1 00:00:00,280 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is production of iHeartRadio. Hello 2 00:00:10,480 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: and welcome to This Day in History Class, a show 3 00:00:14,320 --> 00:00:17,560 Speaker 1: that proves there's more than one way to make history. 4 00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: I'm Gay Bluesier, and in this episode, we're taking a 5 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:25,439 Speaker 1: deep dive into the history of sports mascots, including a 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: beloved pioneer of the craft, the One and only San 7 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 1: Diego Chicken. The day was June twenty ninth, nineteen seventy nine, 8 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:47,840 Speaker 1: an early sports mascot named the San Diego Chicken made 9 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: his triumphant return to professional baseball. The famous Chicken aka 10 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:57,840 Speaker 1: Ted Giannulis was never the official mascot of any San 11 00:00:57,880 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: Diego sports team. Still, he had appeared in costume at 12 00:01:02,680 --> 00:01:06,160 Speaker 1: many games in the area throughout the nineteen seventies as 13 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:10,039 Speaker 1: part of a promotion for a local radio station. After 14 00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: several years of entertaining crowds in this fashion, Ted became 15 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: embroiled in a lengthy legal battle over the rights to 16 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:21,160 Speaker 1: his Chicken persona. He was eventually barred from appearing in 17 00:01:21,240 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: the costume in the city of San Diego or its 18 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: surrounding counties, but after just a one month absence, Ted 19 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:32,040 Speaker 1: found a work around. He made a brand new chicken 20 00:01:32,080 --> 00:01:35,320 Speaker 1: suit of his own design, and then planned an elaborate 21 00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:40,200 Speaker 1: comeback ceremony, which he dubbed the Grand Hatching. It took 22 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:44,240 Speaker 1: place on June twenty ninth, nineteen seventy nine, just before 23 00:01:44,280 --> 00:01:47,360 Speaker 1: a home game between the San Diego Padres and the 24 00:01:47,400 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: Houston Astros. More than forty seven thousand fans were there 25 00:01:52,320 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: that night, and they watched with joyful confusion as a 26 00:01:55,520 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 1: giant styrofoam egg was driven onto the field by an 27 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: armored truck. Moments later, Ted Gaulis emerged from the egg, 28 00:02:04,600 --> 00:02:07,720 Speaker 1: dressed in his chicken suit, and the crowd went nuts. 29 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:13,640 Speaker 1: The golden age of sports mascots had officially begun. The 30 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:18,200 Speaker 1: basic idea of a mascot is to personify something abstract, 31 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,840 Speaker 1: such as a brand, a team, or a city. They're 32 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: often associated with luckiness as well, with many believing their 33 00:02:25,800 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: presence alone is enough to improve one's fortunes. History has 34 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: no shortage of mascots, from the Owl of Athens to 35 00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:39,240 Speaker 1: medieval sigils, court jesters, Chinese dragons, and so on. The 36 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: roots of the concept go way deeper than you might think. 37 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: And while you may have never thought of a sports 38 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,679 Speaker 1: mascot as a good luck charm. That's basically the role 39 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: they fill. A mascot's goal is to show team spirit 40 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,640 Speaker 1: and amp up the crowd and the players, all in 41 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: the unspoken hope that their effort and positivity will bolster 42 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: the team and help them pull out a win. Of course, 43 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: our expectations for mascots have changed a lot over the years, 44 00:03:08,200 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: and they weren't always a fixture of sports games like 45 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:15,680 Speaker 1: they are today. The mascots rise to prominence was gradual, 46 00:03:15,919 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: and in the very beginning they really didn't do much 47 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: besides stand around being lucky. Take baseball, for example, in 48 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:27,240 Speaker 1: the early twentieth century, American baseball players had already latched 49 00:03:27,280 --> 00:03:31,359 Speaker 1: onto the idea of ordinary people acting as good luck mascots. 