A blue blob. A Viking. And Gritty, whatever he is. Sports teams have gotten creative—and sometimes strange—with their mascots. Some are beloved by fans; others, not so much. But why did sports teams add mascots to their rosters to begin with?
It all started with a French opera called La Mascotte.
The late-19th-century opera tells the story of a farmer who experiences a string of misfortunes. His barn burns down, his animals are sick, his cow is missing, and he's being sued. But his bad luck immediately changes when a girl named Bettina (the "mascotte" from the opera's title) arrives on the farm—mascotte is French for "good luck charm."
The opera was a hit in the 1880s, and the word mascotte soon made its way into the English language (eventually taking its contemporary form, mascot). The idea of a good luck charm found its place in American baseball before spreading to other sports.
Some early team mascots were animals that had been stuffed. Other teams brought in live animals—including bears—which often proved dangerous. The first person employed as a professional mascot was likely Max Patkin, nicknamed the "Clown Prince of Baseball."
Patkin started his career as a minor-league pitcher. But, according to accounts, his antics following another player's home run off Patkin's pitch led to his legendary career as a mascot. Patkin ran the bases behind the player, making funny faces and cracking up the crowd. For the next five decades, Patkin entertained baseball fans with his act.
By the 1960s, teams started using costumed mascots, such as the New York Mets' Mr. Met, which features a giant baseball for a head. In the 1970s, the Philadelphia Phillies hired the designer who created the iconic Miss Piggy character for The Muppet Show to design its famed team mascot character, the Phanatic.
Most teams now have costumed character mascots, which are often seen speeding into stadiums on motorcycles, dropping from arena rafters, running wild through the stands to get spectators riled up, and winning over fans on social media with their costumed capers.
They may have started as good luck charms for big-name baseball teams, but many mascots became stars themselves. There's even a Mascot Hall of Fame in Indiana.
QUESTION 1
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Think about the article. Whom did the Phillies hire to create their famous team mascot?
The Phillies hired the writer of the famous French opera called La Mascotte.
The Phillies hired the legendary minor-league pitcher and mascot Max Patkin.
The Phillies hired the designer who created Miss Piggy for The Muppet Show.
The Phillies hired the designer of the New York Mets' costumed mascot, Mr. Met.
7 answers
prank
mural
decoy
feud
Mascots came from a New York Mets game in the 1960s.
Mascots came from a popular French opera about a farmer's bad luck.
Mascots got their start speeding into stadiums on motorcycles in the 1970s.
Mascots got their start as costumed characters on minor-league baseball teams.
He dressed up with a giant baseball for a head and dropped from the rafters.
He ran the bases behind the batter, made funny faces, and cracked up the crowd.
He dressed up like an iconic character from a popular television show.
He ran wild through the stands of the stadium and got all the fans riled up.
1 answer