Phanatic Dethrones Chicken As Top Mascot

Ter, 19 Abr, 2011 | 16:21:25

MyFoxPhilly.com
(http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/sports/local_sports/phanatic-dethrones-chicken-as-top-mascot-041911?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter)



The Phillie Phanatic has officially dethroned his rival, The Famous Chicken, as America's favorite sports mascot in a Forbes annual fan survey.

The two sports mascots have swapped the top spot in the Forbes survey for the past two years, with the Phanatic (2011) and The Chicken (2010) in a tight national race.

FYI, Mr. Met was the winner in 2009, but he's now in fourth place, with the Milwaukee Sausages ahead of Mr. Met.

The Phanatic and The Chicken have been rivals since 1978, when The Chicken ruled a small roost of sports mascots.

Since then, the sports mascot business has taken off, and the Phanatic has become identified with Philadelphia.

Meanwhile, The Chicken (or The Famous Chicken as he is legally called) makes national appearances and isn't really associated with San Diego.

The Phanatic also beat The Chicken in 2008 in the Forbes poll. In an ESPN interview in 2007, The Chicken trashed Philadelphia sports fans and the Phanatic.

The Chicken's "friend," Ted Giannoulas, told ESPN he hated Philadelphia the most of any city .

"Philly will never let me in, because they know I'd steal the thunder of the Phanatic. I could sell 60,000 tickets like that. But they don't want me because I'd steal that guy's thunder," said Giannoulas, who also took some credit for developing the Phanatic's schtick.

The Phanatic was not giving interviews on Tuesday, since he is from the Galapagos Islands and not much of a public speaker.


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