PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Flyers unveiled a new mascot today, and the Twitterverse recoiled in horror.
Monday morning, 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.
First, heeeerrrrrreeee’s Gritty…
The Flyers tried to explain just what, exactly, Gritty is 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.
The reaction on Twitter was swift and severe.
Some astute fans pointed out that Gritty bears a certain resemblance to current Flyers star Jakob Voracek and former standout Scott Hartnell.
Good luck, Gritty.
You’re going to need it.
