Mascots were quite dull until Dave Raymond came along. He changed that, winning friends – and an enemy – along the way
You probably know Dave Raymond. Or, at least, if you’ve paid any attention to sport and particularly
American sport over the last 40 years or so, you know Dave Raymond’s work.
Not on the field, though: just to the side. For 15 years, Raymond was the man inside the suit of the Phanatic, the Philadelphia Phillies anarchic giant green mascot, the mascot upon whom most mascots since have been based. And after hanging up the furry suit, Raymond became essentially a mascot consultant: the chances are that if you’ve heard of a mascot in North American sports, he’s the brains behind it.