Homeless mascot finds place to hibernate

The economic downturn in America has spared few people. Even team mascots are having their furry noses rubbed in it.

Kendell Woolridge spent last week sleeping at Penn Station in Newark, N.J. It's a far cry from the time he played Ruppert, the mascot of the Newark Bears. But the independent leagues have never been a way to get rich, and even then times were tough.

Woolridge would perform at games and make PR appearances for the team in costume around North Jersey. After games, he would clean the clubhouse and wash players' uniforms. All this wasn't enough to afford a place to stay, and he would sleep at the stadium.

In 2007, the Bears came under new ownership and Woolridge lost his job. He has bounced from friend's to friend's homes, picking up assorted supermarket and pharmacy jobs. Finally, last week, he had nowhere to go and slept at the train station.

"I'm 23," he told the Newark Star-Ledger. "I'm not supposed to be homeless. I shouldn't be living like this."

This story has somewhat of a happy ending. Last week, Woolridge walked into the Bears' offices and managed to get his old job back. Which means he can go back to sleeping in the clubhouse.

• UNHAPPY CAMPER -- Is Rick Majerus happy coaching basketball at Saint Louis?

It appears the former Utah coach is not thrilled to be with the Billikens in light of his most recent move. After the school notified him the team would no longer fly charter to reduce costs, Majerus opted out of his weekly radio show on WXOS-FM in St. Louis.

But he guested on a Chicago radio station at the same time he normally would do his show. Majerus ripped the decision to have his team fly commercial, claiming it would negatively impact his players in the classroom. He also reiterated his pro-choice stand on abortion, which had gotten him in hot water with the school administration and the Archdiocese of St. Louis two years ago.

A rival St. Louis radio station, KTRS-AM, picked up the audio clip and played it, which didn't sit well with WXOS.

Majerus is in his third year at St. Louis, and the pairing has not been a rousing success. He is 46-37 overall; this year's team is 12-8 and in seventh place in the Atlantic-10 Conference.

• TRADEMARK BATTLES -- National reaction hasn't been favorable to the NFL's threat to sue New Orleans companies for selling nonlicensed merchandise with the "Who Dat" catch-phrase since the Saints advanced to Super Bowl XLIV.

The Miami Herald notes the origin of the phrase "Who dat, who dat, who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints!" can be traced to an 1890s vaudeville song.

The action could lead to proprietary claims against the league for abuses of others' licensing rights. The paper says "Warner Communications Inc., parent of DC Comics, could sue the NFL because "Super Bowl" infringes on the "Superman" trademark.

And that "Rome called ... They want their numerals back."

COMPILED BY STEVE CARP LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL