The San Diego Chicken is one of the most iconic and beloved sports mascots in history. This quirky chicken character has entertained millions of fans at sporting events for over four decades. But if you haven’t seen the San Diego Chicken dancing on the field or mocking the referee lately, you may be wondering—what happened to him?
The Origin Story of the San Diego Chicken
The San Diego Chicken was hatched in 1974 when a young man named Ted Giannoulas donned a chicken suit for a radio station promotion Little did he know, he was about to launch one of the most successful mascot careers in sports history
Giannoulas, a college student and lifelong baseball fan, saw an opportunity when radio station KGB-FM was looking for someone to wear a chicken costume they had created for a commercial He volunteered, thinking the costume would get him into Padres games for free.
Once inside the stadium, Giannoulas realized the chicken costume unlocked his comedic talents. He started interacting with fans and players, improvising physical comedy routines that delighted the crowd. Padres’ attendance doubled that summer as the San Diego Chicken gained fame.
Firing Leads to an Epic Comeback
In 1979, a contractual dispute led KGB Radio to fire Giannoulas and try to replace him with a different actor in the chicken costume. But fans rebelled, chanting “We want the Chicken!” during games. A lawsuit soon ruled that Giannoulas owned the rights to the San Diego Chicken character.
Giannoulas reemerged triumphant weeks later, hatching out of a giant egg at a Padres game as the stadium played “Also Sprach Zarathustra” from 2001: A Space Odyssey. The Famous Chicken was reborn!
Four Decades of Comedic Mischief
Over the next four decades, the San Diego Chicken entertained millions of sports fans across the U.S. and around the world. Known for mocking umpires, pranking players, and dancing with cheerleaders, the Chicken brought slapstick comedy and chaotic fun to baseball stadiums and beyond.
Some highlights include:
- Appearing in TV shows, commercials, and movies like Attack of the Killer Tomatoes
- Releasing a disco single, “Da Ya Think I’m Sexy,” in 1979
- Getting inducted into the Baseball Reliquary Shrine of the Eternals in 2011
The Chicken ruffled some feathers along the way, including lawsuits over injuries to a cheerleader and a parody of Barney the Dinosaur. But Giannoulas ultimately prevailed, cementing his right to act like a bird gone wild.
Winding Down the Bird’s Career
After suiting up as the San Diego Chicken for over 40 years, Giannoulas started slowing down his appearances in 2016. He was nearing 70 years old at the time but didn’t want to retire the beloved character completely.
In recent years, the Chicken has made special guest appearances at games where he has history, such as umpire Joe West’s record-breaking game in 2021. But Giannoulas seems unsure whether he’ll pass the feathered mantle to someone new.
For now, the San Diego Chicken is still available for select events while the man behind the costume enjoys semi-retirement. After decades of hilarious hijinks, the Chicken has certainly earned some rest!
The Lasting Legacy of a Legendary Mascot
While the San Diego Chicken may have reduced his schedule, his legacy lives on. He paved the way for zany mascots across all sports, not just baseball. He proved that a costumed character could be much more than a static symbol—the Chicken had a lovable personality!
With his humor and exaggerated physical comedy, the San Diego Chicken made sports more fun for generations of fans. He demonstrated the power of laughter and silliness to unite people of all ages. Even decades later, fans still have fond memories of the legendary chicken who left everything on the field just to get a laugh. The San Diego Chicken changed mascot history forever!
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The Famous Chicken, also known as the San Diego Chicken, was a mascot originally created by KGB radio in San Diego for station promotions. Eventually the station and Ted Giannoulas, the man who inhabited the costume, parted in a dispute and Giannoulas had the character “re-hatched” in a 1979 promotion in San Diego.
If you attended MLB games in the 1980s you likely saw him perform. He’d do 250+ appearances a year in those days; later, when teams created their own mascots — in large part because of the Chicken’s popularity — he wound up appearing at a lot of minor-league games. Here’s a New York Times article about an appearance he made at an Iowa Cubs game in 2016.
Also Chicken/Cubs related: There was a $2 million lawsuit filed against him by Cubs prospect Don Schulze, who claimed the Chicken tackled him at a Quad Cities Cubs game in 1981, separating Schulze’s shoulder. A federal appeals court eventually ruled against Schulze.
This is all background to several photos of an appearance by The Chicken at Wrigley Field, sent to me by Raymond Ade. There’s one at the top of this post. Here are four others from the same game:
The last two photos give a clue as to the date. A Cub has obviously just hit a three-run homer, with No. 6 and No. 25 scoring ahead of him. The visiting team, as shown by the uniforms, is the Astros, and there’s a full house at Wrigley. It’s a cloudy day — no shadows evident.
