* – Subtitled … Promotional campaigns gone badly wrong, or “don’t point that thing at me.”

I understand the concept. The Amarillo Sox of baseball’s independent American Association wanted a mascot to go with the club mascot — an anthropomorphized sock.

Making a bit of hosiery into a living, breathing entity is a tricky thing, I will admit. But we’ve had cartoons based on a sponge with arms and legs …

So, they farmed out The Sock to someone who makes mascot outfits, and …

Well, here is the finished product.

Hmm.

Apparently, they didn’t want a floppy sock that would be kinda dragged around the ballpark. Or even a stuffed sock that might still have been tripping people at ground level. And I understand the idea of having an “angry” (nudge nudge) sock, because lots of sports mascots look a little ticked off. (Referring to the sock’s face here, of course.)

But having the “foot” portion of the sock jut out from waist level of the person wearing the outfit?

Someone didn’t give that mascot the “OK, is there anything even possibly objectionable about this?” test.

The costume is gone, to be replaced by another, presumably less-alarming, more-cuddly one.