Really, Philly ... This Is the New Face of the Flyers?
Who knew it was possible for a mascot to cross the line?
In Philadelphia, of all places.
And it's the Flyers, of all teams, that at least had the decency to launch it after Ed Snider departed for that Great Bucket of Pucks in the sky.
Now we know what happens when the Phillie Phanatic and that AM/PM foodball have a love child.
When you have a mascot to design but you just went on a 3 day bender watching nothing but Fraggle Rock. #Flyers #Gritty #NHL @timandsid pic.twitter.com/OXWOgknJQp
— VisuallyBetter (@Isuckatpicking) September 24, 2018
For better or worse, meet Gritty:
It didn't take long to gain a following. Because it's still the off-season and it beats talking contracts and watching September take a bite outta stars like Seth Jones and Corey Perry.
Then again, the gods work in wonderous ways.
Gritty is a consensus builder and what the world needs right now. pic.twitter.com/g2H0zlf5CR
— Mike Beauvais (@MikeBeauvais) September 25, 2018
Penguins fans, of course, have been hard at work to expose Gritty's dark side.
Not to mention the Pens themselves, who can troll as smoothly as they skate:
lol ok https://t.co/3sSJcbLSfF
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) September 24, 2018
Sleep with one eye open tonight, bird. pic.twitter.com/wLmGBa0Oyh
— Gritty (@GrittyNHL) September 24, 2018
Of course, this is the sorta reaction the Flyers' PD dudes both expected and wanted, proving yet again that there's value in expense-account liquid lunches.
A list of Gritty's accomplishments today:
— Broad Street Hockey (@BroadStHockey) September 25, 2018
- Owned the Penguins on Twitter
- Had his first kiss
- Shot a guy in the back
- Slipped and fell on the ice
- Written about by Time magazine pic.twitter.com/dqphuW5b7B
No doubt Gritty will be the most recent addition to the official Prove You're a Philly Sports Fan procedure:
The NHL keeps adding to its face time in the USA, but who thought Gritty's would be front and center?
Or is it Gritty actually a secret identity?
Opening Night can't come soon enough.
And the Flyers are probably already thinking -- with their mascot coup -- they should enter the season at 1-0-0.