Baseball returned to Washington, DC this past week, as the Nationals played their first home game in front of a crowd of political bigwigs and, hopefully, some diehard baseball fans that will keep the team going for many years. But the dismantling of the "Montreal Expos" is not yet complete. One of the lingering issues is what will become of Youppi, the giant orange mascot that kept fans at Olympic Stadium entertained for the past twenty-five years. Right now, the mascot sits stuffed into a duffel bag in Montreal, awaiting a buyer (Carpenter, "Alas, Youppi! Unable To Shout 'Yippee!'," Wash Post, 04/16/05). The delay, of course, is due to the law.
- The problem of the sale is a complicated one. Delorme says the deal would probably have been completed weeks ago if not for the issue of Youppi's trademarks. When Youppi! was first created in 1979, the Expos registered their logos on his cap and shirt. The registers lasted even as the team's insignias changed. Now in order to get rid of him, they must first "de-register" every logo, Delorme said, then register it again without the word "Expos."
And so Youppi! rests in his duffel bags while Montreal waits to hear what will become of him.
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