50 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: As you probably know, baseball players can be a superstitious lot, 51 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,000 Speaker 1: and that was true even in the early days of 52 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 1: the game. For instance, imagine there was a player who'd 53 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,280 Speaker 1: been in a slump for the whole game. Then in 54 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: the last inning he notices a kid and the bleacher 55 00:03:47,120 --> 00:03:50,200 Speaker 1: smiling at him, and then a second later, the player 56 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,600 Speaker 1: hits a home run and wins his team the game. Now, 57 00:03:53,760 --> 00:03:57,640 Speaker 1: maybe that was just a coincidence, But then again, maybe 58 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:00,480 Speaker 1: that kid is lucky, so just to be on the 59 00:04:00,520 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: safe side, the player gives his family some free tickets 60 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: for the next game, and the next and the next, 61 00:04:06,760 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: and before you know it, boom, the kid's a mascot. 62 00:04:10,560 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 1: Strange as it sounds, plenty of players had their own 63 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,479 Speaker 1: personal mascots like that, and sometimes an entire team would 64 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:21,320 Speaker 1: adopt a standout fan as its mascot. If a team 65 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,000 Speaker 1: went on a winning streak, there's a strong chance they'd 66 00:04:24,000 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: find someone or something around them to account for that success, 67 00:04:28,880 --> 00:04:30,760 Speaker 1: and then they'd hold on to it like there was 68 00:04:30,839 --> 00:04:34,400 Speaker 1: no tomorrow. The same was true for college games as well. 69 00:04:34,920 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 1: For instance, the Harvard team's early mascot was John d. Orangeman, 70 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,680 Speaker 1: who was a local vendor who sold fruit during all 71 00:04:41,720 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: their games. And then there's Handsome Dan, the bulldog that 72 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: Yale's team would walk around the field before every game. 73 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: In fact, the college still does that. Yale's currently on 74 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: its nineteenth Handsome Dan at the time of recording. Of course, 75 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: fruit vendors and live animals aren't what kind of mascots 76 00:05:01,120 --> 00:05:04,640 Speaker 1: you're likely to encounter these days. In place of passive 77 00:05:04,680 --> 00:05:08,960 Speaker 1: good luck charms, you'll often find wild costume performers making 78 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:13,360 Speaker 1: a spectacle on the sidelines. The rise of elaborate costume 79 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: characters took place during the nineteen seventies and eighties, but 80 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:19,960 Speaker 1: there was a move to more active team mascots as 81 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: early as the nineteen forties. One famous example comes from 82 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:28,160 Speaker 1: an exhibition game in Hawaii played by Joe Demaggio and 83 00:05:28,200 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 1: some World War II servicemen. One of the pitchers in 84 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:35,279 Speaker 1: that game was Max Patkin, a former minor league player 85 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:39,320 Speaker 1: who had joined the Navy following an arm injury. DiMaggio 86 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:42,120 Speaker 1: scored a home run off of Patkin, and then, much 87 00:05:42,160 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: to everyone's surprise, the pitcher left the mound and started 88 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:49,680 Speaker 1: mimicking the way Demaggio ran. Patkin chased the batter all 89 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,279 Speaker 1: around the bases, and the crowd ate it up. News 90 00:05:53,320 --> 00:05:56,200 Speaker 1: of the events spread quickly, and once the war was over, 91 00:05:56,400 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: the coach of the Cleveland Indians hired Patkin to entertain 92 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:02,760 Speaker 1: the crown at their games. Part of his act was 93 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:05,920 Speaker 1: to chase players around the bases after they hit home runs, 94 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:09,440 Speaker 1: but he would also make funny faces and do slapstick routines, 95 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,680 Speaker 1: like using five bats to hit a ball or jumping 96 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: out of the way when someone threw him a pitch. 97 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,160 Speaker 1: It was the type of act that rodeo clowns were 98 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:21,800 Speaker 1: known for, and Patkin eventually became known as the clown 99 00:06:21,839 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: Prince of Baseball, a true legend in his own right. 100 00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: He racked up more than four thousand appearances during his 101 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: career and supposedly never missed a game from nineteen forty 102 00:06:32,480 --> 00:06:36,520 Speaker 1: four to nineteen ninety three, when he finally retired. And 103 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: while Patkin never wore a giant foam mask during his 104 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:43,440 Speaker 1: time as mascot, he did help promote the idea that 105 00:06:43,560 --> 00:06:47,359 Speaker 1: mascots should wear costumes. In his case, that meant a 106 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 1: baggy baseball uniform with a question mark instead of a number. 