logo
John Oliver's Erie Moon Mammoths debut in front of a record crowd

John Oliver's Erie Moon Mammoths debut in front of a record crowd

CTV News4 days ago
John Oliver and Fuss E. Mammoth, the Moon Mammoth mascot, are driven onto the field before a game between the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers and the Erie Moon Mammoths at UMPC Park in Erie, Pa., on Saturday, July 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Joe Reedy)
ERIE, Pa. — Besides being a fan, John Oliver has had a certain affinity for minor league baseball.
On Saturday night, the comedian and host of HBO's 'Last Week Tonight' saw his latest crazy creation set out into the world as the Erie Moon Mammoths made their debut in front of a record crowd of 7,070 at UPMC Park.
'We're sending our furry child out into the world and you are the custodian of it. Now, please be careful with our child,' Oliver said a couple of hours before the Moon Mammoths took the field against the Chesapeake Oyster Catchers.
Oliver spotlighted Minor League Baseball promotions and alternate nicknames during 'Last Week Tonight' on May 4. At the end of the segment, Oliver invited teams to send in proposals on why they should get rebranded by the show's staff.
Forty-seven teams sent in pitches, including the Erie SeaWolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.
Erie president Greg Coleman sent a list of 11 reasons why they were the perfect candidate, including: 'The SeaWolves play baseball nowhere near the sea.'
'To have so many teams expressing interest was really edifying. I think it kind of validates the fact that we thought there was something special about minor league baseball. We thought this would be a group of people that would respond to the ludicrous idea that we had,' Oliver said.
Erie was announced as the winner on May 18. After six weeks of research by Oliver and his staff, the Moon Mammoths were unveiled on June 29. That included the mascot named Fuzz, a purple woolly mammoth wearing a space helmet.
'Erie did stand out to us as being, you know, uniquely eccentric. And I say that as both a compliment and an insult, which is the biggest compliment there is,' Oliver said. 'There was something about the Moon Mammoth that spoke to us for being particularly odd. It felt like it could make a baseball team's theme. You could almost see the logo in your head and it felt like something to be extra surprising.'
That this came together in less than three months is a minor miracle. It usually takes 16 months for a team to have an alternate identity approved and then take the field.
'I thought we had a good chance when I sent it in. And then when we were selected it was a little surreal,' Coleman said. 'And since then working with the 'Last Week Tonight' team, they've been wonderful and detail oriented.'
The Moon Mammoths name was inspired by George Moon, who found the bone of a prehistoric mammoth while scuba diving in 1991. The remains are housed at the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg.
Moon has become a regional celebrity since the rebranding was announced. He was at the game and caught the ceremonial first pitch from Oliver.
'It's fun. I'm enjoying it,' Moon said. 'From all those years ago to today, I would never have thought anything like this would've been possible. The newspaper did something on its 30th anniversary (in 2021). Other than that, I haven't heard much.'
Coleman said that since the Moon Mammoths were unveiled, the team has done the equivalent of four years' of online sales in three weeks. The line of people waiting to get into the team store, which was located in left field, stretched out to near home plate in the concourse area.
Karyn Drombosky and Sean Mizerski drove from Pittsburgh and were wearing homemade tusks as they waited to get into the team store.
'It's just great. We're big baseball fans. We see the Pirates all the time, and minor league games are fun. There's so much silliness,' Drombosky said. 'We watch John Oliver pretty regularly. We were like surprised but excited when we saw he picked the Erie team to take over.'
In addition to throwing out the first pitch, Oliver was a batboy during one inning and led the crowd in 'Take Me Out to the Ball Game' during the seventh inning stretch. The cap and jersey that Oliver wore for the first pitch are going to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Erie trailed 6-3 going into the bottom of the ninth but got within one run on Kevin McGonigle's two-run double. Chesapeake's Yaqui Rivera struck out Josue Briceño with the bases loaded to end the game.
'The atmosphere was great. Everything worked smoothly. It doesn't happen very often in minor league baseball to be able to have an event like that. It was a fun night for everyone,' Erie manager Andrew Graham said.
The Moon Mammoths will be back on Aug. 19 as well as Sept. 12 and 13. Coleman said there will be at least four Moon Mammoths games next season.
'I love minor league baseball. There is a special eccentricity to it,' Oliver said. 'It felt like a nice fit with our show because minor league baseball, as you know, is willing to try anything. That was proven by the fact that over half the league was willing to sight unseen, rebrand and put their trust in the hands of a group of people who are objectively untrustworthy. That's a bad decision, and it's that kind of bad decision making that I love about minor league baseball.'
___
Joe Reedy, The Associated Press
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Reaction to the death of professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan
Reaction to the death of professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan

