The Tampa Bay Rays updated their look this year and speculation was open on how that might effect their mascot (Raymond).

The Rays’ took this an an opportunity for their mascot to roll out a fresh look and play into the speculation.  In the end the changes on the character were minimal (from my first glance it’s a new jersey).

The team produced a 3 minute video used in-game to set-up the change and introduce the new look Raymond to the fans.

I think they did a nice job playing into the news about the new look, created a fun video and connected it to a live element.  This is a good example making news with your mascot and making the “happenings” of your team effect it’s number one fan (it’s mascot).

–Cudo

Just caught up on some YouTube clips from around sports, including this clip from the Carolina Hurricanes.

I love the widespread use of the ice as a screen for images in hockey, whether its using Gobo Lights or video….but this huge scale use in Carolina is just fantastic.

As noted, we have added “Best Introductions” to the 2008 Best of Gameops.com Awards, so please send us video or your or your favorite intros. (this video is actually a couple years old, so it’s not eligible).

–Cudo

Benny The Bull gets sued for high-five gone awry
By Joe Zedalis

An Illinois dentist called a flagrant foul on Chicago Bulls’ mascot Benny the Bull on Monday, suing the team over a high-five gone awry. Dr. Don Kalant Sr. alleged he was sitting near courtside on Feb. 12 when he raised his arm to get a high-five from Barry Anderson, who portrays the exuberant mascot in a bright red fuzzy costume.

But Kalant, an oral surgeon, may now wish he had settled for a fist-bump instead. Instead of merely slapping Kalant’s palm, Anderson grabbed his arm as he fell forward, hyperextending Kalant’s arm and rupturing his biceps muscle, according to the lawsuit filed in Cook County Circuit Court.

Kalant stayed for the rest of the game but later had surgery and could miss as much as four months of work, Kasserman said. Kalant is seeking unspecified damages for medical bills, physical pain and lost earnings. The lawsuit claims Anderson was negligent in either “falling forward while grabbing a fan’s hand” or “running out of control” through the crowd according to the Chicago Tribune.  (Source: Chicago Tribune)

More news from Greater Chicagoland and our friend Benny the Bull (Best Mascot Honorable Mention 2007 on Gameops.com).

I can’t speak to any of the particulars, but I will say that these are tricky situations for teams.  First and foremost your fans are your customers and short of saying the customer is always right you need to make sure your customers are treated right.

I think the Bulls (and the performer) are doing the right thing by not commenting publicly.  Behind the scenes the most important piece of advice I have heard is to be an active and caring listener to the fan.  Nothing can aggravate and inflame a difficult situation like sending the signal that you don’t care about what happened to your fan.  From there (depending greatly on the situation and the people involved) it can be as simple as an apology or complex as years of expensive litigation and insurance.

Here’s wishing the fan a speedy recovery and the Bulls a quick resolution.

–Cudo

So you have the perfect skit for your mascot where he comes out and wins the Master’s Green Jacket?  (pardon my lame example, but I am going somewhere with this..)  Now you just have to find a Green Sports Coat that fits the Philly Phanatic, or your similarly huge character.

For those of you who have spent hours looking for that perfect prop, giant foam cowboy hat, or over-sized pair of jeans you know exactly what I am talking about:  The hassles of matching your vision with the quick reality of having to buy off the rack or hand-create props and costumes.

Today we got an email from a fat mascot (G-Wiz in Washington) who found another resource for the big and fat furball in your life:  HugeStore.com.

• Size 8X Underpants:  Got em.
• New Zealand Style Leather Car Coat: Check
• Green Masters’ Style Sports Coat in size 60:  No problem

Add HugeStore.com to your list of resources for huge size clothing, we also keep a list of helpful links and tools for mascots on the Gameops.com Mascot page.
–Cudo

I might be behind the times on this, but I recently heard about this “unbelievable video” on the web with a marriage proposal prank at Yankee Stadium. Its got huge hits on CollegeHumor.com, coverage on Good Morning America and TMZ (see video below).

A few industry blogs and site are even warning teams to be careful about what they put on the screen and to vet out proposals and special requests. Which is true, but I think that might miss the point of what this really was.

I actually didn’t find the footage to be all that interesting. In fact I found it to be a little “Game Operations 101“. I also think it’s totally bunk. If so, credit should be given to these guys for starting a viral marketing wave (which is really difficult to do) and to get tons of attention for the CollegeHumor site (both characters in this series work for the site).

A couple things just struck me as being a little convoluted. First, the rival jerseys of the couple was very cliché. Any first year game operations persons uses this basic identification to steer the crowd. The guy in his Seattle jersey and the girl proudly wearing a Yankees jersey….I wonder who fans are supposed to be sympathetic too?

Second, the overstated and overreaching acting. If this really happened (and really was a prank) would you stand up and make a scene, or quietly (and painfully) try to explain it to your girlfriend? I think you would hard pressed to find a guy who would broadcast the fiasco to the section around them. These bits “play” to the masses (and on the big screen) but rarely pass the sniff test when you think them through.

Finally, I thought it was a little too plug-friendly. On first glance I thought Subway was a little too prominent in the video (upon further review it didn’t focus enough on a formerly obese guys huge pants to be a Subway-related viral campaign). This is however a huge plug for the CollegeHumor site (and well done at that….as I sit here and plug them).

Credit to Good Morning America, who seemed reluctant to pass this off as legit and at least asked the question….do you think this was real?

I think not. Impressive viral marketing. An example of what teams nationwide do everynight….but unlikely a legit prank.

Or maybe I am just jaded and overly skeptical. If you haven’t seen all of this, some YouTube is below, along with links to the original video.

–Cudo

Links and Video Below

(more…)

The Altoona Curve of Minor League Baseball have announced their own plan to ease the current troubled climate in the United States economy by introducing the “Curve Economic Stimulus Plan.” At their April 20 game, the team will give the first 1,000 fans (15 and over) a $5 gift card that they can spend freely during the 2008 season, whether on concession items, merchandise, or future game tickets. (Team PR)

A timely and clever promotion in Altoona. Couple points to add into the discussion.

Gift Cards: They are actually a great value to give away, since the value is often unused or underused:

As for gift cards — well, let’s just say there is good reason that they are known within the retail industry as a stored-value product: they store their value very well, and often permanently. The financial-services research firm TowerGroup estimates that of the $80 billion spent on gift cards in 2006, roughly $8 billion will never be redeemed — “a bigger impact on consumers,” Tower notes, “than the combined total of both debit- and credit-card fraud.” A survey by Marketing Workshop Inc. found that only 30 percent of recipients use a gift card within a month of receiving it, while Consumer Reports estimates that 19 percent of the people who received a gift card in 2005 never used it. (NYtimes)

So giving away cards with a clear $5 value, might mean that you are only spending $3-$4 on the card. In addtional, giving away a $5 gift card in the team shop is obviously going to provide a lot of shopping opportunites for fans in a place where team mark ups often exceed 40%….another profitable move.

Value: $5 doesn’t sound like a lot, but with Curve tickets ranging from $14 to $5, this represents a strong discount value for fans.

The promotion is also timely and clever. I would have like to see the promotion be extended and woven into the game presentation more, perhaps with additional sponsor gifts cards given out in-game. But as a stand alone game promotion this is another strong effort from the team in Altoona.

–Cudo