Being a Mascot Blows!

I recently saw this video of "Rocky" the mascot for the Denver Nuggets who had a mishap Friday night. The mascot was to be lowered from the rafters as part of the team intro. But, for whatever reason, the guy in the costume had passed out and the lifeless carcass was seen--motionless coming down from the roof and collapsing as he got to the floor.

Askmen.com ranked Rocky as one of the top 10 mascots in the NBA and estimated his salary at over $100,000. According to an article in the Tampa Bay Times, NBA mascots have a starting salary of "$40,000-$45,000"

I personally remember having to be a radio station mascot, dressed as what was known as "The Free Money Bunny". The costume was so hot and constricting that I became dizzy from the heat and barfed all over a child. No joke. The kid probably suffered through years of therapy since.

But let's hear stories from mascots who haven't made it to the Bigs. Maybe you worked as a dancing shampoo bottle or Uncle Sam at tax time or some cartoon character at a theme park. ALL of them have horror stories: gropings, kicks to the genitals, and inevitable falls because of the limited visibility.