Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for June 15, 1986
June 14, 1986
June 16, 1986
Transcript:
Mark: "..And in the fourth race 'sugar foot' finished dead last. Commented its jockey, 'That horse showed a lot of character!'" Folks, we have a guest this morning with a rather unusual claim to fame! Ernest Tillman is the Baltimore P.R. consultant who is credited with introducing the word "character" into pro sports! Ernest: That's right, Mark...in 1979 I developed a campaign for the then Baltimore Colts. My concept was that even though the team always lost, the players never gave up, they "showed a lot of character." The idea was that sustained exertion reflected a certain moral excellence. No one had ever thought of that before. It just kind of took off! Mark: I understand you're entitled to royalties, Ernest. Ernest: Yes, every time someone who makes his living playing with a ball or puck says on TV that his teammates "showed a lot of character" I collect two cents. Mark: My! That must bring in a tidy little... Ernest: Last I made $14 million.
