Groundbreaking held for site near Chicago

Bull (NBA, Chicago Bulls), Sluggerrr (MLB, Kansas City Royals), Stuff (NBA, Orlando Magic), Nittany Lion (Penn State University) and Hairy Dawg (University of Georgia).

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 hall’s 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.

The idea for the hall was sparked by a 2003 incident of mascot abuse. Sports fans nationwide were shocked when Pittsburgh Pirates 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.

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 State’s Brutus Buckeye, Wisconsin’s Bucky the Badger and Tennessee’s Smokey.