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Washington Nationals mascot idea


Roger Clemente

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Yeah, to me, the eagle is alright, but isn't creative. Fredbird in St. Louis is obvoious and its worked but not creative. I remember wanting Fredbird's autograph as a kid (and I got it!) so it definatly works. But sometimes the creative approach is the way to go. A Gnat would have worked in my opinion, but its no better or worse than the Eagle. The name Screech on the otherhand, not too good.

One of the orginal baseball mascots was the San Diego Chicken if memory serves me right. Chickens have nothing to do with relgion or baseball unless its voodoo or your name is Pedro Cerano. Would a goofy looking Friar Tuck have worked? Sure, but the Chicken is one of the most popular mascots of all time and it also worked.

Now, how did he get into my closet and steal my nationals jersey?

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after the Crazy Crab was mercifully put out to pasture for one season the Giants went without a mascot up until 1997, when Lou Seal showed up. They chose a seal because of the obvious tie to San Francisco baseball history, with the PCL team being called the Seals and the Giants actually playing thier first two seasons in SF at Seals Stadium. the plaza at the center field gate at SBC Park is actually known as Seals Plaza and has a bronze statue of a seal balancing a baseball on its nose there.

the first year Lou was slim, dark brown in color, had a pointy nose and wore some reflective shades. He looked more like a rat then he did a seal.

the following year, the crack staff that is the Giants PR dept revistied the Lou Seal character and came up with the big eyed, gray furred, heavy set mascot we know today

t1_seal_ap.jpg

and as Ive said before, he has got somewhat of a risque act going on. He simulates flashing and mooning the umpires and visting players.

and apparently, Lou is getting an earful from another bay area mascot here.

lou-sharkie.jpg

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Wow...an eagle named Screech...where have I seen that before?

Oh yeah...

Screech.jpg

Oh look, here's a pic of Screech with Marc-Andre Fleury, taken by yours truely:

screechMAF.jpg

*clap..........clap..........clap..........clap..........clap..........*

--Roger "Time?" Clemente.

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Follow me on Twitter if you care: @Animal_Clans.

My opinion may or may not be the same as yours. The choice is up to you.

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I hope everyone is joking about using a mosquito as a mascot.

It would be like using a soda can for the montreal canadians if their short form was can's not hab's.

just because a gnat(pronounced nat) works with the 3 letters doesnt make it an enduring mascot.

gnat(http://www.answers.com/gnat&r=67) - "Any of various small, biting, two-winged flies, such as a punkie or black fly."

Personally I would be embarrased for all playing or involved in the franchise if they did infact use an insect mascot with a name like Nationals.  Unless you think a small annoying insect represents the country and/or its capital city.

Well there is one sports team that does have a mosquito as a mascot

mc10.jpg

(No jokes about this OK aussie? :D)

I saw, I came, I left.

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Actually a mosquito would be appropriate, since D.C. was built on a swamp. Summers here are more humid and swamp-like than just about anywhere north of Louisiana.

I was there Sunday and saw the unveiling. It was "Kids' Opening Day" at RFK, and they had around a dozen mascots down on the field, from various pro and college teams around the area. I think it's a great mascot, the way he runs around all hyper, Cornholio-style.

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This Washington Times columnist stole Roger's idea.(see bold)... must be a lurker. AP is picking up the story now, saying Screech is getting bad reviews. A local TV station said reviews from the ballpark on Screech's first day was overwhelmigly positive, and a poll on their site (nbc4.com) now has 'yes' beating 'no' and 'jury's still out' 48%-30-22.

I don't know, it's a mascot for kids, not cynical newspaper columnists. I get his point about multiple eagles, but I guess this is different because it's a baby? I think it's fine... the White Sox introduced a mascot last year (Southpaw) that is tough to describe (Phanatic-esque and Youppi-esque, I guess), but I don't know if I prefer that route to a real animal.

I say give the bird a chance... it's been around for four games and fans seems to be OK with it.

One lame bird

By Patrick Hruby

THE WASHINGTON TIMES

He came, he hatched, he flapped his wings for the puzzled masses. Following the introduction of new Washington Nationals mascot Screech the Eagle, one thing seems clear:

    Slapshot has entered the Federal Witness Protection Program and now works nights at RFK Stadium.

    The Nationals had a chance. An opportunity to be bold, even groundbreaking. No history. No mandate. Just a tabula rasa, a shot at crafting a mascot that truly embodies the nation's capital, the most powerful city on the planet.

    Instead, we got an eagle. A fat-faced, doe-eyed bird.

    How unspeakably lame.

