Gritty was accused of punching a kid, and it broke the internet
"This Gritty story is the most philly jawn i've read in a min," Questlove tweeted.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/pmn/2DLPHQHD2BFULGCSCJJLZ6XRIA.jpg)
Gritty has thrown entire sheet cakes at people, punched a ref, and assaulted Santa with a holiday wreath, but when The Inquirer broke the news Wednesday that a dad from Delaware actually reported Gritty to Philadelphia police for allegedly punching his son in the back during a photo op in November, it almost broke the internet.
But then, social media began rolling with the punches.
It took mere hours for the memes of Gritty mug shots and hashtags like #FreeGritty — which was trending on Twitter Wednesday — to appear. The news even made The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
From Philly celebrities to out-of-town Gritizens, here’s how the internet responded to the assault allegation against the most popular mascot on social media.
» READ MORE: Did Gritty punch a 13-year-old? Police are investigating.
This is so Philly
As notable moments in Philadelphia history go, this ranks right up there with the signing of the Declaration of Independence and Eagles fans climbing greased poles.
We realize our city’s reputation vacillates between being a great place to visit (thanks, Nat Geo!) to being slightly unhinged (thanks, Eagles fans!). Honestly, that’s the way we like.
The fact that one of our most beloved sons is a fictional character currently under investigation for allegedly assaulting a sports fan is, indeed, very on brand for Philly.
Unusual suspect
From disguises to mug shots, here’s what people imagine a case against Gritty might actually look like:
On the defense
Not only have people rushed to Gritty’s defense, but they even contend that getting punched in the back by Gritty is an honor on par with getting the keys to our fair city.
Mr. Peanut, President Trump, and Gritty
The assault allegation against Gritty was not the only big news to break Wednesday. Planters apparently killed off the 104-year-old Mr. Peanut as part of an ad campaign and President Donald Trump’s Senate impeachment trial is underway.
The convergence of all these major news items in a single day left many confused.
Gritty to a T
We’ll put anything on a T-shirt in Philly: beloved football plays, the fact that nobody likes us, drink specials.
So it’s little surprise that one enterprising retailer, South Street Threads, has already created #FreeGritty shirts
Undoubtedly soon, someone will create a #FreeGritty doughnut and beer as well.