SEATTLE — A presentation was taking place inside a conference room at the Seattle Kraken‘s practice facility when one of the doors began to slowly open.
Panic began taking shape at that moment.
This forced a 6-foot-tall, furry, blue troll with an anchor hoop earring dangling on his left side and a blue tentacle hanging from his right ear to find a hiding spot. It made everyone else inside the room burst into laughter, right after the person who tried going into the room was told it was not a good time.
Now you know the lengths the Kraken are willing to go to keep a secret.
At that time, less than 50 people on the planet had even seen Buoy. That changed Saturday when the Kraken introduced their mascot to the rest of the world by having him rappel from the Climate Pledge Arena rafters before a preseason game against the Vancouver Canucks.
It was no secret the Kraken were going to have a mascot. Everything else, however, was a mystery. Nobody knew what name they would choose or what the mascot would even look like, until now.
Hundreds of ideas and names were submitted in the Kraken’s quest for a mascot. From it all came Buoy. His backstory is that he is the nephew of the Fremont Troll, the iconic Seattle sculpture that inspired his creation. The name was chosen because the Kraken kept coming back to how it sounded for a mascot.
“We looked at all the characters in this area and we wanted to make sure that what we brought was going to be unique. We didn’t want to be like anybody else,” Kraken vice president of entertainment experience and production Lamont Buford said. “When you look at a lot of mascots in sports, you can tell which mascots that were generated from looking at another mascot. We wanted to make sure we avoided that.”
Creating a mascot comes with obstacles — especially in the post-Gritty era in which already-high expectations are even higher for what is often a subjective task. The goal for the Kraken was to find a mascot that felt local. But that request also came with limitations. They did not want to have an octopus for a mascot because that already belongs to the Detroit Red Wings.
They also did not want to use a kraken. The argument is that nobody knows what a kraken looks like. And because of that, they wanted to keep that mystery going but still have a mascot that could strike the right tone.
“We talk about the kraken as living in the theater of the mind. It’s a mysterious beast. We don’t want to be a cartoon brand which is why we have not revealed the full kraken,” Kraken senior vice president of marketing and communications Katie Townsend said. “It was a fairly obvious choice that we would not go with a kraken, but would do a deep dive led by Lamont and team to examine what is the right mascot for the city, for the fans and for the brand.”
Buford said Buoy’s blue fur matches the shade of the team’s color scheme. His hair is a nod to hockey hair, while also paying homage to the long hair famously associated with Squatch, the longtime mascot of the Seattle SuperSonics. The tentacle dangling from the ear is a way to let fans know Buoy “had an encounter with a kraken,” while his earring is the same anchor used as the team’s shoulder patch.
To Buford’s knowledge, the only team that has a troll for a mascot is Trinity Christian College, an NAIA school in Illinois.
Going with something that was unique meant the Kraken wanted to test Buoy with different focus groups to make sure his look was both family- and adult-friendly. That way, the team could send an inviting presence out into the community for events like birthday parties or festivals.
One of the ways to do that was to make Buoy have a squeaky nose. He also has a removable tooth so he can look like a hockey player, and a dance called the “Buoy Boogie” that he will do at various times.
It even extends to how Buoy signs his name. The B is designed to look like a buoy with flashing lights, while the tail from the Y continues to go underneath his name in a wavelike pattern.
The process began in 2020, with the organization asking if they needed a mascot. Buford and Townsend said the Kraken kept hearing from fans that they wanted one. So they took on the challenge, spoke with different stakeholders within the organization and began brainstorming.
Eventually, the team narrowed it to nine ideas, with Buoy being the eventual winner.
“Some of them are things you could have imagined what they would have been,” Townsend said. “There were some that were abstract like a Squatch. We looked at marine life. We looked at things associated with a kraken. It would never be Squatch. We hope the Sonics will come back someday, and that is the Sonics’ mascot.”
