Squatch

Squatch (a derivation of Sasquatch) was the team mascot for the Seattle SuperSonics, a National Basketball Association (NBA) franchise formerly based in Seattle, Washington. Between his 1993 debut and the team's relocation to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 2008, Squatch appeared at more than 175 events annually, and was with the organization during their run to the 1996 NBA Finals.[1]

Squatch in 2005.

In 2007, Chris Ballew of the rock band The Presidents of the United States of America wrote and performed a song about the mascot.[2] That same year, Squatch attempted to set a world record with a jump of 30 feet on inline skates, over vehicles owned by NBA players Ray Allen and Robert Swift.[3]

The biography of the Edmonton Rush Lacrosse Club's yeti mascot, Slush, describes a history wherein the two characters grew up together in the Cascade Mountains. Squatch appeared during the Rush's inaugural game to "teach" Slush how to be a professional mascot.

Following the SuperSonics' move to Oklahoma City, the character was retired, and remains part of the intellectual property (name, colors, etc.) that the city of Seattle retained as part of the KeyArena lease settlement. The character's performer from 1999–2008 (Marc Taylor) remains under contract with the relocated team, currently performing as Rumble the Bison, the Thunder's mascot.[4]

References
  1. "SONICS: Sonics Celebrate Squatch's Birthday Sunday" (Press release). Seattle SuperSonics. January 25, 2008. Archived from the original on February 2, 2008. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  2. Chris Ballew - Theme from S.Q.U.A.T.C.H. Song (YouTube). FreydNot. March 10, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  3. "SONICS: Squatch Attempts to Set Guiness [sic] World Record". Seattle SuperSonics. June 6, 2007. Archived from the original on June 14, 2007. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  4. Lewis, Mike (July 27, 2008). "Post-Sonics, the inner Squatch abides". The Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Retrieved October 1, 2015.


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