CTV News

time10 hours ago

  • CTV News

Reaction to the death of professional wrestling icon Hulk Hogan

Hulk Hogan, whose given name is Terry Bollea, waits in the courtroom during a break in his trial against Gawker Media in St. Petersburg, Fla., March 9, 2016. (AP Photo/Steve Nesius, Pool, File) Hulk Hogan, perhaps the most recognizable showman of professional wrestling with his muscles for miles, long blond locks and handlebar mustache, has died. He was 71. Hogan, who was WWE's biggest star and an actor who once had his own reality show, 'Hogan Knows Best,' died Thursday in Clearwater, Florida, where he lived. Here's some notable reaction to his death: JD Vance 'Hulk Hogan was a great American icon. One of the first people I ever truly admired as a kid. The last time I saw him we promised we'd get beers together next time we saw each other. The next time will have to be on the other side, my friend! Rest in peace. - on X Ric Flair 'I Am Absolutely Shocked To Hear About The Passing Of My Close Friend @HulkHogan! Hulk Has Been By My Side Since We Started In The Wrestling Business. An Incredible Athlete, Talent, Friend, And Father! Our Friendship Has Meant The World To Me. He Was Always There For Me Even When I Didn't Ask For Him To Be. He Was One Of The First To Visit Me When I Was In The Hospital With A 2% Chance Of Living, And He Prayed By My Bedside. Hulk Also Lent Me Money When Reid Was Sick. Hulkster, No One Will Ever Compare To You! Rest In Peace My Friend!' - on X Brutus Beefcake 'Through the good times and the bad, I always loved my brother Terry! I am devastated by the loss of my friend, I only wish we had time to mend our broken friendship before his passing. Until I see you Brother, in the big squared circle in the sky! I love you #hulkhogan#RIP' - on X WWE 'WWE is saddened to learn WWE Hall of Famer Hulk Hogan has passed away. One of pop culture's most recognizable figures, Hogan helped WWE achieve global recognition in the 1980s. WWE extends its condolences to Hogan's family, friends, and fans.' - on X Mike Johnson 'We all have fond memories of @hulkhogan. From my childhood in the '80s, to campaigning with him last year, I always saw him as a giant in stature and in life. May he rest in peace." - on Instagram Donald Trump Jr. 'R.I.P to a legend.' - on Instagram

Hulk Hogan leaves behind a complicated legacy
Hulk Hogan leaves behind a complicated legacy

National Post

time10 hours ago

  • National Post

Hulk Hogan leaves behind a complicated legacy

The biggest name in professional wrestling history was and probably always will be Hulk Hogan. Article content The man credited with single-handedly propelling pro wrestling into the mainstream has passed away, taking with him a complicated legacy. Article content Article content The wrestling character, Hulk Hogan, represented everything WWE needed in 1980s to overtake the territorial system that Vince McMahon Jr. was bent on disassembling. His bleached blonde hair, handlebar moustache, chiselled physique, red and yellow gear and all-American values captured lightning in a bottle. Article content He preached about saying prayers, eating vitamins and vanquished foreign foes such as Nikolai Volkoff and The Iron Sheik and threats at home like Sgt. Slaughter. No one grew to greater fame, no one became more of a household name and no one put pro wrestling in a bigger spotlight than Hulk Hogan. The man himself, Terry Bollea, however, found himself embroiled in various scandals over his life, including the 1990s steroids scandal, a sex tape scandal involving his former best friend and radio personality Bubba The Love Sponge and later racism allegations following the release of a tape on which he was heard spewing racist remarks. Article content While pro wrestlers will often tell you that they became their characters, with different aspects of a character mimicking their 'shoot' lives, as they say in the business, Terry Bollea became Hulk Hogan. Article content There wasn't a time or place where you could encounter the hulking man when you wouldn't find him wearing his signature look, colourful clothing, thick jewelry, signature bandana and handlebar Hogan moustache. Article content Hogan might be the only wrestling figure in history who could claim that he was responsible for the rise of a company and nearly being responsible for its demise. After helping McMahon tear apart the territories and create the global titan now known as WWE, Hogan quite nearly tore it all apart when in the late 1990s, he defected to rival World Championship Wrestling to join Ted Turner's rival company, which very nearly took down WWE in the so-called Monday Night War. During that time, Hogan also successfully — and improbably — turned his world-famous superhero character heel, practically unheard of. Article content His Hollywood Hulk Hogan heel persona would go on to dominate WCW and spawn a whole new generation of fans. It can still be argued that no one who reached Hogan's level of success as a babyface (good guy) ever was able to so successfully swing his persona in the other direction and not lose money and legions of fans in the process. Article content Hogan's accolades, at least in wrestling, are simply too many to mention. In his prime, he was on the cover of every wrestling magazine nearly monthly, even finding his way onto mainstream covers and into the wildly popular Sylvester Stallone Rocky series.