Of course, as all this was being discussed, Buford and Townsend also kept an eye on the door to make sure nobody else knew about the mascot. Secrecy has become a significant part of the Kraken’s operation. It was like that when it came to their logo and uniform design, and nobody knew for certain they were hiring coach Dave Hakstol until they issued a release saying they had hired the former Philadelphia Flyers coach to be the first in team history.
Buford’s team designed Buoy, so they were in constant contact. Townsend’s team did not see it until May. The Kraken’s executive ownership team saw Buoy in September, while the Kraken’s players met the mascot about a week before the release.
There were several questions the Kraken had to answer prior to Buoy’s introduction. Perhaps one of the most important was how he would be received by fans and the hockey world at large?
Mascots can often be a polarizing topic. Some people love them. Others could go without them for a number of reasons. Everything from the name to how they look, along with other nuances, can become social media fodder for at least a few days.
How does a team that spends years working on a mascot prepare for the potential criticism that could come its way?
“I think with a mascot, I almost expect it to be 50-50,” Townsend said. “It’s very divisive. People feel very passionate. Not everyone is a mascot person, and that’s also fine. I think what we do is our due diligence with our focus groups … and we feel we’ve created a mascot that is fun and fits our brand, then we’re going to go forward with the launch.”
DETROIT — Tucker Gleason ran for one overtime score and threw for four more as Toledo beat Pittsburgh 48-46 in a bowl-record six overtimes at the GameAbove Sports Bowl at Ford Field on Thursday.
The game surpassed the previous mark set 48 hours earlier when South Florida beat San Jose State 41-39 in five overtimes in the Hawai’i Bowl on Tuesday.
This is the third bowl game to go to multiple overtimes this season, already the most in a single bowl season since OT was established in 1996. Northern Illinois beat Fresno State 28-20 in double overtime in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl on Monday. There had never been a bowl game to go to four overtimes before this week.
This also is the first season with multiple games to go to at least six overtimes, after Georgia beat Georgia Tech 44-42 in eight overtimes last month. Toledo’s last multi-OT game was a win in double overtime against Iowa State in September 2015.
Pitt freshman Julian Dugger, making his college debut, ran for two overtime scores and threw for two more, but his incomplete pass in the sixth overtime ended the game. The Panthers, who started the season 7-0, became just the second team in FBS history to end a season on a losing streak of six or more games, including a bowl game.
After Gleason and Dugger traded rushing touchdowns in the first overtime, each team got a field goal in the second. Each threw two-point passes in the third overtime, and Gleason got another in the fourth to make it 44-42.
Dugger was sacked, apparently ending the game, but the Rockets were called for holding. Dugger was ruled short on a sneak attempt, sending Toledo rushing onto the field for a second time, but replay ruled he crossed the plane.
In the fifth overtime, Dugger made it 46-44 with a scoring pass to Gavin Bartholomew, but Gleason tied it with his fifth scoring pass of the game. The sixth put Toledo back in front, and Dugger was pressured into a bad throw to end the game.
The Panthers played without starting quarterback Eli Holstein (leg) and backup Nate Yarnell (transfer portal). David Lynch, a redshirt freshman walk-on, started his first game but was pulled in the third quarter after throwing two interceptions.
Dugger led the Panthers to two touchdowns and a field goal on his first three drives, turning a 20-12 deficit into a 30-20 lead.
However, Toledo got its second pick-six of the game when Darius Alexander returned Dugger’s interception 58 yards for a touchdown. The extra point made it 30-27 with 7:49 left, and the Rockets kicked a tying field goal with 1:45 to play.
Toledo started quickly, driving for a Gleason touchdown pass on the game’s opening drive, but Kyle Louis blocked the extra point and returned it for Pitt’s first defensive two-point conversion since 1990.
Desmond Reid‘s 3-yard run and Ben Sauls‘ 57-yard field goal gave Pittsburgh a 12-6 lead, but Gleason’s 67-yard touchdown pass to Junior Vandeross III put the Rockets up 13-12 midway through the second quarter.
On the next play from scrimmage, Braden Awls picked off Lynch’s pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown and a 20-12 halftime lead.
