Playing chicken

[murakozi]

The Washington Nationals unveiled their mascot. An eagle named Screech. I was afraid they were going to have some guy dressed in Revolutionary War 'patriot' garb or some such. Thank goodness they didn't. This morning I saw a picture of Screech. My first thought was: He looks like a giant baby chicken. Okay, my first thought was how lame it is to have a mascot named after an annoying character from Saved By the Bell, then I saw the picture.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A61493-2005Apr17.html
(that might require registration. Yay for bugmenot.com!)


To quote that Washington Post article:
"The Nationals are the third Washington team to use an eagle as their mascot. Screech joins Slapshot, who hatched on the ice at a Washington Capitals game in 1995, and Talon of the D.C. United soccer team, who emerged from a giant egg at RFK on April 20, 1996.

Compared with the other two eagles, Screech's head appears wider and his beak is smaller and less menacing."

Bah. I'd kind of expected something more eagle-like in appearance. Perhaps a less angry looking version of the Philadelphia Eagles' Swoop. There's nothing wrong with making a mascot 'less menacing' or more friendly looking, but Screech looks like someone went way overboard in trying to make him look cute.

I'm gonna stick with being an Orioles fan.