Puck Daddy - NHL

It was a frustrating night at home for the Los Angeles Kings. They were 4-0 losers to the Vancouver Canucks, going 0-for-7 on the power play, watching goalie Jason LaBarbera surrender four goals on 18 shots and Alexander Frolov blow a penalty shot against Roberto Luongo.

On these nights, hockey mascots must work extra hard to provide levity and a cathartic release of fan frustrations. And thanks to Bailey, the Kings' mascot, the L.A. faithful could balance those bad memories with the sight of a giant bag of popcorn getting dumped on a row of visiting Canucks fans by a lion in a grass skirt. (Beware one NSFW word at the start.)

In professional wrestling, there are "works" (scripted situations) and there are "shoots" (moments of unscripted candor in which reality invades fantasy). It's always tricky to figure out the difference with mascot antics. Were these "Canucks fans" plants? Does the popcorn dump happen every night? Having never been to a Kings home game, I have no idea. This feels like a "work," much like when teams have two male actors playing opposing fans make out on the Kiss-Cam. Either way, it's pretty damn funny.

I will say that, from personal experience, mascots will entertain their fans at the expense of a visiting fan. I recalled this while watching the Phillie Phanatic celebrate his team's World Series victory. At the old Veterans Stadium, he once snatched a vintage 1969-style Mets hat from my head, tossed it onto the field, stomped on it with his giant clown shoes and then placed it back on my head to the delight of the crowd. I was about 10 years old.

Question of the Morning: Does your mascot have any planned or improvisational comedy pieces that get the crowd roaring or make you spit your $9 beer out while laughing?

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45 Comments

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  1. HolyBollie
    1. Posted by HolyBollie Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:35 pm EDT

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    Im a blackhawks fan and on the 18th went to St. Louis. Through a friend I was able to sit on the glass. The ICEE bear or whatever they call him in St. Louis, their mascot came and taped a sign on my back that said "I love Blues". Which being from Chicago could be technically accurate. I just thought, it was poor form on the mascot to make fun of someone an be grammatically incorrect.
  2. sleza
    2. Posted by sleza Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:55 pm EDT

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    sounds like you still haven't got over that hat incident....
  3. Wyshynski
    3. Posted by Wyshynski Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:21 pm EDT

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    @ huit --
    I was a really, really nice Mets hat, I have to admit. But the coda to this story is the fact that a dog actually ate most of the hat a few weeks later. Literally, it digested the brim and most of the lid. Incredible.
  4. 5-hole.com
    4. Posted by 5-hole.com Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:42 pm EDT

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    Wait wait wait. You're a Mets fan and a Devils fan? Shouldn't you just be bitter that NJ doesn't have a team?
    In other news, I hate the Phillies.
  5. Hans Gruber
    5. Posted by Hans Gruber Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    The dogs digestion just proves that the Mets are nothing but crap. Baseball sucks anyway.
  6. Sombrero Guy
    6. Posted by Sombrero Guy Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    I've seen the Capitals mascot grab and tear up a sign an opposing fan held up
  7. SK eleven
    7. Posted by SK eleven Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:49 pm EDT

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    The Ducks don't have any of those lame pre-taped spoofs. The Kings do it ALOT though. I've only been to one Ducks @ Kings game, and they had at least 4 or 5. I don't think it's just because I'm a Ducks fan, because I have a pretty good sense of humor...but they are always really stupid.
  8. carl_vs_mastershake
    8. Posted by carl_vs_mastershake Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:18 pm EDT

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    Wysh are mascots in your glow puck book?
    My team doesn't have a mascot but then again my team isn't.........I'm not feeling creative this morning so put your own derogatory term.
    Wysh next slow hockey news day I'm curious to see what btw period promotions different arenas have.
    2 for 2 on the articles today!
    Also Andrew V is correct baseball is indeed crap.
  9. Rafa
    9. Posted by Rafa Thu Sep 03, 2009 8:27 pm EDT

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    I was at that game and as a Kings fan, I must say, at that point it was needed, the Kings were just being beat down at that point. It wasnt that bad either, he missed half the bag.
    Those Canucks fans probably left vowing how they'll be telling their friends one hell of a story. Plus, they deserved it for wearing one of the ugliest jerseys in NHL history.
  10. A Yahoo! User
    10. Posted by A Yahoo! User Fri Oct 31, 2008 12:17 pm EDT

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    I think that's the funniest thing ever!!! As much as I despise the Kings I wish I could have been there!
  11. Peeler
    11. Posted by Peeler Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:02 pm EDT

