Montreal Canadiens Take in Youppi

[NatsCaps19]

poor thing was left for dead......

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=2163734

[The Chief]

Poor guy

And I'm probably showing my cultural ignorance here, but what exactly is he?  Some kind of mythical french thing?  Just a made-up nonsensical nothing? (like the philly fanatic?)

Ken, educate me?

[Vladman1327]

Being an Expos fan for 10 years, I still have no idea what he is.  Probably just a made up thing.  He's really cool, though.

[Dave B]

while we are on the topic of "what is", i know the expos logo is an "M", but is also supposed to be an "elb"? Maybe its french for something

[The Chief]

while we are on the topic of "what is", i know the expos logo is an "M", but is also supposed to be an "elb"? Maybe its french for something

I know this came up in another thread, I think Ken or somebody explained what the elb stood for.  "Expos League de Baseball" or something like that, sorry for my butchering of the French language for those of you from the North  

[Vladman1327]

Well, from what I've heard about it, here is my explanation.  I usually choose to disregard the L in there, because it's easier.  

I've heard to things, it's an M and EB for Montreal Expos Baseball.  Also, they might have made it for Edgar Bronfman, who is Charles Bronfman's brother.  Charles Bronfman, if you'll recall, was the original owner of the Montreal Expos.

[Kenz aFan]

Poor guy

And I'm probably showing my cultural ignorance here, but what exactly is he?  Some kind of mythical french thing?  Just a made-up nonsensical nothing? (like the philly fanatic?)

Ken, educate me?

Youppi was created by a guy from my home town (Valleyfield) who's idea was to try and capture the look and feel of a Sesame Street character. He wanted the mascot to look like a kids stuffed doll fresh out of the washer. The mouth is kinda like a flattened beak with a cartoon nose added. I heard but can't confirm, that he had originally wanted for Youppi have a barrel chest that could easily be turned into a beer belly and vice versa (or rippled up and down for a wave effect at ballgames) but he couldn't figure out how to do that, or maybe because cost of creating the effect was too high, he went with what he called drooping round waistline that wobbled easily.

Because of where the idea came from, I guess you can say he's is a lost Muppet.

He (Serge D) was also the man inside the costume for the first few years of its existence.

[Kenz aFan]

while we are on the topic of "what is", i know the expos logo is an "M", but is also supposed to be an "elb"? Maybe its french for something

Regarding the look of the oddly stylized M, think; (M)ontreal (E)xpos (M)ajor (L)eague (B)aseball (C)lub