Let me preface this post by saying I am in no way making sport, pardon the pun–you’ll see what pun in a minute–but this needs told and I’m going to tie it into how I come up with plots and maybe it’ll benefit you. Or at the very least give you a laugh then a clamped hand over the face and a, “Oops, sorry.”
So, apparently in September of 2009, a fan was injured at a Royals game in Overland Park, Kansas.
How you ask?
Imagine it’s the bottom of the ninth (that is baseball jargon, right–lesson: do your research) the bases are loaded. The crowd is intoxicated with smells of peanuts, cotton candy and victory for the winning team.
Bamp bamp bamp bamp, bamp bamp bamp bamp… the music is playing.
Shirtless idiots have painted lion heads on their chests showing off their incredible six packs…of beer. They shake it for the crowd and point at themselves on the jumbotron while sipping more foamy beverages from tubes attached to helmets adorning their heads.
Yes, this is baseball.
The Royals mascot, the lion, with a crown of what can only be assumed as mascot flesh–eeeew–engages the crowd.
Does he roar? Why no. Any lion can roar. Does he do the macarena? No, that’s so not even retro. Moonwalk? Moon? He’s the king of the jungle.
No, this lion launches a foil wrapped wiener into the stands.
Poor crowd-onlooker doesn’t…even…see it…coming.
The hot dog strikes the man’s eye, which according to the news article, results in two eye surgeries. I feel for him. “Dude, what happened?”
“I got nailed by hot dog.”
Can you imagine the off-color jokes that have followed him these past years?
Anyway, eeeeww…and moving along. The guy sues. Naturally. I’m not making this up. You can read the article HERE.
But the plot is endless isn’t it? What if the mascot was a woman? A jilted lover with the attempt to bean her ex–after all he is with another woman. What if she paid the real mascot to let her in the costume b/c she’s got a crush on a player? Then beaning a random stranger gets her in big trouble.
What if the guy she smacks with the hot dog does get hurt, but not severely, and they end up getting together. Let’s be honest, how many inciting incidents have you ever read about started off with someone punting a hot dog into the hero/heroine’s eye?
What if a mascot really did injure a man’s eye and he was a pilot? Now he can’t work, he loses he wife, family, home…so he comes back for revenge.
There are all sorts of ways to come up with fresh story ideas. All you need to do is read the news.
