SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
The New York Mets lost 7 to 1 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday, but the real loser was their mascot, Mr. Met. Mr. Met has a huge white baseball of a head dappled with red stitching and embellished with a perpetual grin.
But as he left the playing field Wednesday night, Mr. Met flipped a middle finger to a group of fans who posted it on Twitter - busted, Mr. Met. The club apologized, and the team employee in the Mr. Met costume that night has reportedly not returned. There were reports that fans heckled him, which fans deny.
The Mr. Mets middle finger controversy poses a physical and philosophical question. Mr. Met has four fingers on each hand. How can you say that any of them is a middle finger? Anyway, flipping the bird in New York, isn't that just how they say good morning in Queens?
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "SURFIN BIRD")
THE TRASHMEN: (Singing) Well, everybody's heard about the bird - bird, bird, bird, the bird's the word. Well, bird, bird, bird, bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird - the bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird, bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird - the bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird's the word. Well, bird, bird, bird - the bird's the word. Well, bird, bird, bird, bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, bird's the word. Well, don't you know about the bird? Well, everybody knows that the bird is the word. Well, bird, bird, the bird's the word... Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.