By Tim Binnall
In a nod to the legendary creature said to lurk in the forests of Oregon, the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers have unveiled a new Bigfoot mascot dubbed 'Douglas Fur.' The rather sizeable character made his debut on Tuesday evening prior to the team's game against New York Knicks. In a press release announcing the arrival of the eight-foot-tall 'creature,' the Trail Blazers weaved a rather fantastic backstory for the Bigfoot, describing him as a shy "hipster" who had been hiding in the Oregon wilderness until being discovered by the team's other mascot, Blaze the Trail Cat, "while distracted gathering sap for his latest craft brew creation."
Douggy, as he has been affectionately nicknamed, is actually the second Sasquatch to roam Portland's sidelines as the team had previously featured a similar Bigfoot character which was retired back in 1988. With his grand unveiling on Tuesday, the monstrous mascot will undoubtedly be making all manner of appearances at events going forward and, of course, be featured on an array of merchandise. The character is also not the first cryptid to leave its mark on the sports world in the Pacific Northwest as the neighboring Washington state's NHL team, the Seattle Kraken, are named after the mythical sea monster said to terrify sailors long ago.