Last week Jim Serrill, AKA Timber Jim, announced he was laying down his chainsaw and retiring after decades of serving as what may as well have been the country's greatest sports mascot. Say what you will about the San Diego Chicken but I've never seen him do a backflip, swing from rafters over a crowd, spend half a game on top of a utility pole or lead a crowd of drunk, obscenity-spewing soccer fans through a rendition of "You are My Sunshine."

I had the honor of interviewing Timber Jim at PGE Park a few years ago. A lot of our conversation sadly wound up on the cutting room floor due to space limitations. Still, I consider it the most enjoyable interview I conducted during my short stint as a "professional, mostly unpaid alt-weekly journalist." He'll make one last appearance at a home match on April 17th. God help the poor sap that's hired as his replacement.

Labels: icons, sports