Scranton, Penn., is known for many things. For starters, it is the setting of the NBC sitcom "The Office," and it is the hometown of the late playwright/actor Jason Miller, father of actor Jason Patric. Miller's play, which takes place in a town like Scranton, "That Championship Season" is a definitive classic of contemporary theatre- that said many people are more familiar with him for playing a priest in "The Exorcist."
And, on Thursday night, The Scranton/Wiles-Barre Yankees will host the San Diego Chicken, who also goes by The Famous Chicken.
With the moral ambiguity over Barry Bonds just passing Hank Aaron's home run record last night in San Francisco, it is good to see that this '70s pop culture icon is still with us.
According to Wikipedia, The San Diego Chicken is Ted Giannoules. He stated on his web site that he is the only chicken. Giannoules also said that he has not missed a sporting event since 1998 when he was late for a Wichita Thunder hockey game in Kansas because of a luggage fowl-up (hmm, pardon the pun).
Giannoules says that he makes approximately 250-275 appearances a year.
He arrives in Scranton, a city I passed through en route to Maine, as the Triple-A Yankees are standing a top their division in the International League. On Thursday, they will face the Pawtucket (RI) Red Sox, who are struggling this season.
While Scranton did not make the Chicken's list of favorite cities to visit, Amarillo, Tx., which was once the hometown of my 'missing friend' Amanda Furguiele*, came in at number 4! El Paso ranked third on the list, which was topped by Indianapolis.
As one might expect, the mascot outfit is quite hot. Giannoulas says that the average temp is 125 per night. All of which should make him glad he is not coming to see the Greensboro Grasshoppers, as the temps are nearing 100 degrees outside here in NC.
Giannoulas says that indeed, the heat is one of the more challenging parts of his jobs:
"Inside the suit, I own my very own rain forest."
*_ I use the term missing because I have not heard from her in two years!
Useful links:
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment