HOW LONG? Since February of 1999
MASCOTTING HISTORY: he he. You'd just better check out the abridged version at http://www.spaghetti.com/mascot/resume.h...
HOW DID YOU GET YOU INTERESTED IN MASCOTTING? Having grown up in eastern Pennsylvania, I saw my first live baseball game the very same year that the Phanatic had his debut--1978. I knew this is wahat I wanted to do!
YOUR INSPIRATION? That same big green guy, most definitely!
FAVORITE MEMORY AS A MASCOT: Getting to hug all those kids at the celebrity Mascot Olympics in Orlando, Florida. The children, terminally ill, are granted their wishes. One child, in particular, would gurgle a laugh from his wheelchair as I tickled his chin. I thanked God for giving me the gift of making children laugh, even if just a little.
WORST EXPERIENCE: I had a drunk fan put me in a stong headlock when I was the mascot for the Washington Capitals. He threatened to sue me if I fought back. When I told the security manager the next day, he replied that my position was of lower status than the drunk, unruly fan's. THAT was the worst experience--to think that me and my safety were less important than someone looking for trouble!
FAVORITE SKIT? Wow. I work mainly through spontaneous gags and reactions. I guess my favorite one is when I show up in a flaming pink Easter Bunny outfit and act disgusted , as if my team forced me to wear this totally embarrassing costume. It's great because I can act like a jerk, because I'm supposed to be mad.
WHAT'S YOUR TRADEMARK? I growl. Like a predatory cat. It freaks people out. I developed it through all of the one-on-one interaction that I do, and I had to come up with a way to do sound effects without tipping the crowd off to my soprano voice. The growl uses virtually no vocal cord action...
WORDS OF ADVICE TO THOSE ASPIRING OR JUST BEGINNING AS A MASCOT... Be persistent. And don't ever thnk that each team will have the same standards for the mascot. There are single "A" team mascots making full-time salaries and MLB mascots who get $50 a game. Always do your research so you know just what you're getting yourself into!
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