Philadelphia Flyers: Gritty is having a not bummer summer

Ah, the 4th of July; a day that means many different things to many different people.

To some, it’s a day to celebrate all things US of A, while others look forward to grown men guzzling down hot dogs at a potentially hazardous clip. And as for our friends outside of the states? Well, it’s just hour average Sunday, save maybe for our friends in the UK who may still hold some resentment on the fringes.

With no dog in the NHL or NBA picture, Philadelphia fans sit back and relax as they celebrate our nation’s founding in the city the Declaration of Independence was ratified… unless, of course, you decide to watch the Phillies, which is never a stress-free endeavor regardless of their record.

But hey, chilling is hard, right? Between the stresses of life and the general malaise of finding things to do, the idea of hanging out at times feels just as stressful as actually hanging out. Well, if you happen to feel that way, why not take a page out of certified City of Brotherly Love legend Gritty’s book, as the overly orange Philadelphia Flyers mascot is already off to a not bummer summer, in only his third trip around the sun.

Every day’s a holiday with Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty.

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Despite the popular perception, summer doesn’t actually start on June 1st. While school age children eagerly await their summer vacation in the single digit days of June, the season doesn’t actually begin until June 20th, at the summer solstice. Though it may feel like summer, and summer activities may very well be in vogue, until the calendar reads 6/20, the longest day of the year in case you didn’t know, it’s technically still spring.

Why, you may ask, is this relevant? Well, because July 4th just so happens to mark two weeks into the summer season, and our pal Gritty has already done so much to bring the #Grittysummer to the City of Brotherly Love.

From cooking a brunch that would make Claude Giroux proud, to celebrating the final days of Pride Month, to taking a trip to visit the battle ship New Jersey, Gritty is intersectionally crushing his summer so far, as fans of the fluffy guy’s Instagram will surely tell you.

And the best part, we’ve still got 77 days left to go.

As crazy as it may sound, Gritty is still a relative newcomer to the City of Brotherly Love, officially debuting in the fall of 2018 just before the start of the Philadelphia Flyers’ 2018-19 season. I know, crazy right? It feels like Gritty has been around forever, and is so engraved into the tapestry of Philadelphia that he was stitched into the flag by Betsy Ross, but it’s true. Reese Hoskins has been in Philadelphia longer than Gritty, as has Joel Embiid. Even Joel Farabee, the Flyers’ first-round pick in the 2018 draft, has a good six months on Gritty in an orange and black uniform.

But hey, sometimes it’s not about how long you’ve been around, but what you accomplish once you arrive. Even at not quite three years old, Gritty has forged a legacy in the City of Brotherly Love that few can match, and just might be the best mascot in the NHL despite his lack of longevity.

I guess it’s like that old saying: If you come late to the fight, you better be ready to rumble, and you best believe the Flyers’ front office did just that by procuring Gritty’s services.

Sidebar: Is that a real quote? Honestly, I have no idea. But as far as Google search results are concerned, it is now.

So Gritty, dear Gritty, enjoy your summer vacation. While the Philadelphia Flyers will be back on the ice before we know it, sit back, relax, fill your Instagram up with all sorts of adventures. Who knows, we may even share more of them later in the season on this very blog.