Your interactions with sports mascots

[BigMac12]

Let's lay the groundrules with this tread: this is about your interactions with sports mascots; high fives, hand shakes, taking pictures with them, etc, etc. Leave your personal opinion about them out of this thread. I don't want this conversation tread-jacked. Okay, good.

Back on New Year's Eve, 2008, I went to the Insight Bowl. While waiting for the gates to open, I actually saw Goldy, the University of Minnesota Golden Gophers mascot. I took a photo and he even shook hands, er, paws with me. That was pretty neat.

Today, during the A's-Diamondbacks game, D. Baxter was having his birthday. A bunch of mascots was walking down the upper concourse. During that time, Big Red, the Arizona Cardinals mascot, tap me on my back shoulder, and I got to high five the Phoenix College Bears mascot.

I know you guys have better stories to tell. So please share your stories.

[zpqmaowl]

I've put my Dodgers hat on Lou Seal in San Francisco a few times…

[BigMac12]

I've put my Dodgers hat on Lou Seal in San Francisco a few times?

(Linkara voice)Smooth!(\voice)

[Funky Bunky]

I once took a picture with Wild Wing.

[Shumway]

That eagle from Winthrop University...such a jerk

Yesterday, I went to the Orioles/Phillies game in Baltimore. There were probably more Philly fans than O's fans at the game, including some of the people I was with. They were taunting the Oriole bird, so he walked over and pretended to eat my friends' head, then spat out his Phillies hat.

[sportstar1212]

I have MANY experiences with mascots but here's my favorite one:

The Jays let kids run the bases after Saturday home games and I once went a Saturday game and ran the bases afterwards. The coolest part was that Ace (the Jays mascot) actually ran with me from 2nd base to 3rd. It was a pretty cool experience.

[GriffinM6]

Last year I went to a Gwinnett Braves(AAA) game. There was a parade around the field and when it was over, we left out of a tunnel. All these kids surrounded the G-Braves' mascot groundog: Chopper, and I went behind him and put my hand on his shoulders. The next thing I knew was that I got Chopper's elbow to my face.

[BigBubba]

I gave my camera to Duke, the Toronto Marlies mascot and he took pictures of the players on their way out to the ice (and of himself).

[OchentaYOcho88]

I'm not right there, but if you look very closely I'm on the scoreboard in the background.

My "roommate" Darth V. Ader with Eastern Illinois' mascot Billy. We used to bring Darth to all the home games in 2009.

I've been headbutted by a member of the Zooperstars at an Eastern Illinois basketball game and my personal favorite a hug from my alma mater's mascot Jerky the Cornjerker!

[cmm]

Before a Devils game, I rode the elevator with the Seton Hall Pirate mascot.

[sc49erfan15]

That eagle from Winthrop University...such a jerk

For the uninitiated:

I was Winthrop's mascot, "Big Stuff" from 2005-2009. This picture is from the 2008 NCAA Tournament vs. Washington State.

And this coming season, I will be suiting up as this guy:

"Spiro Spartan" of UNC-Greensboro.

[charger77]

In 2000 an old GF and I wore Caps jerseys and had our pic taken with their mascot.

In 2009 another old GF I wore Jackets jerseys and had out pic taken with Stinger.

[nash61]

I've had some interesting mascot moments. Sadly, there's one that I really regret didn't happen.

Went to a Leafs open practice, and they had the mascot games before it. Stinger was there, and stupid me didn't get a picture with him.

When i was about nine, we went to a Hamilton Bulldogs game for a friend's birthday party. Bruiser came over and was doing the high-five thing. I wanted him to sign something, and he was about to jump back over the railing, so I punched him in the back of the head to get his attention, and he signed it.

Also almost got kicked out of Canadian Tire for playing ball hockey with Bruiser in the store.

Being my college's mascot, I got some cool experiences, including playing soccer at halftime at a Ti-Cats game (including an awesome blind slide tackle of the Brampton Battalion mascot), and changing in the same room as the two Ti-Cats mascots (Stripes and TC the Tiger)

I've met Duke the Dog (Marlies), and had a few pictures taken with him. Got to see him crowd surf at the Outdoor Classic, which was pretty cool.

My best mascot moment was at a Leafs game, and Carlton the Bear was throwing t-shirts. He threw one to me, but missed, and it hit the back of the seat behind me, bounced over my head, over the head of the guy two rows below me (who jumped for it with his hands full of beer and popcorn- guess how that ended) before some kid finally got it 4 rows below me.

[BadSeed84]

Ive been to many phillies games, yet never interacted with the phanatic.

But it happened last year, as I work at giant food stores, and transferred to the philly location.

And who showed up during the day of the grand opening? yep the phanatic.

And boy did I interact with him, he hugged up, high fived me like 4 or times, he is rough!

I had a orange vest on, coming in from rounding up carts and he starts rippin it off me, it was definitely a fun day.

I did get a picture with him, and of course he had to troll my face in true phanatic fashion.

Also heres another pic of him, gettin some coke.

[Shumway]

Also heres another pic of him, gettin some coke.

He's definitely got the nose for it.

[BigMac12]

Also heres another pic of him, gettin some coke.

He wouldn't get Pepsi or Royal Crown; Citizens Bank sells only Coke products.

(audience boos)

I know, I know...

[rainmaker17]

Whenever I see Rowdy the idiot Cowboys mascot, I run the other way.

[evanmaldonado]

I've had many different interactions with Stinger, the Pepsi Power Patrol, and the Cannon guys in Columbus. Unfortunately Boomer was axed for looking like a penis before I could meet him.

Brutus and I have shook hands and posed a few times. Rufus Bobcat was my first picture at OU.

The Clippers pirate and seal I've danced with. I forget their names though.

[zer0dotcom]

I've had a couple, all really cool.

I was at the 2000 NHL All-star practice. I wore my '96 team Canada sweater and had my picture taken with the Capitals Mascot. He was hamming it up with a bunch of little leaf fans heckling him.

The Oshawa Generals mascot has done a really good job. I've high fived him several times after watching him interact with the kids in the crowd, always letting them have a fun time. That's what I feel their roll should be at an OHL game.

I met and got my photo with Carlton the Bear at a Leafs free skate. My fiance and I had just started dating, not a sports girl at all, and I got her into a Leafs jersey and on the ACC ice. Those are still some of my favourite photos.

Speaking of Carlton, in 2010 I took a class to Racing Against Drugs, a grade 5 field trip program in the GTA and met Carlton and the Marlies mascot. I noticed them head into their changeroom, and when they came out out-of-costume thought that some of the kids had spotted them. I gave them a nod to let them know they hadn't. Kind of a cool little moment.

[OnWis97]

Various interactions with Bucky Badger.

My wife and I have a picture with Wally the Green Monster.

I work at the University of Minnesota. At employee initiation, they take your picture with Goldy Gopher. I still have that picture, which nicely shows the little Bucky Badger sticking out of my shirt pocket.