Rays' sting goes way over the line
Tampa Bay aplogizes after mascot holds up morbid sign during game
MASCOTS ARE supposed to romp among the fans, kiss babies, flirt with the ladies and act silly.
Someone, it seems, forgot to tell that to Raymond, the blue creature (he's supposed to be a sea dog) employed by the Tampa Bay Rays.
On Wednesday, in a home game against the Orioles, a fan with a sick sense of humor handed Raymond a sign. The mascot looked it over and then held it up.
Bad move.
As you can see from the photo, it wasn't funny.
Steve Irwin, you might remember, was better known as the host of "The Crocodile Hunter" TV show. He died in September of 2006 after being stung in the chest by a stingray.
On Thursday, the Rays issued a statement apologizing for the incident.
"Last night Rays mascot Raymond was handed an inappropriate sign brought to the game by a fan," the statement read. "Fans are welcome to bring signs into Tropicana Field provided they are not offensive. The Tampa Bay Rays regret that this particular sign was displayed in the ballpark, and we apologize for the lapse in judgment."
Raymond will no doubt be inside the park for future Rays games.
The question is: Will the same person be inside Raymond?
Wilt grabs spotlight
On this date in 1967, Wilt Chamberlain set an NBA single-game playoff record by grabbing 41 rebounds to lead the Sixers over the Celtics - and Bill Russell - in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics.