Got your attention.  No, this isn't an open letter to Chris Crocker.  Instead, I'm going to blog about something the Croc-man would never understand:

Sports mascots

One of the interesting aspects of sports entertainment is the importance placed on a team's/franchise's mascot.  Many colleges have awesome mascots, and I won't waste space here (or research time) identifying them.  Some professional sports franchises' mascots are as identifyable with the team as the team colors themselves (the Philadelphia Phanatic, being a great example).

Sometimes, the rush to produce a mascot does not result in a mascot to remember.  The Washington Nationals went through quite a production to come up with a pre-pubescent eagle named after the nerdy kid from Saved By the Bell.  I guess the Nats were at a disadvantage because the eagle was already in use by the Capitals (Slapshot), DC United (Talon), and American University (Clawed).

But the abomination of Screech is OLD NEWS.  New news was made this year, when the Pittsburgh Steelers, on of the most historic and traditional teams in the NFL, decided to come up with a mascot:  a happy-looking guy carrying a steel I-beam on one of his shoulders.  (Now, I'm not sure about you, but carrying around an I-beam on my shoulder wouldn't make me particularly happy.)  When put out to a contest amongst fans, the winning name was "Steely McBeam," which has been chided across the sports world as childish, overwhelmingly-Irish, and sounding too much like the name of a deposed porn star.

This week, the idiocy of allowing fan input was TOTALLY REDEEMED by Toronto FC of MLS.  They unveiled their new mascot, a (live) female Harris Hawk named, appropriately enough, Bitchy.

You read that right.  Bitchy.

Yes, they're Canadian.  But Bitchy here is the same as Bitchy there.  Thank you fans of Toronto FC.  Your Pittsburgh neighbors to the south could only hope to be so creative.

Any nominations for favorite mascots or favorite mascot names?  Feel free to comment.