I enjoyed this article about the history of the Phanatic & mascots in general, also of the Flyers' mascot which I didn't know was a thing. (I've been out of the Philly area for a long time!) I hope y'all like it too.
You didn't know Gritty exists?! He's probably been the most famous mascot in sports since his launch. Non sports people here in Ireland know all about him.
I know, right? I’m pretty out of touch with a lot of modern media. Speaking of which, I just heard about this new show called Breaking Bad. It’s supposed to be pretty good
Edit: added in case it’s not obvious
Hard to believe that Tom Burgoyne has been at it with the Phanatic gig--currently in his 28th season--nearly twice as long as Raymond did it (16 years).
in case it’s not obvious 
