Sports truly rule Philadelphia, and our teams’ mascots – especially the chaos agents of the Phanatic and Gritty – embody the passion and provocative nature of our fans. Let’s look at eight of the city’s beloved mascots.
Phillie Phanatic
Does anyone fully understand what the Phanatic is? This furry, neon-green creature, who once got into a physical altercation with Dodgers Manager Tommy Lasorda, can be found during all home games on the Phillies dugout and riding his four-wheeler around. According to his official backstory, the Phanatic is a 6’6”, 300-pound flightless bird from the Galápagos Islands. Making his debut on April 25, 1978, the Phanatic was created by Bonnie Harrison and Wayde Erikson, who worked with the Muppets. They both went on to create other mascots including Slyly of the Hiroshima Toyo Carp and Youppi! of the Montreal Canadiens. And there is definitely a similar look among these mascots!
Gritty
The Philadelphia Flyers are represented, and often outshined, by none other than Gritty. The name comes from Flyers alum Paul Holmgren who often used the word “grit” to describe the Flyers. This iconic individual wasn’t initially embraced by Philadelphians when he was introduced in 2018, but in true nobody-likes-us-we-don’t-care fashion, once other cities started hating on him, we knew he was ours, furrever. Gritty, who is often accompanied by a Secret Service-style handler, also has the best social media presence in sports. And that’s why he’s the NHL’s best mascot.
Swoop the Eagle
Swoop has been the mascot for the Eagles since 1996, standing tall at 6’ 3” and weighing in at 216 pounds. He was “hatched” at Neshaminy State Park in Bensalem, and he likes to eat Cardinals, Falcons, Ravens, and Seahawks. Although Swoop is appreciated, he's often upstaged by an actual eagle who swoops through the Linc during home games. And in contrast to the unabashedly aggressive Gritty, Swoop’s image has softened since he crash-landed into the vet in 1996.
Franklin the Dog
Ballin’ alongside the Sixers you’ll find Franklin the Dog, the team’s mascot since 2015. Franklin, with his friendly dog persona, is a nod to the city’s founding father, Benjamin Franklin. Before Franklin took the spotlight, the Sixers had two other mascots. From 1982 to 1996, Big Shot was on the court. In 1998, the Sixers welcomed Hip-Hop, a bunny rabbit whose brief time here left something of a terrifying impression.
Wingston
Wingston, the bird-like mascot for the Philadelphia Wings lacrosse team, has been energizing fans since his debut in November 2018. Dressed in the team’s traditional Wings jersey, he wears the number 215 – paying homage to our area code.
Phang
If you're at a Philadelphia Union soccer game, you’re guaranteed to see Phang. Born on the banks of the Delaware River, Phang’s dream was to play soccer, but as a snake he had trouble kicking the ball. One of his ancestors is the snake represented in the colonial “Join, Or Die” cartoon, according to his official bio.
The Quaker
The University of Pennsylvania’s mascot, the Quaker, is a reference to the religious roots of Pennsylvania, founded by Quaker William Penn. The nickname has been part of Penn’s identity since the late 1800s, but the first mascot was not seen until 1949.
Hooter the Owl
Temple University’s mascot, Hooter the Owl, has been the face of the school since 1977. The owl is a nod to Temple's roots as a night school. Initially known as “Victor E. Owl,” the mascot underwent a much-needed makeover in the mid-1990s.
The Hawk
The St. Joseph Hawk has been around for a whopping 68 seasons — I guess it’s true that “The Hawk Will Never Die.” Jim Brennan was the first to wear The Hawk costume, which the student body raised $120 to buy. Brennan’s original idea, however, was to get an actual hawk … but everyone agreed a costume would be best.
