Monday, September 27, 2021

Friend Encounters: Globie and Adam Chalifoux

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends who have met celebrities.

Today's feature has a lot more going on than would appear in the picture. On the surface, it is a fan taking a picture with Globie, one of the mascots of the Harlem Globetrotters. That simple picture stirs up some thoughts from me though.
First, the fan is Adam Chalfoux, a journalist, writer and podcaster. Adam also is the son of Bill, a co-worker from my part-time job while in college. Back in 1986, Bill joined CWO&O as a young advertising sales person (now probably called an account executive). We had a lot of fun in and out of the office. Bill was a great guy.
Fast forward 35ish years and I connected with his son Adam on social media. Since then, I have interviewed Adam a couple times about his podcasts and the WNBA. As a basketball junkie, although not necessarily focused on the WNBA, I figured Adam would give a unique persepctive on the WNBA and he delivered as expected. That interview can be found at On the Beat With Adam Chalifoux.
Now I go to the part of the picture that bugs me. I am a mascot aficionado. I love mascots. I realize mascots are silly creations, but much like in wrestling, despite stretching my imagination, I still want some realism.
What exactly is this mascot? It's some figure with a globe for a head. I'm okay with taking liberties with mascots. Features can be distorted. Things don't have to be realistically proportionate. Parts can be added or subtracted. As long as the mascot bears some resemblance to something, I am okay with it.
I can even accept a creature not belonging to any specific species. The Phillie Phanatic isn't a specific animal, but it is animal-ish and that's good enough for me.
Again, I repeat. Globie is a figure with a globe for a head.
I am not denying Globie's resume. As part of the Globetrotters franchise, he is the most traveled mascot of all time (at least in sports). He's performed on six continents. He also has a big brother, Big G. (Great, there are two of them to annoy me.)
What would have been better, you ask? I would have gone with a friendly rat, as in gym rat. That seems to make sense to me.
Don't get me wrong. If I ever see Globie, I will definitely get a picture with it. A mascot is still a mascot and I still have a soft spot for any of them.
Now that I am riled up, I need to calm down. I think I will head over to a podcast platform to listen to Hoopstradamus or Running with the Bulls, the two podcasts hosted by Adam. They really are entertaining.
Adam Chalifoux and Globie in Great Falls, MT-November 2018.

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