Most people probably wouldn’t think of Mr. Met, the lovable New York Mets mascot, as someone the Secret Service would have it in for, but one former wearer of the suit says they once threatened his life.
A.J. Mass was Mr. Met from 1994 to 1997, and his memoir “Yes, It’s Hot in Here: Adventures in the Weird, Woolly World of Sports Mascots” was released Tuesday. In the book, he tells a story of when President Bill Clinton was making an appearance at Shea Stadium, and one of Clinton’s Secret Service agents warned Mass about snipers in the stadium.
“Like I said, do whatever it is you normally do. Nobody will bother you,” the agent told Mass, as reported by the New York Post. “But approach the president, and we go for the kill shot. Are we clear?”
Mass wrote that he felt as though the Secret Service agent wasn’t “only looking into my eyes, but also into my very soul with his blank, unblinking stare.” The agent even reiterated his threat.
A later Mr. Met was allowed to meet President Clinton, but that wasn’t until 2006. Needless to say, Mass didn’t get the privilege.
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