I’m not sure what’s more entertaining: the fact that the Phillie Phanatic gets sued all the time or the fact that the plaintiff’s lawyer in this latest case -- arising out of the Phanatic’s antics at a minor league game at Reading -- seems to be doing a pretty good job of humanizing, er, Phanaticising the defendant:
He also sued in Philly rather than in Reading, where the alleged incident occurred. Which while not totally silly -- city juries may be more plaintiff-friendly than smaller town juries -- is a bit counter-intuitive, because you don’t want to let your defendant have home field advantage.
Even the woman’s attorney, John Speicher, of Wyomissing, said that people around him have said that “this is like suing Santa Claus.” “I’m expecting him to come to a deposition, stick his stomach and his tongue out at me and not say anything,” Speicher said . . .
. . . Speicher agreed that the Phanatic is more “engaging and interactive” than the mascots typically seen at Reading Phillies games. “Their mascot is Screwball, and it’s like he’s on Valium,” Speicher said. “They say Screwball has the energy of Perry Como.”
Sue in Reading and the Phanatic will be on his ATV, going back and forth to court appearance, all the time.
