Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty ImagesĪnd during Pride, Gritty again stole the city’s heart, leading the Flyers parade float with rainbow flag proudly in hand. If Rocky Balboa could procreate with a Pat’s cheesesteak. And in 2019, they decided to up the ante on the rest of the league by making hockey’s most popular mascot front and center.Īt the beginning of the 2018-19 season, the Flyers unveiled Gritty, who looked like the answer to the question “What if the Jim Henson company created a muppet out of the ‘Two Minutes for Cross Checking’ penalty?” Simply put, from the day his costume first leaked to the internet, Gritty was Philly sports culture. The Philadelphia Flyers are one of many NHL teams to enter their city’s Pride Parade. And amidst the usual menagerie of floats, costumes, and celebration, a bit of news emerged that marked one of the most exciting developments to hit Philly’s LGBTQ community in the past year: Last weekend, Philadelphia held its “largest ever” Pride Parade through Center City.
