When Life Imitates Art

I will fully admit that I don't watch enough Bob's Burgers to be an subject matter expert about the show, but I have seen episodes here and there that had some funny moments. One of those episodes is titled "An Incon-wheelie-ent Truth" from Season Eleven of the Fox Television animated series where the character to the left, known as "Wheelie Mammoth", was introduced. In the episode, the Belcher family visits a flea market where Bob and Linda are haunted by a lie they told the kids about what happened to their beloved stuffed animal, Wheelie Mammoth, as the comedy ensues. Again, the episode had its moments where there were chuckles, but I admit that I didn't expect to see a mammoth on wheels today. This is where Utah emerges from the shadows.

The Utah Mammoth are always looking for ways to draw new fans to their form of entertainment, and it appears they're going to be a popular ticket in April as they seem poised to make the playoffs for the first time since arriving in Salt Lake City. Winning hockey usually is the best way to draw a crowd, but the Mammoth went ahead and did something that I'm not sure had to be done, unveiling this today.

Ladies and gentleman, that is the their new Zammoth ice resurfacing machine! Yes, I already hate the name when Mamboni would have been infinitely better, but I get there are trademarks to respect despite the trademark conflicts the Mammoth have had thus far.

If you're wondering, the Zammoth is built from the same Zamboni that was used in the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. You may be thinking about how the team plans to resurface the ice with those massive tusks sticking out of the front of the Zammoth, but you needn't worry as the Zammoth is there for fun only, taking up to eight fans on a lap before each home game and at the beginning of every intermission. The ice resurfacing will then be done by the new, modern ice resurfacing machines once the Zammoth gets off the ice.

This project was actually teased by the designers, Diesel Brothers, who had tweeted out that they were working on a half-million-dollar Zamboni for the Mammoth. With the final touches put on the Zammoth this week, the new resident at the Delta Center made its way onto the ice tonight during the Mammoth's game against the Edmonton Oilers! Feedback wasn't immediately available from fans, but social media was all over the place with reactions from fans!

"It's an opportunity for our fans to engage with the crowd," Chris Barney, president of revenue and commercial strategy for Smith Entertainment Group, said to Brogan Houston of Deseret News. "It puts them down on the ice where their heroes are playing. A lot of people don't get the opportunity to be down there on the ice. It's one more example of us trying to do that."

At the time of publishing, the Mammoth had yet to release information on how fans can sign up to ride the Zammoth, but those details will reportedly come shortly. The Zammoth joins the ice resurfacers in Florida and Columbus as those who drive fans around the ice, but those two machines actually resurface the ice. The Zammoth is just for fun, so we'll have to see how big the hit to the pocketbook will be if one wants to climb aboard the prehistoric pachyderm on wheels. For now, the Zammoth will be on display on the plaza at the Delta Center for fans to see it up close at no cost.

"I don't think it’s something that somebody shows up to a hockey game expecting (to see), but our goal has been to continue to surprise and delight our fans and give them ways to interact with the brand and the team," Barney said to Houston.

Count me in as not expecting to see that. Ever. Anywhere. But at least the Zammoth isn't on roller skates like the Wheelie Mammoth.

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!