Time is undefeated, but Venus Williams and Manny Pacquiao display how athletes can age gracefully
Time is undefeated, but Venus Williams and Manny Pacquiao display how athletes can age gracefully

CBC

time10 hours ago

  • CBC

Time is undefeated, but Venus Williams and Manny Pacquiao display how athletes can age gracefully

Social Sharing Eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao used ring I.Q. and boxing geometry to overcome height and reach deficits in his title fight against Mario Barrios, earning a controversial draw against a bigger, stronger, harder-hitting opponent. And if you think we're re-heating headlines from the Pac Man's late-2000s heyday, think again. That bout happened last Saturday in Las Vegas. Barrios, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion, is 30. Pacquiao, who last fought in August 2021, will be 47 in December. If he had edged out one more round on two judges' scorecards, he'd have become the first boxer in history to win world titles in four different decades. Even if he didn't defeat Barrios, Pacquiao earned a victory over age and expectations. Three days later Venus Williams, 45, ended two year layoff from pro tennis, entered the D.C. Open as a wildcard, and dispatched Peyton Stearns, a player roughly half her age, to reach the round of 16. These back-to-back triumphs for 80s babies offer more than a glimmer of hope for those of us old enough to wake up with aches we can't explain. They're more like a beacon, and a compelling argument against one of the most rock-solid axioms in sport and life. If time really is undefeated, how do you explain this weekend? Easily. But if we look at Pacquiao and Williams' performances as self-awareness success stories, and case studies in the value of choosing your opportunities wisely, we might learn something from these last few days. First, let's acknowledge that Pacquiao and Williams defied recent sports medicine trends just by reaching the arena in one piece. We just finished watching an NBA Playoffs in which two star players younger than age 30 – Tyrese Haliburton and Jayson Tatum – suffered a ruptured achilles tendon, an injury we normally associate with advanced age and high mileage. The third NBA star to tear his achilles tendon this post-season, Damian Lillard, turned 35 last week. Age matters at the extremes Against the backdrop, watching Pacquiao and Williams roll back the odometer looks even more impressive. They both turned pro during Bill Clinton's first term as president. If you can't remember that far back, that's the point. This kind of longevity might not be unprecedented, but it's rare. Let's also keep in mind that age matters at the extremes. It's why a 9.8 sprinter can stroll unrecognized through most U.S. cities, but a high schooler who breaks 10-flat becomes a minor internet celebrity. And it's why masters sports group athletes into cohorts that span five years, accounting for a sort of reverse puberty. In terms of strength and muscle mass, 55 and 60 years old are as different as 15 and 20. Age classifications matter, so when middle-aged athletes enter open competition, we're right to view their performances through the prism of their age. That's why so many people are classifying Pacquiao's draw against Barrios, a competitive fight by the stats, as a robbery. Barrios landed more punches, but if you think the intangibles favoured Pacquiao it's reasonable to see those two factors evening out to produce a draw. But Pacquiao, as we noted, is 46. At that age, even people who train daily are more likely to have arthritis than visible abs. Barrios, a top-ranked welterweight 16 years Pacquiao's junior, should have handled him, but Pacquiao kept rallying and landing punches and weathering Barrios' offence. It wasn't the fight most of us envisioned. There's a difference, however, outperforming expectations, which Pacquiao did, and winning a fight, which he didn't. There's also a gap between winning a bout, which one judge said Barrios did, and winning convincingly. But if you factor in Pacquiao's age, simply keeping pace with Barrios seems like a win. With Williams, there's no "seems like." She took the first set 6-3, and the second 6-4, so there's nothing to debate, not even whether Peak Venus Williams would have dispatched Stearns even more quickly. We're still discussing an all-time great, after all. Timing is everything But this weekend's results aren't evidence that Pacquiao and Williams have figured out how to freeze time. It's the opposite. Their success shows they've made smart adjustments for the aging process. You'll note, for example, that Pacquiao's surprise draw and Williams' convincing win came on night one, fresh off long layoffs. Given what we understand now about the art, science, and importance of recovery for older athletes, we know Pacquiao and Williams entered these contests with fully charged batteries, and would likely feel different on the last day of a long season. Which is to say, for those of us trying to perform physically even though we're closer to 50 than we are to 40, timing matters. And so do opponents. Stearns is an NCAA champ, which makes her several echelons better than the best tennis player reading this column. But she also competes in a sport where most elites turn pro instead of playing in college. By her age, Williams was already a nine-year veteran of the WTA tour. Williams is on the downside now, but even her current plateau hovers above most people's ceiling. As for Pacquiao – he chose Barrios for a reason. Among the current champions at 147 pounds, Barrios has the most glaring shortcomings. Defence is one, and a lack of home-run punching power is another. On fight night we learned he was also startstruck, reluctant to let his hands go when he had Pacquiao stunned, and willing to abandon half his offence when Pacquiao complained to the referee about body punches that appeared legal. Pacquiao made it clear that he didn't want Barrios punching him in the stomach, and Barrios, for large stretches of the fight, complied. If Pacquiao had chosen Brian Norman Jr., the hard-hitting W.B.O. champion, for his comeback fight, we'd be looking at one of two outcomes – peeling Pacquiao off the canvas or retrieving him from the rafters. Norman hits that hard. But if you're staying active deep into middle age, and trying to find inspiration in Pacquiao and Williams' success, that's the point. It's not just okay to scale back your goals and challenges. It's smart. Pacquiao is as unlikely to unify the welterweight title as Williams is to capture another Grand Slam, but it doesn't matter. They're still overperforming relative to the restraints that age places on all of us, and highlighting one more distinction few of us had considered until now. The one between aging gracefully and aging forcefully.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store