    Granted, the Nationals' front office has been both understaffed and overwhelmed since the franchise moved from Montreal via Puerto Rico. Designing an original, iconic mascot isn't exactly a top priority. Not when Bob Novak needs better seats.

    But still -- an eagle? ?El Aguila?

    Call it a failure of nerve. Imagination, too.

    After all, dozens of eagle mascots already exist, from Boston College's Baldwin to Swoop of the Philadelphia Eagles. Heck, the District already is home to two beaked boosters, D.C. United's Talon and the Washington Capitals' aforementioned Slapshot.

    Add Screech to the mix and the Fish and Wildlife service may be forced to take bald eagles off the threatened species list entirely.

    Beyond being redundant, the Nationals' new mascot invites unwelcome comparisons. Talon likes soccer. Slapshot fancies hockey. Given the shabby, ragged history of baseball in Washington, do the Nationals really want to be associated with a sport that can't draw and another that can't even put on a season?

    Speaking of disquieting associations, here's a comprehensive list of famous Screeches: (a) Dustin Diamond from "Saved By the Bell"; (B) see a. Diamond, of course, co-starred with Elizabeth Berkley, who later headlined the box-office Waterloo "Showgirls."

    Another bad sign, especially if you're afraid the Nationals somehow will end up in Las Vegas.

    Perhaps this is karmic payback for dumping Youppi!, the former Expos mascot and just about the best thing the club had going in Montreal. Youppi! was furry, goofy, huggable. Children loved the misshapen orange blob, created by Muppet master Jim Henson.

    Sadly, Youppi! now languishes in limbo: Some rumors have him on the brink of being sold to the Montreal Canadiens; others place him on the city's streets, holding a "WILL MASCOT FOR FOOD" sign. No matter. No mercy. The Nationals wanted a clean break, a fresh start.

    Question is, why didn't they make it fresher?

    The club could have gone for a giant Gnat. Get it? Cheap pun, undoubtedly, and a bit too bush league for a city like Washington. Then again, a pesky insect could be the perfect symbol for our little, low-budget team that can -- first place, baby! -- at least until the Nationals land owners and a new ballpark, at which point the team would be free to try something new.

    Think about it: Pro franchises change colors and uniforms all the time, the better to bilk -- er, serve -- loyal fans. But changing mascots? Seldom done and possibly one of the few remaining untapped revenue streams.

    Dan Snyder, take notes.

    If the Nationals were set on mimicking a local mascot, George Washington's eponymous George would have made more sense. For one, nothing says Washington like the man himself; more to the point, oversized noggins are always funny. Bobbleheads, anyone?

    Now take the next step. Imagine the Nationals with multiple mascots, a whole bevy of Founding Fathers clowning around the ballpark: Thomas Jefferson leading the wave, Benjamin Franklin shakin' his moneymaker, Peter Gammons as Alexander Hamilton. Game nights would be fun and educational, a boon to visiting student tours. Over time, the Nationals could introduce other political figures -- stoic Abe Lincoln, shifty-eyed Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan with a congressionally mandated halo.

    Then there's the best human mascot of all, Uncle Sam. Dancing on the dugout? Winner. Stepping over the dugout with the help of 10-foot stilts? Winner again. Just watch out for foul balls.

    Uncle Sam is affordable -- no one owns the copyright -- and lends himself to idiot-proof marketing. The slogans write themselves: I WANT YOU ... to root for the Nationals. I WANT YOU ... to hit a home run. I WANT YOU ... to pay $6 for a cup of beer.

    See how easy it is?

    Along the same local, patriotic lines, the Nationals could have appropriated nearby landmarks. Picture a fuzzy Washington Monument with big eyes. A furry Capitol Dome with, um, big eyes.

    Perhaps -- and we're just thinking out loud here -- a walking, dancing Beltway, red with road rage, showing up 30 minutes late to every game.

    Then again the Nationals may have wanted to stick with traditional animals. Fine. How about a Washington Fat Cat? Envision a bloated, overweight tabby, crossed with that monocled guy from the board game Monopoly.

    Puffing a smelly cigar, munching on a blood-red Morton's steak, wads of fake PAC money tumbling from his too-tight britches, the Fat Cat probably wouldn't appeal to youngsters. But he certainly would strike a familiar chord with the heavy hitters in the box seats, the guys who will be snapping up the luxury boxes in the new ballpark. And at the end of the day, who pays the bills?

    Moreover, we're pretty sure the kids will dig the fake money part.

    Or suppose the Nationals were feeling spiteful. With a little extra effort, the team could have whipped up a killer caricature of Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos. Just add:

    ?A head that only shakes side-to-side (signifying "no!").

