Dec 12, 2008

G-Mow Grasshopper competes in Mascot Mania basketball game


WICHITA, Kan. – Grasshopper mascot G-Mow's basketball debut ended in defeat on Friday night, Dec. 12, in a 6-0 force-feeding by a team captained by an extra-long cheese coney and a cherry limeade. A crowd of 10,206 at Wichita State University's Koch Arena witnessed the contest, which was played during half-time of the Wichita State/Gardner-Webb game. G-Mow's team had a disadvantage from the beginning, fielding only four mascots - G-Mow, Thunder Dog (Wichita Thunder), Hometown Buffet Bee and Deputy Dan (Sedgwick County Sheriff's Office) compared to the other team's five mascots - Cheese Coney & Cherry Limeade (Sonic), Wu (Wichita State), Grove Apartments and the KFC Chicken. As it turns out, the uneven numbers were not the only mismatch. The organizers of the event did not take into consideration that G-Mow's team was comprised solely of mascots with big gloves, heavy shoes and limited visibility. Team G-Mow only attempted one shot from the field - a missed lay-up - and was only able to make it past mid-court twice. The other team's mascots wore human shoes and, in some cases, used human hands to shoot the ball. The Grove Apartments mascot even flashed the ability to dribble the ball and hoist up a long three-pointer that was nearly on target. "At one point while playing defense, I had the opportunity to get an offensive foul charge on the other team," said G-Mow. "However, I had three thoughts running through my head: First, there's no one refereeing the game to call a foul. Second, I may bend or even break my tail, and third, I might not get up without help." Despite the low-scoring affair, all mascots had a wonderful time and provided a great half-time show for Wichita State fans. G-Mow even earned another gig. He has been invited to Thunder Dog's birthday party in January to play broomball (a safer alternative to hockey) during a Thunder game.

About Grasshopper

The Grasshopper Company is a privately held corporation dedicated solely to the design and production of commercial and large-acreage mowing and grounds maintenance equipment. Grasshopper introduced the first zero-turn radius mower with dual swing-out levers in 1969, and other industry firsts include the first liquid-cooled diesel-powered zero-turn radius mower in 1983 and the first electric-actuated fold-up mower deck in 2004. Based in Moundridge, Kan., the company distributes its products worldwide and is committed to lean and clean manufacturing practices reducing impact to the environment.
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