So when was this? Per this article, after the radio station dispute, The Chicken was “re-hatched” in June 1979:
So it had to be after that. Looking at Cubs rosters from that pre-Tribune Co. era, No. 25 has to be Scot Thompson. But I couldn’t find the specific game from 1979, or 1980, or 1981… until I found this video:
The video begins with an interview Giannoulas/The Chicken did on WMAQ-Ch. 5 in Chicago with a very young Greg Gumbel. You can also see a very young Carol Marin, anchoring the news that night, laughing. Pretty funny stuff, actually.
But after that, there’s a clip of then-WLS-Ch. 7 weekend sports anchor Jay Berry narrating highlights from a Cubs/Astros game with The Chicken performing. Sure enough, there’s a three-run homer by Ivan De Jesus, hit off Houston’s Ken Forsch in the second inning Sunday, July 8, 1979 — only about 10 days after The Chicken’s “re-hatching” in San Diego.
A full house of 37,614 attended that game, and the Tribune recap of the game says there was a rain delay (thus confirming it was cloudy, at least at some point):
The Cubs won this game 10-0. Sizemore, who scored on De Jesus’ home run, went 4-for-4 as the Cubs completed a three-game sweep of the Astros. They were in second place in the NL East, five games out of first place with a 43-36 after this win, but faded late and finished 80-82, in fifth place.
The Chicken made several other appearances at Wrigley Field in the 1980s. He was always entertaining, even occasionally popping up in the Wrigley Field scoreboard:
A bit more sleuthing: That game happened Monday, September 2, 1985. Keith Moreland was batting in the bottom of the eighth with one out and two runners on. He hit a comebacker to the pitcher. The score shown, 7-2 Astros, was the final score of that game.
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San Diego chicken debuts as Padres mascot
FAQ
Is the San Diego Chicken still a thing?
Back in the day, the San Diego Chicken would make between 250 to 275 appearances a year. Now 71 years old, Giannoulas stated that he keeps his bookings to around 75 a year. However, he remains adamant that he is the one and only person who dons the yellow feathers.
What was significant about the San Diego Chicken?
The Chicken, whose antics entertained steadily larger crowds, began to add appearances at concerts and sporting events, while continuing to perform at more than 520 San Diego Padres games in a row. The Chicken also appeared at many San Diego Clippers basketball games before the team moved to Los Angeles.
Is the San Diego Chicken in the Baseball Hall of Fame?
While Giannoulas is not on a plaque like Ruth, Aaron and Mays, there’s a San Diego Chicken costume displayed in the Baseball Hall of Fame. And the Chicken had enough cachet to appear alongside presidents Reagan, Ford and Bush.
How much does the San Diego Chicken make?
The San Diego Chicken, also known as The Famous Chicken, is a highly successful and well-compensated mascot. While the exact salary isn’t publicly disclosed, it’s estimated that the mascot, portrayed by Ted Giannoulas, earns between $200,000 and $300,000 annually.
Did San Diego Chicken make a comeback?
Recently, in July 2019, the San Diego Chicken made a comeback on the sports field for the San Diego Padres’ 50th-anniversary celebration. Speaking of his career highlights, by 2015, he had reportedly made 5,100 appearances in 917 different facilities, 50 states, and eight countries, donning more than 100 chicken suits.
Who is the San Diego Chicken?
SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Fifty years ago, an iconic professional mascot emerged in San Diego, clad in bright orange and yellow feathers. For decades since, the San Diego Chicken has captivated fans with his comedic bits and sketches in various venues around the world.
What happened to the chicken?
The Chicken was on hand at Jack Murphy Stadium in 1978, when the Oakland Raiders beat the San Diego Chargers on the infamous “Holy Roller Play” on September 10. After the Raiders recovered the winning touchdown in the end zone, The Chicken fell on the ground and lay motionless as though he had a heart attack.
Was the San Diego Chicken traded away before he became the Atlanta chicken?
The San Diego Famous Chicken was almost traded away before he became a local icon The San Diego Chicken was almost the Atlanta Chicken, here’s the story on a trade that almost changed the course of sports history. Here’s how San Diego Chicken dodged becoming the Atlanta Chicken.
How many times a year does the San Diego Chicken make?
Back in the day, the San Diego Chicken would make between 250 to 275 appearances a year. Now 71 years old, Giannoulas stated that he keeps his bookings to around 75 a year. However, he remains adamant that he is the one and only person who dons the yellow feathers.
What is the San Diego Chicken mascot?
It also refers to the mascot as The Famous Chicken, the KGB Chicken or The Famous Chicken. The posting also says the San Diego Chicken is created and portrayed by Ted Giannoulas. “The success of the Famous Chicken helped lead to mascots becoming widespread throughout professional sports, particularly Major League Baseball.