Long-suffering fans of the Chicago Cubs would love to see the team win a World Series trophy for the first time in over a century, but instead they got a mascot, leading to a lot of backlash on social media that the team dubbed as "disappointing and despicable."
The Cubs unveiled their first mascot of the modern era with the revealing of "Clark" the cub bear. The team's brass was upset about what they perceived to be over-the-top reaction on social media sites such as Twitter.
"I'm disappointed at some of the unfortunate images that went from negative to despicable," Julian Green, vice president of communications and community affairs, said Tuesday, according to ESPN. "There are some folks that had strong reactions to the mascot, but at the same time, there are folks that see what we're trying to do. It's strictly for kids and family entertainment."
Clark the cub even has his own Twitter handle:
Had a blast meeting new friends at Advocate tonight! Thanks to my fellow rookies for joining me! pic.twitter.com/2EOJPaNpjT
— Clark the Cub (@ClarktheCub) January 14, 2014
"It is a boisterous platform," Green said of Twitter and other outlets via ESPN. "We don't think it's a bellwether for things we're trying to accomplish nor should it be for any company. When you look at the chatter on social media, it's a split depending on who you talk to and what media platform you're looking at."
Green noted that Clark is more of a kid-oriented mascot and that the people who used social media to depict the bear in a negative light weren't the people that the mascot was intended for.
"Some of the strong reactions were predictable," he said per ESPN. "We've been around for 100 years, and we plan on being around another 100 years. As we look to develop the next generation of fans, the mascot will help that. Plus, there were a lot of fans today excited to share the experience with Clark the mascot."
ESPN reports that Green said Clark will have minimal exposure during games and won't interrupt the game experience while there will be "some engagement" with fans at games. Green said he is happy that the team adapted a mascot for the kids.
"Unfortunately, there are those that decided to respond in a way that had nothing to do with the mascot," Green told ESPN.. "When you look at the pictures and videos showing the kids' reactions [Monday] night, it was proof positive that the visions we have for this mascot will be achieved."
Come April, all attention will be off the mascot and back on the diamond as the Cubs look to make the playoffs for the first time since 2008 and win a World Series for the first time since 1908.
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