Photo: Jim McIsaac (Getty).
Mascots have it rough, y’all. On almost a nightly basis, they have to suit up and quite literally put smiles on their faces for thousands of fans. Those same fans can sometimes make it hard on the mascots, taunting the costume cheerleaders and sometimes getting physical.
In the case of New York Mets mascot Mr. Met, fans got to be a little too much of a pain in the ass on Wednesday. So what did Mr. Met do? He flipped some shit-talking guy off and continued minding his own business. The Mets front office was appalled at their mascot’s actions, and they apologized for his conduct.
Look, mascots like to have fun. If it’s too much fun for you, maybe you shouldn’t watch sports. Or instead, maybe celebrate the times mascots get out of hand and enjoy them for the colorful — and sometimes drunk — characters they are.
Mascots Caught Behaving Badly
Mascots have a history of getting into trouble. It might just be part of the job description to put their roles on the line with inappropriate actions. Here’s a list of mascots who went above and beyond their job responsibilities.
Mr. Met Flips The Bird
This is the obvious first on the list, mostly because it just happened this week. Mr. Met gave some rowdy fans a piece of his mind — or maybe his hand — when he gestured a middle finger at some hecklers in the crowd. It cost the guy dearly because the Mets organization said he’ll never wear the costume again. Bummer.
Harvey Hounds The Coach
Back in 2003, the NHL’s Calgary Flames mascot Harvey the Hound got a little too close for the opposing coach’s comfort. In an effort to taunt Edmonton Oilers coach Craig MacTavish, Harvey stood up on the glass and hovered over the team’s leader. MacTavis wasn’t at all amused and he ripped the mascot’s tongue out, throwing it into the crowd. Luckily for Harvey, he got his tongue back.
Freeze, Bearcat!
In 2010, the Cincinnati Bearcats’ mascot was arrested for throwing snowballs into the crowd. Cops weren’t down with people being hit with balls of ice, so they threw the mascot to the ground and put him in cuffs. That’s cold, man.
The Chief Takes On The Demon
Way back in 1992, there was supposed to be a football game between the University of Louisiana–Monroe and Northwestern State University. What took place, however, was a rumble between mascots Chief Brave Spirit and Vic The Demon. The two schools are rivals, and it looks like their mascots share the same hatred.
Also: 5 Careers Tim Tebow Would Be Better At Than Baseball
Have A Pint
Look, sometimes a fella just wants to have a drink. But for the lion mascot of FK Austria Wien showed up completely tanked for a game, it was clear he REALLY liked to have a drink. Maybe wait until after the game to hit up the pub?
Violence In Ohio
Before an Ohio State University vs. Ohio University game in 2010, the mascot for OU went off the rails and tried tackling OSU’s mascot when the team was walking out. The skirmish spilled into the end zone and things got so out of hand that the guy under the OU Bobcat mask was relieved of his duties soon after.
The Notorious Mascot Gang
It’s still unclear to this day what the explanation for this clip is, but it sure as shit is still entertaining. Russian dashcam footage caught what you would expect to be your typical incident of road rage. What ended up happening is a gang of mascots got out of a van and started pummeling a dude. This might have been completely set up, but I don’t think you or anyone else really cares because it’s damn funny.
