SO WOULD THE DALLAS COWBOYS BE FRITZ THE CAT?

Stuart Elliott, the New York Times advertising columnist, asks this trenchant question:

"Aren't the New York Yankees tempting fate, or at least encouraging the taunts of fans of the Boston Red Sox, by agreeing to let the Richards Mint sell porcelain figurines of a Walt Disney character dressed in a Yankees uniform and calling it 'Mickey Mouse, New York Yankees.'"?


It does lend itself to make one wonder... are there other good cartoon matches for sports franchises? Popeye for baseball's Seattle Mariners? Has Kellogg's ever done a Tony the Tiger promotion with the NFL Cincinnati Bengals? How about George Jetson for the NBA Houston Rockets?

Here's an interesting idea: Let's give the government mascots. Perhaps the Supreme Court would be more accessible if instead of old guys (and token old women) in black robes, we thought of the Super Friends. The Joint Chiefs of Staff? The Power Rangers. Our president? Quick Draw McGraw. And of course, Vice-President Dick Cheney would be The Phantom.