Rumble grumble.

The NBA playoffs are here and the Mavs have made it into the postseason. While I love the Mavs and am a Cuban-certified MFFL (Mav Fan For Life, probably not the best initialism, say all the mo-fos out there), I'm afraid my hopes and dreams don't extend past the first round. Sad, I know, but that's just how I feel.

Also in NBA news, the inaugural season of the Oklahoma City Thunder did not end with a trip to the playoffs. No one really expected it to, but that's not why I bring them up. This is a little old, but I was asked to comment on it. Bringing almost as much controversy as the relocating of the Sonics to OKC was the introduction of the Thunder's mascot, Rumble.

Now I love mascots, especially dunking ones. Dallas' own Mavs Man? Genius. He's made out of basketball. Of course he can do a somersault-jam off a trampoline.Then there's Rumble. Don't get me wrong, I don't think he's all that bad, in fact, I'll go on record as saying I think Rumble is O.K. I like the fact that he's a bison - very appropriate choice for an Oklahoma team, tapping into the local culture. Way more thought must have gone into this than the team's actual name (still disappointed in "Thunder," I think "Marshals" would have been a much cooler and certainly less generic name, but at least "Rumble" as a name works for both a bison and thunder). But the fans and the media (at least the obscure segment of the media that deems this type of item worthy of comment) have given ol' Rumble a tepid reception and a resounding, "meh."

I think most of the people's beef has come from the fact that he looks very much like Teen Wolf. Though it should be noted that, in the relocation of the team from Seattle to OKC, the mascot came along as well. The Sonics' costumed representative was another hairy bugger called Squatch. Squatch was loved by the fans in the Pacific Northwest. Why? 1. Because he was hairy, 2. because he was part of local culture (yes, Bigfoot is an indiginous creature to Washington) and 3. because he could shoot t-shirts out of a canon (r.i.p. Maude Flanders). Rumble does all these things, and in reality, he is Squatch, albeit with a different head and jersey. But then again, isn't the team itself (different head and jersey, that is)?

And the Teen Wolf thing? How can that be bad? Have they ever seen Teen Wolf, he was awesome at basketball (ignore Teen Wolf, Too, I'm trying to make a point). Come to think of it, why hasn't anbody used him as their mascot? For further evidence read this - COVERING TEEN WOLF: ONE COACH'S GUIDE.

So, I think I've adressed that adequately, Rumble is perfect for the Thunder. Sadly, one other comment I read on a sports blog I have no defense for, and that is:
"This mascot will have sex with your wife." I mean, look at that guy. He's got bedroom eyes.