    ?An ear valve that releases steam whenever the mascot stomps his foot, which would be often.

    ?A little black bird, perched on his shoulder.

    ?A doll that looks suspiciously like Bud Selig, crammed into his back pocket.

    Of course, the Nationals would have to name him something other than "Peter," since the real-life Angelos knows his way around a courtroom. Try "Grand Lord Baltimore" or maybe "Earl of Middle Market."

    Either way, the key to an Angelos mascot would be abuse, both sanctioned and unofficial. Encourage little boys to punch him below the belt. Set him up atop a dunk tank. Make him jump through a too-small ring of fire, a la "Old School." Or just have him and a giant stuffed crab mark off 50 paces, sprint toward each other and collide.

    Oh, and then drop a big-screen television on his head. Enjoy your broadcast rights!

    On second thought, an Angelos mascot could be considered petty. Not to mention risky, and probably hard to insure. The Nationals were smart to play things safe -- though if the goal was selecting a character with a proven track record, one mascot in particular would have provided far more pop than a me-too eagle.

    The Bill from Capitol Hill.

    Remember "Schoolhouse Rock?" Those musical, educational cartoons that used to run Saturday mornings on ABC? Guess what: so does an entire generation of grown-up Gen-Xers, many of whom have ample disposable income to match their pop culture nostalgia. Hint, hint.

    Enter the Bill, a plucky, anthropomorphic scrap of legislation. Ours is a city obsessed with the law -- writing, lobbying, amending, vetoing. What better symbol than an actual document, albeit with arms and legs?

    Besides, the Bill comes with a well-known theme song, easily tweaked to reflect the Nationals:

    I'm just a bill,

    Yes, I'm primed for a fall,

    And I'm sitting here in City Hall.

    Well, it's a long, long journey,

    To a Southeast ballpark,

    It's a long, long wait,

    While Linda Cropp can still talk,

    But I know we'll have a stadium some day ...

    At least I hope and I pray that we will,

    But today I am still just a bill.

    Does Screech have his own much-loved jingle? Uh-uh. Still, the Nationals likely are stuck with him, which isn't all bad: If baseball has another strike, Washington's newest mascot can always moonlight at D.C. United games. No one will know the difference.

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I would love to see all the bird mascots in the MLB have a massive fight. Man would that be cool...of course, my Jay would own them all.

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Because Korbyn Is Colour Blind, My Signature Is Now Idiot Proof - Thanks Again Braden!!

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I would love to see all the bird mascots in the MLB have a massive fight. Man would that be cool...of course, my Jay would own them all.

I thought the Jays had two mascots? Oh wait they got rid of diamond.

I saw, I came, I left.

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How in the world did the Seattle Mariners get a Moose... it has nothing to do with Seattle, or a Mariner....

Never been there but I believe the northwest has a large moose population much like the northeast.

Plus...Sasquach was busy...

Squatch%20dunking.jpg

Wow, he really looks like Harry from Harry and the Hendersons.

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How in the world did the Seattle Mariners get a Moose... it has nothing to do with Seattle, or a Mariner....

Never been there but I believe the northwest has a large moose population much like the northeast.

Plus...Sasquach was busy...

Squatch%20dunking.jpg

Wow, he really looks like Harry from Harry and the Hendersons.

No i live in Seattle, no mooses here, there are in Alaska... Squatch is after Sasquatch (big foot)

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while i was in high school our mascot was the indians...for a while some guy would just dress up as an indian, but then one day at a pep rally this guy in a green frog suit shows up...everyone is just supposed to accept this odd twist....well seems as if we were too poor to buy an indian costume, so we had some hand-me-down frog suit...it was completely embarassing...finally during my senior year we got a pretty cool looking indian mascot suit....just goes to show; it's a mad mad world

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How in the world did the Seattle Mariners get a Moose... it has nothing to do with Seattle, or a Mariner....

In the early 1991 or 1992, the Mariners held a contest asking young kids to write an essay describing the ideal Mariner's mascot. If I recall the details, the best 10 ideas were kind of thrown into a hat, and the Mariner Moose was the one that drawn out.

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Well the Calgary Stampeders have Ralph the Dog, and the Calgary Flames have Harvey the Hound--so I don't think it has to match--if it does--then great!

The Blue Bombers have birds that kind of match, the Roufhriders have a gopher-that doesn't match the team name--but is very appropriate for Saskatchewan...

Comic Sans walks into a bar, and the bartender says, "Sorry, we don't serve your type here."

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