A pre-emptive strike was launched by the Bandits. They brought up -- in fun I'm sure -- performance enhancers. Starting with the headline:
LOUIE THE LUMBERKING: PLAYING FAIR?
As the Quad Cities River Bandits and the Clinton LumberKings prepare for their much-anticipated Elite Eight match-up on Thursday in CNBC.com's March Madness-style Minor League Baseball logo tournament, questions have surfaced regarding an apparent change in the appearance of Louie the LumberKing.
"I'm not going to point fingers, but I've had a lot of people asked me if I've noticed a change," said River Bandits Vice President and General Manager Kirk Goodman. "I really don't think it's fair to comment on the issue. I haven't spent much one-on-one time with Louie so I'm not going to speak to his personal habits or the obvious change in his physique, head size, and appearance."
A quote from a raccoon that includes references to HGH and Barry Bonds follows that.
The LumberKings fired back with this salvo:
Louie Responds to Bandits Accusations
Shortly after asking for a partnership with the Clinton LumberKings to make it to the Elite Eight of CNBC.com's Minor League Logo Contest, the Quad Cities River Bandits have apparently made Louie the LumberKing the center of an election-style smear campaign.
Louie, who will face the River Bandits and their as-of-yet unnamed mascot tomorrow, received word of the slanderous comments and the false quotes this afternoon, and had this to say in response:
"I'd like to say to all Clinton LumberKings fans, Minor League Baseball fans, and the public in general that not at any time did I take any performance-enhancing drugs. Yes, I do look a little different this year, but all I did was change my facial hair and roll up my sleeves. I've always been muscular, and I have been subjected to the same drug tests as all players and mascots throughout baseball. I have even been tested all throughout high school and my college years at Paul Bunyan University."
That's not the most delicious part. This is:
"As the chairman of the Clinton Substance Abuse Council, I take the issue of drugs or performance-enhancers very seriously. Louie has been tested and has always passed with flying colors. Our fans, especially the children of Clinton and eastern Iowa in general need to know that their role models are clean, and Louie is as clean as they come."
The chairman of the Clinton Substance Abuse Council who is speaking in that quote...Just the LumberKing general manager Ted Tornow.
That regional final just got interesting.
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