107 00:06:51,320 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: But in nineteen sixty four, during the middle of Patkins's 108 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,160 Speaker 1: tenure as the clown Prince of Baseball, the New York 109 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,839 Speaker 1: Mets up their game by giving their mask a giant 110 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,200 Speaker 1: baseball shaped mask to go along with his uniform. The 111 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:09,679 Speaker 1: resulting character, Mister Met, is considered the first Major League 112 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: Baseball costumed mascot to exist in human form rather than 113 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:17,720 Speaker 1: just as artwork. He was a big hit with crowds 114 00:07:17,720 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: for about a decade, but then in the mid nineteen 115 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:25,480 Speaker 1: seventies he was phased out due to waning popularity. Luckily 116 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: for mascot fans, a college student in San Diego stepped 117 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: up to fill the gap left by mister Met, and 118 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: he did so while dressed as a giant red chicken. 119 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy four, Ted Gannulis was studying journalism at 120 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: San Diego State University when he and some friends were 121 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: approached by a local rock station called KGBFM. As part 122 00:07:49,520 --> 00:07:52,200 Speaker 1: of a promotion. They were looking for someone to appear 123 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:54,640 Speaker 1: in a chicken suit at the San Diego Zoo and 124 00:07:54,760 --> 00:07:58,600 Speaker 1: other local venues. Ted, who dreamed of becoming a radio 125 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 1: host himself, except did the gig immediately, thinking that it 126 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,520 Speaker 1: might get him a foothold in the industry. After his 127 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:09,320 Speaker 1: ten days stint at the Zoo, Ted convinced station management 128 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: to send him to the Padres opening night game. His 129 00:08:12,640 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: appearance left such an impression on the press and the 130 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,400 Speaker 1: public that the station wound up keeping him on to 131 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:22,679 Speaker 1: play the chicken for the next five years. Eventually, people 132 00:08:22,720 --> 00:08:26,400 Speaker 1: started going to Padres games mostly to see the famous chicken, 133 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 1: and as his reputation grew, the chickens Antics garnered national 134 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: attention as well, and Ted started receiving offers to perform 135 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: at events outside of San Diego and for sports besides baseball. 136 00:08:40,360 --> 00:08:45,120 Speaker 1: Those appearances weren't always sanctioned by KGB management, but since 137 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,480 Speaker 1: the station's logo was prominently displayed on the vest of 138 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:51,200 Speaker 1: the costume, they decided to let it go for the 139 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: time being. After all, since the Chicken had made his debut, 140 00:08:55,320 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: the station's ratings had climbed from fifth place in San 141 00:08:58,600 --> 00:09:03,480 Speaker 1: Diego to first. Ted's performances had also won a nineteen 142 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,160 Speaker 1: seventy seven Emmy for a KGB commercial, and he was 143 00:09:07,200 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: even awarded a commendation from the state legislature for his 144 00:09:11,160 --> 00:09:15,720 Speaker 1: quote comedy contributions to the state of California. It was 145 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:19,280 Speaker 1: hard to argue with that kind of success, but eventually 146 00:09:19,480 --> 00:09:22,360 Speaker 1: the station grew to feel that Ted was overstepping his 147 00:09:22,520 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: role and seizing control of their character. The breaking point 148 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: came on May fourth, nineteen seventy nine, when Ted performed 149 00:09:31,240 --> 00:09:35,199 Speaker 1: as the Chicken at a nationally televised NBA playoff game 150 00:09:35,320 --> 00:09:40,280 Speaker 1: in Seattle. He did so without displaying the KGB logo, 151 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: enraging station management and leading to his prompt termination. Then, 152 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: when Ted refused to give back the costume, KGB sued 153 00:09:49,600 --> 00:09:52,120 Speaker 1: him for breach of contract to the tune of two 154 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:56,559 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand dollars. At a hearing later that month, 155 00:09:56,760 --> 00:09:59,640 Speaker 1: a judge ordered Ted to return the Chicken suit and 156 00:09:59,679 --> 00:10:03,600 Speaker 1: to re frame from any further performances as the famous Chicken. 157 00:10:04,440 --> 00:10:08,080 Speaker 1: Losing control of the character he'd created and portrayed for 158 00:10:08,240 --> 00:10:11,640 Speaker 1: years was a massive blow to Ted's ego and to 159 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: his livelihood, but he didn't let it get him down 160 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:19,080 Speaker 1: for long. As KGB continued on with another performer in 161 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,160 Speaker 1: his old suit, Ted set to work designing a new 162 00:10:22,240 --> 00:10:25,560 Speaker 1: costume with the help of his seamstress mother and his sister. 