Description
According to the police report, Craig then started tapping his toe (supposedly a signal) and moved his foot closer to the police officer’s foot and “he moved his right foot so it touched the side of my left foot which was within my stall area.” The officer then took Craig into custody and, under questioning, the embarrassed politician denied being gay or doing anything wrong, but stated he just “had a wide stance when going to the bathroom.”
Craig eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor and promised to resign, but soon backtracked. More charges of misconduct surfaced, and a congressional ethic committee investigation followed. The process lasted long enough for the senator to serve out his term, but he never ran for re-election and left office on January 3, 2009. (The bathroom was eventually torn down by the airport management)
Taking advantage of the all the news coverage the situation was getting in the Twin Cities area, the St. Paul Saints, a professional minor league baseball team, celebrated National Tap Dance Day by giving away 2,500 Larry Craig Bobblefoot (Bobblehead) Stalls. The May 25, 2008 promotion proved very popular, as nearly 8,000 fans showed up for the game. It might not be surprising that the team know for outrageous promotions has Bill Murray as one of it’s co-owners.
I had to search a political collectibles site to secure my copy of this gem.
Ticket from National Tap Dance Day/ Bobblefoot Giveaway, Memorial Day Weekend Fireworks Show, May 25, 2008. (Credit: commander trombone.com)
The St. Paul “Ball Pig”
The St. Paul Saints have had a history of creative team promotions. One of the longest and most successful has been the Saints’ “Ball Pig”, a stadium icon for the past 27 season. Every year, the team selects a pig, just a few weeks old, and trains the animal to carry a satchel of baseballs and water out to the umpire behind home plate. As the season progresses, the pig grows. By the end of the year, the mascot is a 200-pound hydration station. By tradition, any umpire who is making a first visit to the park must kiss the pig. It has truly become a fan favorite.
The management keeps the fans involved by allowing them to select a name for the mascot. Whoever wins the contest gets a photo and a meet-and-greet with the celebrity swine, as well as the honor of throwing out a first pitch at a game. Some of the most inventive names from past years include: The Great Hambino (’98), Hamilton (’99), Kevin Bacon (’01), The Notorious P.I.G. – Piggy Smalls (’03), Boarack Obama (’08), Slumhog Millionaire (’09), Justin Bieboar (’11), Kim Lardashian & Kris Hamphries (’12), Steven Colboar (’14), Pablo Pigasso (’15), and Daenerys Hoggaryen (’19).
