The lowlight of Zees run came in Philadelphia in 1983, when he was hospitalized after Washington beat the crap out of the Eagles and Philly fans beat the crap out of him. He had his headdress ripped off early, and on his walk to the parking lot, Zee told me, a group of men in Eagles colors, including two fans whod assaulted him inside the stadium, jumped out of a van and pummeled him into unconsciousness.
They treated me like chopped meat, Zee said. They ripped off my costume, smashed my eye socket so my eyeball was just hanging out, snapped my leg like it was a twig, and yelled, You wont be jumping up and down in this stadium anymore! They left me lying in my underclothes.
Nobody was arrested for the beating. Chief Zee went to games in a wheelchair or on crutches for the rest of the season. Williams sued the Veterans Stadium security firms and won a reported $14,250 judgement. He went back to Philly the next year for the Skins road game after an invite from Eagles officials. It didnt go well.
They gave me the VIP treatment: drove me to the game and put me in the box seats, Williams told me. But this senior-citizen lady comes up to me and says, Youve got a lot of nerve coming up here! We mugged the guy who dressed like that last year! And then she threw her drink in my face. I can still smell that drink.
