Philadelphia is the City of Brotherly Love. We all know that. Another thing it’s known for are the sports teams, their logos and their mascots. The Philadelphia Eagles have one of the most recognizable helmets in the NFL and across the world. The simple wing design is clear and simple. It’s genius, and it’s also no surprise that they’ve kept the masterful piece of sports since
The 76ers also have a very well known logo, their patented 76 with a ring of stars above the 7. Simple, appropriate, historical, this logo has it all. So when it comes to adding a face to the Sixers, who better that BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, who was probably pretty close invented basketball, right after he invented the side-chick.
Then there’s of course, the Phillie Phanatic, who is quite possibly the greatest sports mascot of all-time. Don’t believe me? Here’s 5 and a half minutes of evidence proving my point.
You’re welcome.
So when the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they were unveiling a new mascot on Monday, everyone’s hopes were sky high. That’s when they brought up into the Upside Down.
Why would you do this to us, Flyers? Why? What did we do to you?
There are so many problems here, so let’s just look at few of the big ones.
The Eyes
The eyes are a huge problem here. If you know anything about Disney walk-around characters you’ll know that the eyes are a big deal and where during the design process. Especially with kids, being able to focus and
And Gritty was brought into this world for younger fans.“First and foremost, the Flyers adding a mascot to our fan engagement program is specifically for our young fans,” chief operating officer Shawn Tilger said in the official press release. “W
Tilger forgot to mention the additions to the nightmares of their younger fans.
The Stomach
Who doesn’t love a good fat guy joke? The Phillie Phanatic practically made a living on it. Lou Seal, the mascot for the San Francisco Giants, uses it all the time. However, it’s not the go-to move, it’s a crowd pleaser, it’s a save the moment with a fat guy joke kind of move.
Here’s it’s Gritty’s first move and then he get’s an exorcism done. Not a great start.
The Look
Where to begin? I mean, Gritty looks like the lovechild of Pepe the King Prawn and Muzzy.

So what exactly is Gritty? Sure, a mascot doesn’t need to be a defined animal or person, but there usually needs to be some semblance of structure to the mascot’s form. Gritty barely has a shape. So what is he? Where did he come from?
The Design
The Flyers worked with Dave Raymond, a
That’s not enough hours.
Raymond also created Phang, the less
In Conclusion
Update!
It would appear the Flyers are leaning into the terrifying nature of Gritty.
Good, but also… yikes.

Pingback: A Closer Look at Gritty, the Newest Philadelphia Flyer - Bookie Insights