A Furry Hall of Fame

During the recent Super Bowl festivities, most sports fans will know that the NFL has announced it's Hall of Fame class for this year. This groups joins the ever expanding exhibits at Canton, OH later this summer. 

As a fan, it's interesting how saying Springfield, MA or Cooperstown, NY or Canton, OH immediately conjures up images of their respective major sports halls. So surely when I say Whiting, IN you immediately think of images of employees of brands like the Phillies, the Phoenix Suns, Auburn, U Wisconsin-Madison, U Delaware, Western Kentucky U, and the Utah Jazz. You don't? Then you clearly don't know about the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Yes, even the dancing, prancing mascot on the sidelines of college or pro sports events has a Hall of Fame that they can aspire to. Originally intended as an on-line HOF under the initiative of David Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic, the Hall is soon to be the main attraction in Whiting, IN.  The 25,000 square foot, multi-million dollar building will open in 2017 with a wide range of family friendly exhibits to celebrate mascots in all their furry forms.

Now I've got nothing against either mascots or Whiting, IN.  I'm sure the next attraction will delight young kids and entertain parents and grandparents who venture to the south shore of Lake Michigan. But IMHO a Hall of Fame is a means to permanently encase a showcase-able talent or personality, to tap into memories of the viewing public. Visiting Cooperstown is about seeing the ball Mantle hit, or the bat Ruth used, or the uniform of  Lou Gehrig. It's about remembering the amazing Mets of '69, or the Big Red Machine of the 70's, or more recent teams or players or games. Somehow remembering how the Philly Phanatic hazed umpires, or the Auburn mascot doing push-ups after a score doesn't qualify as lasting memories, but a side show at a main event. You don't pay to see the mascot at the event, so why pay to see the mascot in a Hall of Fame?

Maybe someone can enlighten me on this.