A few years ago, I was sitting two rows off mid-court at the Washington Wizards basketball game. As a season ticket holder, I regularly would see their mascot, G-Wiz,  teasing the fans.

He is also famous for his T-shirt launches and his acrobatic basketball jumps off the small trampoline. It’s typical mascot entertainment.

On this night,  he had decided to get the fans involved; and by fans, I mean me. He had a can of something that he was shaking real fast. It turned out to be Silly String. When he sprayed it on me, it went on my sportcoat and just stuck; like dried cement.

The Wizards had ”assigned” someone to him, who would always be right behind him during games, as he performed his antics.

I guess that she saw the immediate problem on my jacket, because she came right up to me and immediately advised that he did not work directly for the Wizards. But, she handed me a card and let me know that they would pay for a dry-cleaning of my jacket.

I probably had a look something like “no thanks, I’ll just keep the jacket with the dried strings… and it sure will now look great with a skinny tie”  expression on my face. At least he didn’t cause an injury.

 I was reminded of my mascot experience when I saw the Reuters News story , about a lawsuit that has now been filed against the mascot for the baseball Philadelphia Phillies.

Suzanne Peirce is suing ”Phillie Phanatic”. She claims that she had been attending a wedding at the Golden Inn Hotel and Resort in New Jersey.  She was sitting poolside, watching the mascot’s comedic routine.

All of a sudden, he came over to her, picked up the lounge chair that she was in; and threw her and the chair into the pool. Her lawsuit alleges that she suffered “shock, a herniated disc, and other severe and permanent injuries”.

Peirce filed suit against two men, Tom Burgoyne and Matt Mehler; because they both share mascot duties and she is not sure which one was in the suit that night. An attempt at comedic entertainment that went too far.

Sometimes, I wonder if the mascot suit makes them forget reality. Maybe you have to forget, to put on one of those suits!

For pic o’ day, I thought I’d go to the pool

And also remind you to wear sunscreen…

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