Dein erstes Forum » many years to come and it was i

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- Do you prefer Chicagos Benny the Bull or Bostons Wally the Green Monster? The deviousness of Arizona States Sparky the Sun Devil or the goofiness of South Carolinas Cocky? Or maybe youre more traditional, and like Penn States Nittany Lion. If youre offbeat, go for Stanfords Tree.Those are among the choices people could have when the Mascot Hall of Fame announces its ballot of six candidates for the hall at a groundbreaking ceremony Friday in northwestern Indiana. After more than a decade of existing only online, the mascots are getting a place to flock together somewhere other than sidelines, ESPN commercials or the Capital One Mascot Challenge.Sam Weyen thinks the hall shall never see a mascot more lovely than the Stanford Tree.What other mascot strikes as much joy in the hearts of fans as it does creepy fear? We have a monopoly on that, said the symbolic systems major from Suwanee, Georgia, who has been the Tree since February. I cant think of a more iconic mascot and one that has been kicked out of so many stadiums as well.The Tree is not officially the universitys mascot -- its the mascot of the band known for its irreverence and has been banned from several stadiums for several years.Dave Johnson, who was Penn States Nittany Lion from 2005 to 2007, believes that mascot should be inducted because of simplicity and tradition. Its stuck to the same basic look since the 1920s.When you think of a college mascot, a lot of these other mascots ... theyre kind of gimmicky. Theyve got the inflatable mascots bouncing around, all that type of thing, and theyre limited in what they can do, Johnson said. In the ever-changing landscape of college campuses, the lion is always the same.The Mascot Hall of Fame will be built in Whiting, a city along Lake Michigan best known for its oil refinery and its Pierogi Fest -- a weekend event in July that celebrates Polish dumplings. More than 250,000 people take part in pierogi eating contests, pierogi tosses and polkas.David Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic and the halls founder, said the city 20 miles southeast of Chicago is the perfect site for two reasons: It was willing to put up $7 million for the building and its 5,000 residents embrace quirky.Their brand is the little wacky city that could, so they embrace the silliness of this project, Raymond said.Mayor Joseph Stahura said the hall is being financed through tax increment financing and is part of a plan to try to establish the city as one- or two-day tourist destination. A sustainability study says the hall should draw 50,000 visitors a year, he said.The idea for the hall was sparked by a 2003 incident of mascot abuse. Sports fans nationwide were shocked when Pittsburgh first baseman Randall Simon used a bat to fell one of the four Racing Sausages during a Milwaukee Brewers game in the bop heard round the world.Simon, who said he did not deliberately try to knock down the Italian sausage, was cited for disorderly conduct.We as a group in our office said we really should take advantage of this, have some fun with it, but also promote the fact that mascots sometimes arent getting the respect they deserve, Raymond said.That led to the creation of a mascot bill of rights , a mascot march in Philadelphia and the creation of the online hall. The inaugural class of the Phillie Phanatic, the Famous Chicken (aka the San Diego Chicken) and the Phoenix Gorilla was inducted in 2005.To date, 10 pro and seven collegiate mascots have been inducted. The pro honorees include Mr. Met, KC Wolf of the Kansas City Chiefs and Rocky of the Denver Nuggets. The college legends include Ohio States Brutus Buckeye, Wisconsins Bucky the Badger and Tennessees Smokey.Not all mascots are eligible for the hall, just the fully costumed kind. Raymond said the hall organizers may recognize human and animal mascots eventually in some way. Members of the hall are selected through voting by the public online, lifetime hall voting members (comes with a $50 donation) and an executive committee.Weyen said even if selected, the Tree doesnt belong in the hall.I would stipulate it has to be outside because trees dont like to be inside, he said.Carlos Carrasco Indians Jersey . Aside from the trilogy main event title fight, there are a number of intriguing matchups in the heavyweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Omar Vizquel Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. http://www.indianssale.com/indians-joe-carter-jersey/ .C. -- Rodney Hood connected from all over the court while freshman Jabari Parker was busy swatting shots and scoring in transition. Tyler Clippard Indians Jersey . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Roberto Perez Indians Jersey . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday.DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Nathan MacKinnon to a $44.1 million, seven-year deal that runs through the 2022-23 season.The 20-year-old MacKinnon had 21 goals and 31 assists last season. He missed the last 10 games after he sprained a ligament in his knee. MacKinnon also sat out the final 18 games a year ago because of a broken foot.He was the No. 1 pick in the 2013 draft and went on to win the Calder Trophy as the leagues top rookie.Signing Nathan to a long-term contract was a priority this offseason, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic said Friday in a release. He is going to be a key part of our team for many years to come and it was important to secure his rights moving forward.The Avalanche missed the postseason for a second straight year, but are banking heavily on a rebound behind a young nucleus that also includes Matt Duchene and captain Gabriel Landeskog.ddddddddddddhe pressure has risen since signing this, said MacKinnon, who is from Halifax, Nova Scotia, and will spend time this offseason working out with Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby. Theyre making it a point that they want me to help get us back to the Cup. Thats the simple goal behind this.I really think the players we have, the young guys we have, the veterans -- we have a very good mix. Its been a disappointing couple of seasons. But I truly believe were going to be a very strong team and a contender for years to come. ' ' '