163 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: The result was a flashier orange and yellow chicken suit 164 00:10:29,880 --> 00:10:32,600 Speaker 1: with blue plumage on the head and wings, and a 165 00:10:32,720 --> 00:10:35,880 Speaker 1: vest bearing an original symbol in place of the letters 166 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:40,080 Speaker 1: kg B. Once his new duds were ready, Ted started 167 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,640 Speaker 1: looking for the perfect place to relaunch his act. It 168 00:10:43,800 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: wasn't a tough search either, as he had become such 169 00:10:46,480 --> 00:10:49,520 Speaker 1: a beloved public figure that just about any venue in 170 00:10:49,600 --> 00:10:52,880 Speaker 1: town would have gladly booked him. In the end, though, 171 00:10:53,080 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: Ted struck a deal with the Padres to hold the 172 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:59,320 Speaker 1: event at San Diego Stadium. They started building hype for 173 00:10:59,360 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: the event by holding a press conference at the ballpark 174 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 1: on June twenty fifth. Ted conducted the interview from inside 175 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:11,240 Speaker 1: a custom made eight foot styrofoam egg, forcing reporters to 176 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:14,520 Speaker 1: put their ears and microphones up to the shell to 177 00:11:14,600 --> 00:11:18,760 Speaker 1: hear his responses. He didn't reveal which animal he'd be hatching, 178 00:11:18,800 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: ass leaving fans to wonder whether his new costume would 179 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: be just another chicken, a different kind of bird, or 180 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: maybe even a reptile. Ted invited the public to come 181 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:33,040 Speaker 1: find out for themselves at the grand hatching ceremony on 182 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:38,040 Speaker 1: June twenty ninth, and remarkably, more than forty seven thousand 183 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:42,240 Speaker 1: people did just that. All week long, the giant egg 184 00:11:42,400 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: had been displayed in the right field pavilion, driving the 185 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:50,000 Speaker 1: public wild with curiosity. As a result, the San Diego 186 00:11:50,080 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: Stadium filled to capacity that night, and national TV crews 187 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:56,920 Speaker 1: were on hand to film the event for any fans 188 00:11:56,920 --> 00:12:00,240 Speaker 1: who couldn't be there in person. While it was and 189 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: technically the main event, Ted's hatching all but eclipsed the 190 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:08,320 Speaker 1: evening's game between the Padres and the visiting Astros. Its 191 00:12:08,360 --> 00:12:11,080 Speaker 1: start time was even pushed back half an hour to 192 00:12:11,160 --> 00:12:16,120 Speaker 1: accommodate the hatching. As the capacity crowd grew restless, they 193 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:20,520 Speaker 1: started chanting we want the chicken, until finally the outfield 194 00:12:20,559 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: gates opened and Ted entered the stadium crouched inside his 195 00:12:24,600 --> 00:12:28,640 Speaker 1: enormous egg. It was perched atop an armored truck and 196 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:33,640 Speaker 1: escorted by two California Highway Patrol motorcycles. When the motorcade 197 00:12:33,679 --> 00:12:36,880 Speaker 1: reached third base, a group of Padres players lifted the 198 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,600 Speaker 1: egg off the roof and placed it onto the infield. 199 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: One of the players then knocked on the egg with 200 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 1: his hand, signaling Ted that it was time for the 201 00:12:45,280 --> 00:12:49,880 Speaker 1: San Diego chicken to be reborn. The egg wobbled around 202 00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:53,239 Speaker 1: the field for a few seconds, then, as the soundtrack 203 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:56,160 Speaker 1: to two thousand and one A Space Odyssey played over 204 00:12:56,160 --> 00:12:59,440 Speaker 1: the loudspeakers, Ted burst out of the shell in full 205 00:12:59,520 --> 00:13:04,400 Speaker 1: costume and received a ten minute standing ovation. The world 206 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: had just witnessed one of the greatest pr spectacles in 207 00:13:07,640 --> 00:13:11,560 Speaker 1: baseball history, and Ted ga Nulis had just secured one 208 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: of the biggest paydays of his life. In a shrewd 209 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: bit of bargaining, he had asked for an attendance based 210 00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 1: bonus if the hatching drew more than the Padres average 211 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: crowd of eighteen thousand people. Management didn't think that was 212 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,080 Speaker 1: very likely, so they agreed to pay Ted one dollar 213 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:33,080 Speaker 1: and fifty cents per ticket above the