Report: Phillies go to court to keep Phanatic
The Philadelphia Phillies philed a phederal lawsuit, er, filed a federal lawsuit on Friday in an effort to keep the Phillie Phanatic as their mascot for the long term, according to multiple reports.
The goofy, green Phanatic has been part of Phillies home games since 1978. But the franchise alleges that the firm of Harrison/Erickson Inc., which it hired to create the mascot, is trying to pull out of a three-decades-old agreement and make the mascot a furry free agent.
The Phillies paid $215,000 to the firm in 1984 for permanent rights to the Phanatic and its costume, the lawsuit states, according to reports. The New York-based firm allegedly has tried to terminate the agreement for the past year and is seeking a seven-figure sum.
The team filed the lawsuit in New York.
--Field Level Media
