Where did THAT come from – Capital City Goofball

“There’s a swingin’ town I know called… Capital City.
People stop and scream “Hello” in… Capital City!
It’s the kind of place that makes a bum feel like a king,
And it makes a king feel like some nutty cuckoo super king.
It’s against the law to frown in Capital City!
You’ll giggle like a stupid clown when you chance to see the 4^th Street and D!
Once you get a whiff of it, you’ll never want to roam,
From Capital City, my home singin’ home!”

Who doesn’t love a song sung by Tony Bennett for a fictitious city in the universe of the Simpsons?  Oh capital city, where you can see real street crime, a restaurant called Penny Loafers which is shaped like the shoe, neon lights and Mascots actually have an entrance at the baseball stadium.

Of course, most fans of the Simpsons are well aware of the mascot for Capital City’s pro baseball team, the Capital City Goofball.  The episode tie-in for “Days of Future Future” brought us this funny fellow in our Friend Points.  Once you reach Level 7 (a total of 19,500 friend points, CCG costs 3,000)… he’s all yours.

Let’s look at some stats for the Goofball.

Profession: Mascot for the Capital City Capitals
Nickname: The Goof
Uniform Number: 0
Weight: 242 in costume

The Goof’s costume is funny and easily identifiable.  He’s covered in yellow fuzz, has a baseball for a torso, wears a Capitals jersey, has a long honker for a nose, red baseball cap with orange pom poms on springs and his eyes show through his mouth hole.  Any one else think he looks like the Phanatic mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies?

The very first appearance for the Goofball was in “Dancing Homer” (S2:E5).  This is probably my favorite baseball episode besides “Homer at the Bat” (S3:E17).  Through some drunken hijinks gone right, Homer ends up as the mascot for the local minor league baseball team in Springfield, the Isotopes (Go Topes!).  He does so well, he gets moved up to the pros where he is mentored by the “greatest mascot there is… the Capital City Goofball.”

“If there’s anything I can do for you just squeeze the wheeze.” 

Here’s where the Goofball lets us know to call him Goof, he wishes there was a zipper on the front of his suit during the 5^th inning and that Mancini (writer of “Baby Elephant Walk”) is the mascot’s best friend.  All Homer has to do is takeover in the 5^th.  The Goofball will set ‘em up and Homer gets to knock them down. Homer tries.  He “was graceful, he was witty, he was… something” but all the crowd did was make smart alec remarks.  His only applause came when he dragged his carcass off the field.  Poor Homer.  I liked his antics so those snobby capital people can shove off.

According to the Skybox Trading Cards I took a glance at in my local Comic Store, I also found out the Goofball’s suit is flame-retardant, vegetable-repellent, and bulletproof.  I asked my local comic geek if I could take a pic but if you flash it, you buy it and it was part of a set.  Lacking 40 smackeroos for the deal, I passed but thank Oogle, here’s what the front looked like.

After his first appearance, the Capital City Goofball has made a bunch of appearances.  Like Lunchlady Doris, he’s also a character that has remained in the show after the original voice actors death,  The goofball was voiced by Tom Poston who passed away in 2007.  Here are some other appearances:

“Radio Bart” (S3:E13) – One of my favorite parts of this episode was all the Springfield celebrities singing “We’re Sending Our Love Down the Well”.  The Goofball is in the crowd of singers.  The other celebs are Troy McClure, Scott Christian, Stephanie the Weather Lady, Bleeding Gums Murphy, Mayor Quimby, Krusty, Princess Kashmir, Sideshow Mel, Rainier Wolfcastle, Dr. Marvin Monroe, Lance Murdock, and Sting.

The furry mascot has very quick cameos in “22 Short Films About Springfield” (S7:E21), “Homer to the Max” (S10:E3) and “Ice Cream of Margie (with the Light Blue Hair)” although in Margie he was shown as one of her popsicle stick creations.

“Hello Gutter, Hello Fadder” (S11:E6) – You can count on the Goofball to show up if it’s a group of celebs used in a gag.  This time he’s in one of the squares in Springfield Squares.  Other squares had Rainier Wolfcastle, Krusty, Itchy & Scratchy (same square), Bumblee Man, Princess Kashmir, Sideshow Mel, Ron Howard, and Homer in Center Square.  Homer got on the show for bowling a perfect 300 “without the aid of steroids, crack, angel dust, or the other narcotics that are synonymous with pro bowling.”  Not the first time he was on this show either.  He was also in a square on the show in “Krusty Gets Cancelled” (S4:E22).  That one was more memorable for the 50 foot tidal wave, Charlie and the safe and sexy square of one Barry White.

“Bart vs. Lisa vs. the Third Grade” (S14:E3) – Bart and Lisa go to Capital City on an overnight field trip.  While in the state legislature, they are surprised to discover that the Capital City Goofball is the esteemed representative for Capital City.  It only cost him 80 million out of his own pocket to get the spot.  He obviously makes a bit of money for sweating in that suit.  We also learn that Springfield is in a northern state with a flag that used the stars and bars of the confederacy.  Only state that comes to mind would be West Virginia lol.

Other references include being apparently murdered at Moe’s in the future.  In “Holidays of Future Passed” (S23:E9), the Fuzzball’s chalk outline is among a bunch ofothers including Sideshow Bob.  In “Whiskey Business” (S24:E19), we learn that Capital City not only was the former home of the Capital Indian Tribe but also has a giant statue of the Fuzzball on a hill a la the Giant Jesus in Rio de Janeiro.

The most current sighting of the Goofball was in “Winter of His Content” (S25:E14).  He is  a member of The Baseball Furries in the line-up of gangs going to the Bully Meeting.  Later, he tries to stop Dolph, Kearney, Jimbo, Nelson and Bart from returning to Springfield.  I love Nelson shouting “For Springfield!” and tackling him and rolling down a super steep hill.  This moment had me laughing a ton but I am a big fan of The Warriors so that probably had something to do with it.

And there you go.  A bunch of appearances.  While it would have been fun to see him dance with Homer, I bet EA made him a NPC because they couldn’t voice him and he is better known for honking.  How many of you knew he was coming from the Friend Point Guide image?  (shout out to Chris J. for totally calling this at TOuk)  Anyone else think Cool Lisa is coming sometime in the future?  I should have this guy in-game within the next four days.  3000 points is so much better than 5000.

Y’all stay goofy and TTFN… Wookiee out!