He skated into our hearts with the warmth of a ray of sunshine, orange fur vibrant in the arena lights. His name is like a seductive whisper in our ear: Gritty. He’s the new mascot for the Philadelphia Flyers (that’s hockey), an undeniable talent and, somehow, our first true fall crush.
According to his official bio on the NHL website, Gritty’s got some edge, but he’s also a big sweetie who loves hot dogs (like our Megan Reynolds) and eating snow (like a young Clover Hope), a “loyal but mischievous” guy (like all of us.):
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 guy can dance:
And just like the Phillie Phanatic before him, we’ve got the hots for Philly’s Gritty. The timing couldn’t be more ideal: days after we broke up with To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before hunk Noah Centineo, this lovable orange heartthrob entered our heads and hearts. We’re writing him notes, we’re planning perfect dates, we’re basking in the joy that is a completely harmless and fine adult crush.
Megan Reynolds: GRITTY…. J’ADORE.
Maria Sherman: I like Gritty in a fucked up way, which is coincidentally my relationship to Philadelphia.
Clover Hope: He seems like a ball of fun.
Kelly Faircloth: Gritty is someone you can laugh with, you know?
Megan Reynolds: Fuck, I’m in love.