#Reggy the purple party dude professional#

Modern mascots are creatures of branding, the property of franchises fearful of relinquishing control of their googly-eyed ambassadors, even to something as affirming as a Hall of Fame. It is a Hall of Fame like no other, partly by design, partly out of necessity. The Whiting police snared the snot, it was reattached with extra glue, and the Hall of Fame opened on time, just before New Year's 2019. A giant fuchsia mascot, Reggy Funfurhuggin, informally known as 'the purple party dude,' was created for the Hall and affixed to the front of the building - which then caused a brief crisis when a storm blew his rainbow-colored booger-ball down Front Street like a psychedelic tumbleweed. Phone calls were made, deals were struck, designers and contractors went to work. Proto-mascots include Henry VIII's court jester and the U.S. He noted that an under-the-radar community such as Whiting was the ideal spot for 'the unsung heroes of sport.' 'It was a great marriage of concept and reality,' said Orestes Hernandez, the Hall's executive director. But in 2014 the mayor of Whiting, Indiana, who was searching for an idea to attract visitors, came upon the digital Hall and decided that a real Mascot Hall of Fame would be a perfect match for his town: quirky, Midwestern, and not too far from an Interstate exit. These are the creatures - and their inhabitant performers - enshrined in the Mascot Hall of Fame. They dump garbage cans of popcorn on delighted fans.

#Reggy the purple party dude professional#

Then a new breed of mascot appeared and eventually surpassed all the others: a high-energy human being in a funny furry suit, entertaining crowds at professional (or near-professional) sports games. 'Strut Your Stuff!' stage encourages visitors to channel their inner mascot.