The worst mascots in sport - Sport News
Partick Thistle's new mascot Kingsley. Photo / Twitter
Partick Thistle's new mascot Kingsley has been compared to "Lisa Simpson on drugs" and has gone viral all around the world. The Herald looks at five other bizarre mascots from sport.
1. Scrotie - Rhode Island School of Design
Back in 2001 students were allowed to design the school's mascot and their idea wasn't shafted. The costume they designed was a giant penis with a red cape and a scrotum hanging beneath. For eight years Scrotie proudly cheered on his school's sports team.
The basketball team is known as the Balls and their slogan was: "When the heat is on, the Balls stick together." The hockey team is called the Nads and they cheered "Go Nads!" and the cheerleaders were commonly known as the "Jockstraps" (because they supported the Nads). Scrotie's original costume succumbed to wear and tear but he made a comeback in 2010 with a newly designed costume.
You can find images of Scrotie here.
2. Crazy Crab - 1984 San Francisco Giants
"I hope there's nobody up there with a gun". The words of Wayne Doba, who portrayed Crazy Crab, on the final day of the 1984 season where the Giants lost 96 games in the season.
The baseball franchise created their first ever mascot for that year and the Giants opposed normal protocol by creating an anti-mascot where fans were openly encouraged to boo the poor crustacean.
A television advert depicted the Giants' manager of the time Frank Robinson, having to be restrained from attacking him. Crazy Crab scuttled around the field to a bombardment of abuse and hate, which intensified as the Giants' season went from bad to worse.
Things went a little too far when Doba filed a lawsuit against the San Diego Padres. One of their players tackled him and he sustained back injuries. The Giants didn't have another mascot until 1997.
3. Salford's Red Devil
It's very likely this idea was originally a marketing ploy so fans could identify Salford's Red Devil with Manchester United's own mascot - Fred the Red. Salford Red Devils, formerly known as the Salford City Reds, have never established themselves as a top Super League team in the UK but their mascot has always caught the eye.
The costume has been redesigned several times in the Super League era. He's also adopted the name Neville the Devil at one time or another and it's hard to work out whether he was meant to resemble a power ranger or some fluffy red thing.
4. Wenlock and Mandeville - 2012 London Olympics
The mascots of the Olympics have often raised eyebrows and these two are no exception. One giant eye in the middle of their face makes them look like a cyclops and what they're really meant to represent is anyone's guess. The only link to London that makes any sense is the yellow head light on top of their heads which represents London's famous taxis.
5. Clyde - 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games
Glasgow 2014's website describes Clyde as "a cheeky wee thistle" who's been nurtured by a Captain Bristle, who set sail around the Commonwealth telling everyone about Glasgow. The video of Clyde's adventure is narrated by comedian Billy Connolly and it's worth remembering that a thistle (which is Scotland's floral emblem) is a flower with sharp prickles that gives you a rash if you touch it.