ESPN Research and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ARCADIA, Calif. — Raging Torrent won the $200,000 Malibu Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths on Thursday at Santa Anita, with Kentucky Derby winner Mystik Dan finishing last in the final Grade 1 stakes of the year in the United States.
Ridden by Frankie Dettori, Raging Torrent ran seven furlongs in 1:21.54 and paid $7.20 to win as the 5-2 favorite in the field of six on opening day of Santa Anita’s 90th winter meet.
“We really thought going into it we were the best horse,” winning trainer Doug O’Neill said. “Just watching him day in, day out, he was training out of this world.”
Mystik Dan, a nose winner of the 150th Kentucky Derby in the closest three-horse finish since 1947, was last. The 3-year-old colt raced for the first time since finishing eighth in the Belmont Stakes in June.
Stronghold , seventh in the Kentucky Derby, was second. A trio of Bob Baffert trainees were third, fourth and fifth: Imagination, Pilot Commander and Winterfell.
There was a stewards’ inquiry involving the stretch run between Imagination and Pilot Commander. The stewards ruled that Imagination did lug out and make contact with Pilot Commander, but it didn’t affect the order of finish and no changes were made.
Dettori celebrated with his trademark flying dismount in a crowded winner’s circle.
“Of course, I was afraid of Mystik Dan, but I thought the day to beat him was today,” Dettori said. “At seven-eighths, my horse was very sharp and he proved it.”
Mystik Dan was sprinting for the first time in over a year. He was the first current Kentucky Derby winner to race at Santa Anita since California Chrome in 2015. After his narrow Derby win, Mystik Dan finished second in the Preakness.
“He broke good, but it just seemed like we were always chasing,” jockey Brian Hernandez Jr. said. “I think shortening up took away from him. After running a mile and a quarter, it is tough to go back to seven-eighths. The horse is fine.”
Other races – Johannes, the 1-5 favorite, rallied down the stretch to win the $200,000 San Gabriel Stakes by three-quarters of a length. Ridden by Umberto Rispoli, the 4-year-old colt ran 1 1/8 miles on turf in 1:46.50 and paid $2.60 to win for trainer Tim Yakteen.
– 16-1 shot J B Strikes Back won the newly renamed $200,000 Laffit Pincay Jr. Stakes by 1 1/4 lengths. Ridden by Antonio Fresu, the 3-year-old gelding ran 1 1/16 miles in 1:43.80 and paid $34.80 to win. Trained by Doug O’Neill, J B Strikes Back is owned by Purple Rein Racing, the stable of Janie Buss. Her late father, Jerry Buss, owned the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, which are now controlled by her sister, Jeanie Buss. O’Neill’s other horse, 3-2 favorite Katonah, finished sixth.
Former Philadelphia Eagles star wide receiver DeSean Jackson and Delaware State are finalizing an agreement for him to become the program’s next head coach, sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Thursday.
Jackson did an on-campus interview in recent days, and the sides are expected to come together to complete the deal in the near future. According to a source, it has always been a dream of Jackson’s to coach at a historically Black college or university (HBCU). That dream could be a reality in the near future.
The 38-year-old would replace Lee Hull, who was dismissed earlier this month after two disappointing seasons, including a 1-11 showing this year.
The news was first reported by Victory Formation Media.
Jackson, who officially retired as a member of the Eagles after the 2023 season, made the Pro Bowl in three of his eight seasons with the team. He became the first player in NFL history to earn Pro Bowl honors at two positions — kick returner and wide receiver. He played 15 years overall and had stints with the Los Angeles Rams, Washington, Tampa Bay, Baltimore and Las Vegas, but he is best known for the six-year run in Philadelphia at the start of his pro career.
In 95 career games with the Eagles, he ranks third all time in receiving yards (6,512), sixth in receptions (379) and ninth in receiving touchdowns (35). As a punt returner, he finished second in punt returns (132), third in punt return yards (1,296) and is tied for the team’s all-time lead in punt return touchdowns with four.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