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    That idiot LA King mascot tried to get in my box seats (I hate the Kings) and he almost got a beat-down by my crew......imagine if a fan did that to an opposing fan.....he'd be kicked out of the arena....
    LA fans SUCK
  12. Brandon F
    12. Posted by Brandon F Thu Sep 03, 2009 3:10 pm EDT

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    Did Sean Avery count as a mascot last season with the Rangers. He was hilarious.
    What was up with those yellow Canuck jerseys? I didn't know that was one of their annual variations.
  13. Hans Gruber
    13. Posted by Hans Gruber Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    Mascots are gay!
  14. Hans Gruber
    14. Posted by Hans Gruber Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:58 pm EDT

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    And I don't like the look on that lions face, better hide the children.
  15. bcwaller
    15. Posted by bcwaller Fri Oct 31, 2008 1:04 pm EDT

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    I was at the game as well and I'm sure it was not scripted. Bailey gets away with a lot at the games. He pounds on the glass, makes fun of refs, fools with fans. He is very entertaining - the best mascot I've seen in a long time. He has never done that popcorn stunt before, and those fans were there the whole game and making lots of noise. It was just popcorn. They did not look that pissed as their reaction was to start a chant and not chase him off. It they were really angry or it was a planned stunt, I'm sue one or all would have "chased" him up the stairs.
  16. Brad_HT
    16. Posted by Brad_HT Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:43 pm EDT

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    i dont know how i feel that they hawks dont have a mascot. i do miss the guys who had the drums, and wore the headresses, and really pumped up the crowd... those were the days.....
  17. Doogie
    17. Posted by Doogie Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:30 pm EDT

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    At the start of the month, my mom and I went to a Flames-Oilers preseason game at the 'Dome in our Oilers garb. At one point, Harvey the Hound "ate" Mom's entire head, much to the delight of the nosebleeds crowd.
    Hell, I thought it was funny, too.
  18. Kings Rule
    18. Posted by Kings Rule Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:31 pm EDT

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    Peeler, you just can't help saying something bad about kings fans. you really show your level of class and maturity everytime you open your mouth.
    I a have been a Kings fan all my life, since they started playing. I have friends who are fans of other teams and they are just people that just like another team why would that make them suck? I live in Newport Beach there are some Duck players that live in my nieghborhood do I hate them? No, they are doing thier job that's all. It would be nice if it were possible for some people to just not say anything at all. You are one of those people
    i
  19. Haggard Nick
    19. Posted by Haggard Nick Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:48 pm EDT

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    i would like to personally thank craig mactavish for ripping off harvery's tongue. i hate harvey the hound. what the hell does he have to do with the flames?
  20. Aman L
    20. Posted by Aman L Thu Sep 03, 2009 2:52 pm EDT

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    NO those weren't plants, because that's my brother, cousins, and friends. Imagine my surprise coming across this link!
  21. Tom
    21. Posted by Tom Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:59 pm EDT

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    No way those were plants, I am kings fan...I know...its tough, but when i have gone to games he harasses the hell out of people, it is hillarious!!!!!!
  22. WAD
    22. Posted by WAD Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:31 pm EDT

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    From what I can see,your head was still in the hat when it was stomped.
  23. Peeler
    23. Posted by Peeler Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:02 pm EDT

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    Kings rule.....maybe I was a little harsh on you loyals.....please accept my apology....I really feel bad for you and your team....but let me ask you...how much longer are you gonna put up with what they put on the ice.....and ask yourself, how long you would sit in that seat if you poured something on an opposing fan?....level of class....certainly not in the mascot
  24. J-D
    24. Posted by J-D Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:31 pm EDT

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    ThunderBug doesn't do a whole lot these days. He used to dress up in a Grim Reaper costume and hang out by the visiting team's bench when a Lightning win was imminent, looking as intimidating as a giant round six-foot-high fuzzy lightning bug with googly eyes can possibly look. And he has a "wife" but I forget her name.
    P.S. Nothing like paying tribute to one of your scouts who was killed on 9/11 by naming your freakin' mascot after him.
  25. kh111
    25. Posted by kh111 Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:50 pm EDT

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    Was in the front row with 3 buddy's at Nassau watching our Sharks take on the Isles. Of course, we're all in Sharks gear. The Isles mascot (um, a dragon) came up to us and dumped a small bag of popcorn on all of us. We just ended up eating what fell in our laps. Take that, Sparky! But man, I totally wanted to kick that mascot in his dragon balls.

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