What began as one ridiculous night at the ballpark has become a regular stop on the Erie SeaWolves’ promotional calendar.
A year after Last Week Tonight first transformed the Double-A Erie SeaWolves into the Erie Moon Mammoths, the team continues to take the field under the purple-and-black alternate identity created by Oliver’s HBO series.
The Moon Mammoths returned for the second time this summer over the weekend, playing three games at UPMC Park in custom uniforms featuring their space-themed logo, joined by Fuzz E. Mammoth—the team’s prehistoric purple mascot.
The weekend also brought new evidence that the rebrand has taken on a life far beyond the original television segment. Fans attending Saturday’s game received John Oliver bobbleheads, which almost immediately began appearing on eBay. Sellers are asking upward of $100 for the figures,.
On Sunday, the first 500 children through the gates received a Fuzz E. Mammoth Building Block Set, allowing young fans to construct their own version of Oliver’s furry creation.
It’s quite the afterlife for what began as an elaborate Last Week Tonight bit. In May 2025, Oliver invited minor league clubs to surrender control of their identities and allow his show to design a replacement without their input. Erie was selected from 47 applicants.
The resulting Moon Mammoths identity made its debut on July 19, 2025, before a UPMC Park-record crowd of 7,070. Oliver attended the game, threw out the ceremonial first pitch and served as a batboy as the newly renamed team took the field for the first time.
The name was inspired by Erie-area diver George Moon, who in 1991 discovered mammoth remains at the bottom of Lake Pleasant in Erie County. Roughly 80 percent of the approximately 12,000-year-old animal’s skeleton was ultimately recovered.
Last Week Tonight turned that piece of local history into a logo featuring a mammoth wearing an astronaut helmet and introduced Fuzz E. Mammoth as the team’s alternate mascot.
The identity quickly became more than a one-night gag. The SeaWolves reportedly sold what they had expected to be four years’ worth of merchandise in only three weeks, and the team brought the identity back for several additional games during its 2025 season.
The Mammoths have continued roaming UPMC Park in 2026, returning for games in May and again for this weekend’s three-game takeover. They are set to take the field once more in September for Moon Mammoths Fireworks Night.
The SeaWolves remain the SeaWolves most nights, but the Moon Mammoths now have their own dedicated section on the team’s website, a full merchandise line and an expanding collection of promotional giveaways.
