sports for the 20th century by The Sporting News.  Apparently, during the winter after the 1977 season, Dennis Lehman, who thought that the team needed a mascot similar to San Diego's Famous Chicken created the Phanatic. 

 

So thanks to the San Diego Chicken, the Phillies have the real #1 mascot in sports, despite what a silly poll may say :)