PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers unveiled a new mascot Monday, and the Twitterverse recoiled in horror.
The team introduced Gritty, a bearded … thing … that is apparently going to skate around giving young fans nightmares, if the reaction from Twitter is any indication.
So what exactly IS Gritty?
Well, the team tried its best to explain in the mascot’s bio on their website:
His father was a “bully,” so naturally he has some of those tendencies – talented but feisty, a fierce competitor, known for his agility given his size. He’s loyal but mischievous; the ultimate Flyers fan who loves the orange and black, but is unwelcoming to anyone who opposes his team. Legend has it he earned the name “Gritty” for possessing an attitude so similar to the team he follows.
He claims that he’s been around for a lot longer than we know it, and recent construction at the Wells Fargo Center disturbed his secret hideout forcing him to show his face publicly for the first time. He has some oddities that are both humorous and strange. A number of times he’s been caught eating snow straight from the Zamboni machine, and unbeknown to most, his love of hot dogs has been inflating the Flyers Dollar Dog Night consumption totals for years.
That being said, there’s no denying that he’s one of our own.
“Nightmarish” seems to be the initial consensus on Twitter.
Cheer up Gritty, some fans are rooting for you!
The Flyers had a mascot named Slapshot for a brief time in 1976. This is the first time the club has introduced a mascot since.
Gritty will make his game debut tonight, September 24 as the Flyers take on the Boston Bruins at the Wells Fargo Center at 7 p.m.
What’s your take?
