The Phanatic

I love the Phanatic. He dances, plays with fans, antagonizes the opposition, and has great fashion sense.



Accoring to wikipedia, The Phanatic was created in 1977 during the NLCS, which was played at the Vet when a young exec of the marketing and promotions department thought the team needed a mascot to entertain fans during the game. He was named after the fanatical fans who drove the Dodger's pitcher to be expelled from the game. Another reason he was created was to bring more families to The Vet, as some of the more inebriated fans were involved in fights during the games. The Phanatic was originally portrayed by Dave Raymond, who in 2005, founded the Mascot Hall of Fame, and the Phanatic was inducted as a charter member.

The Phanatic replaced Phil and Phyils who were never brought to life, but rather were put on shirts, hats, and other Phillies gear.
The Phanatic rides around on an ATV, being the first professional mascot to do so, on the artificial turf of The Vet, and now, with regular tires, on the grass at Citizens Bank Park. The Phanatic is most sued mascot in sports. Most notably, the Phillies had to pay a judgment of $2.5 million to a man when the Phanatic bear hugged him, from which the man sustained serious back injuries. If the Phanatic wanted to hug me, I'd still welcome him with open arms!


For more information on the team and the Phanatic, click here, and visit the Phillies website.

Phillie Phanatic. (September 2009.) In Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 19, 2009. From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philly_Phanatic.