The Phillie Phanatic and Seven Other Mascots Who Got Sued

The Phillie Phanatic is the most-often-sued mascot in Major League Baseball. The portly, green furball should probably wear this distinction as a badge of honor, since it's proof that he is an icon who flirts with the margins of mayhem -- like any good mascot should.

Still, it can't be fun when your antics cost your employer $2.5 million, which is the amount the Phillies were forced to pay a few years ago after the Phanatic injured a fan's back with a mighty green bear hug.

In the latest in a litany of litigation, a 75-year-old woman is suing the Phanatic for injury to her leg.The incident occurred when the 300-lb. creature jumped into the stands during a ball game in Reading, Penn., home to one of the Phillies minor league affiliates.

The Phanatic, however, is far from the only mascot whose over-exuberance has led to depositions and outrageous monetary payouts.

Read on for the tales of seven other mascots whose antics were lightning rods for lawsuits.



7. T-Rac Is a Bad Driver
According to the Tennessee Titans website, team mascot T-Rac's favorite saying is "I didn't do it." In 2006, New Orleans Saints quarterback Adrian McPherson disagreed and sued T-Rac for $20 million after the oversize raccoon crushed him with a golf cart during halftime of a preseason game.

McPherson claimed that the injuries he sustained caused him to miss the regular season.

However, since McPherson was last spotted as a back up in the Canadian Football League, it's doubtful that T-Rac's bad driving was the real reason the Florida State product never made it onto a regular season NFL roster.
6. Sluggerrr Throws a Mean Hot Dog
A man named John Coomer sued the Kansas City Royals last September after their mascot, Sluggerrr the Lion, tossed a hot dog into his eye during a free–hot dog promotion.

According to the suit, the Royals "failed to adequately train its agents ... in the proper method in which to throw hot dogs into the stands at Kauffman Stadium."

Coomer, who reportedly suffered a detached retina, sought only $25,000 in damages. We say "only" because we'd be seeking a lot more if we ever considered filing a lawsuit that would make us forever known as "the guy who was hit in the eye by a hot dog thrown by a man in lion suit."
5. Benny the Bull Is Strong Like, Well, Bull
The analogy "strong like bull" apparently applies to mascots, too. Benny the Bull, who gets the crowd fired up for the Chicago Bulls, was sued by a Naperville, Ill., dentist Don Kalant after a high-five exchange went awry.

During the hand gesture, Kalent alleged that Benny stumbled, and the force of his bovine strength hyper-extended the dentist's arm, rupturing his bicep.

Kalant claimed his injuries left him unable to work for four months and sued for medical bills, pain and suffering, and lost earnings.
4. Boomer Is a Bad Listener
Boomer, the Indiana Pacers' high-flying feline mascot, dislikes "people yanking on his tail" and likes "playing practical jokes on people."

However, he may have stretched the concept of the practical joke too far in 2005 when he tackled Nathaniel Jackson, a member of the crowd who was participating in a free throw contest during a timeout.

Before he took the court, Jackson had told the organizers of the contest that he had a bad back. When an employee who knew about Jackson's condition rushed to the scene and told Boomer to stop rough-housing with the 24-year-old, Boomer oddly responded by kicking at Jackson's legs.

Jackson, claiming permanent damage, sued the Pacers, Conseco Fieldhouse and the performer who plays Boomer. No word on whether Boomer countered with the "he pulled my tail" defense.
3. Burnie Loves the Ladies
Racy antics might fly in South Florida, but things took a bad turn when Miami Heat mascot Burnie tried to incorporate a woman in his act during an exhibition game in Puerto Rico.

Or perhaps his decision to pull the wife a local federal judge out of the stands and dance with her on the court was where Burnie went wrong.

After the judge's spouse fell down during her brief, rhythmic encounter with the oversize Muppet, Burnie was not only sued for a million dollars, he was charged with aggravated assault and faced a prison sentence of 20 years.

The case ended up settling for $50,000, and the furry fireball never saw the inside of a Puerto Rican prison.
2. Billy the Marlin Has a T-Shirt Gun
The T-shirt gun -- which has long been the weapon of choice among the mascot set -- has always seemed like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

And it did, in 2003, after an elderly Florida Marlins' fan claimed he was knocked unconscious by a T-shirt launched from Billy the Marlin's air-cannon. The fan sued for $250,000.

However a jury ruled the fish "not negligent," after evidence emerged that the man was probably injured not by a flying freebie, but rather in the scrum that developed after the wadded up T-shirt hit the ground.
1. The San Diego Chicken Hates Barney
During the '90s, the San Diego Chicken incorporated into his act a sketch where he assaulted a Barney lookalike.

Claiming this upset Barney's preschool fans, the purple dinosaur's creators tried suing for copyright infringement, and asked for $100,000 for each skit in which the famous chicken gave the purple dinosaur a beatdown.

Ultimately, the case was tossed by a judge who ruled that since Barney is a well-recognized character, the sketch didn't violate any copyrights.

We suspect the judge also had a young child at home and shared, with the chicken (and the rest of humanity), a deep-seated hatred of the ever-cheerful purple admonition.