Philadelphia Flyers: The entire NHL should be thankful for Gritty
Have yourself a very Gritty Thanksgiving, Philadelphia Flyers fans.
It’s Thanksgiving, a day all about …(wait for it) giving thanks. And if you’re a fan of the Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL, or just fun in general, there’s one thing you should be thankful for above all else: friends and family Gritty.
Yes, Gritty, the googly-eyed, chaotic good mascot who looks like a cross between the Philly Phanatic and Claude Giroux, and represents the City of Brotherly Love like few others.
Since coming into the world in 2018, aka 15 years ago in 2020 time, Gritty has captured the hearts and souls of Philly fans like few others – giving our fair city the two best mascots in sports history, with two more, Franklin and Swoop, who aren’t too shabby either.
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But in Gritty, Philly fans have found a kindred spirit. I mean, come on, his name is literally Gritty. What better word to describe the city that did this to Santa Claus or this after their Super Bowl-lorn Eagles finally brought the Lombardi Trophy down Broad Street.
Even his silhouette, a 7-foot tall shaggy monster straight out of ‘Where The Wild Things Are’ with black, godless eyes is equally as menacing as it is endearing, which, again, tracks Philly 100 percent.
But here’s the thing, Gritty isn’t some stationary figure perfect for a Wells Fargo Center photo op. No, the Gritster, as I often call him, is a performer; a natural-born star just waiting for his closeup.
Since his inception, Gritty has descended from the rafters on a Miley Cyrus-esque wrecking ball, eating claymation Pittsburgh Penguins, and even taken to cosplaying as historical figures like Wonder Woman, a Leprechaun, and Philly’s favorite son, Rocky Balboa. Gritty will happily mock opposing players, chase down Santa Claus, and just cause general mischief for himself, the fans, and his security team.
In a hockey world that oftentimes feels a bit too stuffy and, dare I say, old fashioned, Gritty isn’t just a breath of fresh air; he’s a full-on Swedish vacation, which spoiler alert: Gritty has done too.
Next. Move aside Rocky, Carter Hart is the hero Philly needs. dark
So as the world sits back and collectively gives thanks in a Thanksgiving without hockey, let’s take a moment to thank the Philadelphia Flyers’ creative department for coming up with one of the most revolutionary developments to hit our sport in years – maybe ever. Without Gritty, well, the NHL would still exist, but it’d be a whole lot less fun.