average attendance, and 214 00:13:33,200 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: since more than twenty nine thousand additional fans showed up 215 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:40,800 Speaker 1: for the grand Hatching, that means Ted pocketed nearly forty 216 00:13:40,840 --> 00:13:45,079 Speaker 1: four thousand dollars for a single night's work. He later 217 00:13:45,160 --> 00:13:49,680 Speaker 1: reflected on what that payday meant, saying, quote, the next day, 218 00:13:49,960 --> 00:13:52,440 Speaker 1: the Padres cut me a check for more than forty 219 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: three thousand dollars, more than eight times what the highest 220 00:13:56,000 --> 00:13:59,800 Speaker 1: Major league player was paid per game. The entire amount 221 00:13:59,880 --> 00:14:03,320 Speaker 1: was gobbled up by attorney fees as I defended myself 222 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:08,520 Speaker 1: from KGB's litigation. Still, the fans turnout that night saved 223 00:14:08,559 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: my bacon, allowing me to continue onward in my career. 224 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: And what a career it turned out to be. After 225 00:14:16,559 --> 00:14:20,160 Speaker 1: a nineteen eighty court ruling allowed Ted to continue performing 226 00:14:20,240 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: in his new suit, he started appearing as the famous 227 00:14:23,120 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: Chicken all over the country. Sporting events remained his bread 228 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: and butter, but the Chicken also performed at concerts, parades, 229 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:34,320 Speaker 1: and trade shows as well as at private events such 230 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: as birthday parties, weddings, and mitzvahs. In addition to appearing 231 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,240 Speaker 1: in all fifty states, Ted also took his act international, 232 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: performing in Canada, Mexico, Australia, Japan, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands. 233 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,920 Speaker 1: His appearances have become less frequent in recent years due 234 00:14:53,920 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: to the COVID nineteen pandemic and his own advancing age. 235 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,280 Speaker 1: But even if Ted never gets to shake his tail 236 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: feathers for another crowd, he's earned a permanent place in 237 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:07,080 Speaker 1: mascot history and in the hearts of sports fans around 238 00:15:07,080 --> 00:15:11,000 Speaker 1: the globe. He's also left an indelible mark on the 239 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: business of baseball. Other teams and owners took notice of 240 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: how popular and potentially lucrative a mascot like the Chicken 241 00:15:18,960 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: could be. Most official mascots of the era were still 242 00:15:22,760 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: of the maskless sort, like Patkin and his baggy uniform, 243 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:30,080 Speaker 1: but with a full body costume and mask, a team 244 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: could create a larger than life character, and, better yet, 245 00:15:33,720 --> 00:15:37,920 Speaker 1: an anonymous one. Unlike traditional mascots, no one would be 246 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,280 Speaker 1: able to tell who was wearing the costume. That allowed 247 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:44,680 Speaker 1: for a mascot that wouldn't age or retire, or do 248 00:15:44,760 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: something scandalous to tarnish the team's image. But even more importantly, 249 00:15:49,680 --> 00:15:53,359 Speaker 1: it also allowed for mascots that could be easily merchandised. 250 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: Following the Chicken's lead, other teams and then other sports 251 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: gradually got in on the action. Pretty soon every sports 252 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:04,520 Speaker 1: team in the country had a big headed mascot and 253 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,960 Speaker 1: its corner. So no matter which team you're root for, 254 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:10,880 Speaker 1: if you've ever smiled at the sight of your mascot, 255 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: be sure to give a cluck of Thanks to Ted 256 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: Gaulis aka the San Diego Chicken, the one who started 257 00:16:18,720 --> 00:16:24,200 Speaker 1: it all. I'm Gabe Bluesia, and hopefully you now know 258 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:27,560 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 259 00:16:28,200 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: If you enjoyed today's episode, consider keeping up with us 260 00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show. You 261 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: can also rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts, 262 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,240 Speaker 1: or you can get in touch directly by writing to 263 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: This Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays 264 00:16:46,920 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: and Ben Hackett for producing the show, and thanks to 265 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:52,520 Speaker 1: you for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow 266 00:16:52,680 --> 00:17:03,720 Speaker 1: for another day in History Class.