The Colts’ mascot tackled children and got stripped naked in a halftime exhibition vs. fourth graders

Well, as naked as a mascot can get, I suppose.

Blue, the equine mascot of the Indianapolis Colts, has a checkered history when it comes to exhibition games against pee wee football teams. Despite being a horse, he is the very definition of “all gas, no brakes.” This often leads to small children getting trucked by a grown man in a furry costume.

This is a reputation cultivated over time. Blue’s official YouTube page has a “MASCOT VS PEEWEES” sizzle reel in which the second play is the big horse dragging down a child for a sack. Back in 2014 he wound up on ESPN’s “C’mon Man” segment for generally being the worst person at any pickup game you’ve ever played despite not really being a person.

Thus, this led to high expectations for the Minnesota Vikings’ annual mascots vs. youth football game at halftime of the Vikings and Colts Sunday Night Football snoozer. Blue, God bless, did not disappoint.

Yes, that is Blue drawing what should have been a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty flag for a post-tackle shove. And yes, that is Blue shoving his way through a crowd of children after the first child’s teammates stood up to retirement. Finally, yes, that is Blue, naked as the day he was born after having his jersey ripped off, threateningly thrusting toward the sky in his continued quest to leave no Minnesota youth football player nightmare-less.

Look, these kinds knew what they were getting when they signed up for this game. In the grand scheme of things, this may have been one of his tamer games.