New York Times: Flyers Mascot Goes From ‘Fuzzy Eldritch Horror’ to Beloved Icon in a Month

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Image of Gritty via The New York Times.

Gritty, the new mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers, has gone from “fuzzy eldritch horror” to beloved icon within a month, and is now the favorite mask for Philadelphians this Halloween, writes Alan Yuhas for The New York Times.

The Flyers were one of the few teams in the NHL without a mascot, so concept artist Brian Allen of Bellefonte was asked to send in sketches. The team then zeroed in on two options.

“One was kind of a safer option, and one more, I don’t want to say unsafe, but one that kind of pushed the boundaries,” said Sarah Schwab, the Flyers’ director of marketing. “That was Gritty.”

When the final product was unveiled on Sept. 24, Gritty initially received a hostile reception, with many referring to him as the stuff of nightmares. But Philadelphians began to embrace the orange mascot.

Just a few weeks later, City Council welcomed Gritty, saying it “honors the spirit and passion that Gritty has brought to the City of Philadelphia and to the entire country.”

Read more about Gritty in The New York Times here.

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