PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Mascots play an important role in sports teams; they are the team's symbol and help entertain fans.
Here are some of Pennsylvania's most famous mascots and their origins:
The iconic furry green mascot for the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team made its debut on April 25, 1978, according to Baseball Reference.
The Phanatic was introduced to bring more fans into the stands and replace older mascots "Philadelphia Phil" and Philadelphia Phillis," a pair of siblings dressed like colonial-era dolls.
Created by Bonni Harrison and Wayde Erickson, the Phillies did not own the trademark until 1984 when they paid $215,000 to buy the rights to use his image in perpetuity from them, the Baseball Reference stated.
However, in 2018 Harris/Erickson contacted the Phillies, claiming they had the right to terminate the 1984 agreement. Baseball reference states that this led to a legal dispute that was ultimately settled in 2022.
Beyond hyping up the crowd and messing with opponents, some fans might remember the Phanatic's antics with Tommy Lasorda, which led to a fun feud, according to Dodger Blue.
The mascot was originally played by Dave Raymond until 1994. Since then, Tom Burgoyne has primarily donned the costume. The Phanatic was inducted as a charter member of the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2005.
Nittany Lion
Pennsylvania State University's (Penn State) mascot was born from a quick-witted idea.
The story begins on April 20, 1904, when Penn State's baseball team was facing the Princeton Tigers when third-baseman Harrison "Joe" Mason responded to heckling about the ferociousness of the opponent's mascot by saying, "Well, up at Penn State, we have Mount Nittany right on our campus, where rules the Nittany Mountain Lion, who has never been beaten in a fair fight. So, Princeton Tiger, look out!”
In 1921, the Nittany Lion made its debut during a football game, with Richard Hoffman being the first student inside the costume, according to Penn State.
Following Hoffman's graduation in 1923, the mascot was dormant for four years until Leon DeRoy Skinner resurrected it. However, Penn State said that after Skinner appeared in four games, which resulted in losses, Coach Hugo Bezdek ordered the mascot to be banned.
The Nittany Lion went dormant again for 12 years until 1939, where it has lived on since entertaining fans.
Gritty
Created out of FOMO (fear of missing out), the orange fury mascot for the Philadelphia Flyers hockey team made its debut on Sept. 24, 2018, according to ESPN.
When the Philadelphia Eagles had their Super Bowl Parade in 2018, where the Phillie Phanatic, Eagle’s Swoop, and 76er’s Franklin were present, the Flyers' vice president for brand strategy and creative content Joe Heller thought they did not feel a part of the celebration. Heller looked at former Flyers chief operating officer Shawn Tilger and decided to give it a shot in creating a mascot, ESPN stated.
The instructions given to designers were that the Flyers wanted a monster, somebody you would want to high-five but not hug. The Flyers landed on a design from Brian Allen of FlyLand Designs.
The name ‘Gritty’ came from former Flyers forward and Senior Advisor Paul Holmgren because that is what the team was known for, being gritty.
ESPN stated that when Gritty was first introduced publicly on social media, everyone laughed. However, this all changed when the Pittsburgh Penguins sent a tweet laughing at the mascot, causing fans to start defending the now-iconic mascot.
Swoop
The Philadelphia Eagles football team mascot made its debut by parachuting into Veterans Stadium in 1996 during halftime of a preseason game against the Steelers, according to the Inquirer.
When Jeffrey Lurie bought the Eagles in 1995, he changed the team's color and logo. Jeff Alexander, an intern at the time, found an eagle suit and suggested to Lurie it be a new character, the Inquirer stated.
Eagles officials loved the idea and opened a competition to name the mascot, where "Swoop" was selected by Joe Pepe, a South Philadelphia fitness buff.
Alexander was the first to wear the costume and did so until he left in 1998. That's when the Eagles gave the mascot a makeover, according to Spanish newspaper Diario AS.
The second-oldest mascot in Philadelphia has its webpage on the Eagles team website with more fun facts about Swoop like its diet, which includes "smaller birds such as Cardinals, Falcons, Ravens, and Seahawks; and of course, cheesesteaks and soft pretzels."
Pirate Parrot
The Pittsburgh Pirates baseball team mascot was created in 1979, according to Baseball Reference.
The Pirates created the parrot after noticing the success of the Phillie Phanatic. According to MLB.com, the mascot was inspired by Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island" and modeled after the San Diego Chicken.
The original parrot, portrayed by Kevin Koch, donned a thinner and angrier appearance. However, Koch was fired for drug use and distribution in 1985.
Afterward, the mascot underwent a makeover to its current appearance today, a giant green parrot sporting a pirate's jersey and cap, to put the controversy behind, according to MLB.com. In its first year, the Pirates won the World Series, defeating Baltimore in seven games.
The mascot is often seen shooting hot dogs from a canon.
