In a story courtesy David Brown of Yahoo Sports, the Tampa Bay Rays mascot Raymond, got himself into a bit of hot water (no pun intended) when he was pictured holding an offensive sign from a fan about the late “Crocodile Hunter” Steve Irwin during a game on Wednesday.
As many of you know, Irwin, was an Australian environmentalist who was killed by a stingray in 2006. The sign was titled “Rays To Do List,” with Irwin’s name crossed off followed by “World Series.”
The organization sent out the following statement on Thursday.
“Last night Rays mascot Raymond was handed an inappropriate sign brought to the game by a fan. Fans are welcome to bring signs into Tropicana Field provided they are not offensive. The Tampa Bay Rays regret that this particular sign was displayed in the ballpark, and we apologize for the lapse in judgment.”
I enjoy a clever joke like anyone else, but I draw the line at targeting the deceased; your soul needs to be cleansed if that’s something you’re comfortable doing.