Flyers mascot Gritty accused of punching 13-year-old

Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty is being accused of physically assaulting a 13-year-old boy during a photo shoot, Philadelphia police told CBS’ Joe Holden.

The incident is said to have taken place in November 2019 at Wells Fargo Center. Police say the “investigation is active and ongoing with South Detectives Division.”

Flyers season-ticket holder Chris Greenwell claims his son Brandon playfully patted Gritty on the head after a photo was taken, and that Gritty got out of his chair, “took a running start,” and “punched my son as hard as he could,” according to Christian Hetrick of the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Greenwell added that he took his son to a chiropractor about a week after the incident. Brandon was diagnosed with a “contusion to lower thoracic spine with subluxation” – or a back bruise – according to a document provided by the chiropractor.

The Flyers say there’s no evidence to back up the accusation.

“We took Mr. Greenwell’s allegations seriously and conducted a thorough investigation that found nothing to support this claim,” the team said in a statement, according to the Courier-Post’s Dave Isaac.

The incident was not caught on video because “cameras in that area of the center are focused on other locations,” according to emails between Greenwell and officials at Comcast Spectator, the company that owns the Flyers.

Gritty gained instant popularity after arriving on the scene prior to the 2018-19 NHL season. The hairy, orange creature is arguably the most well-known mascot in all of sports.

Wizards’ Thomas suspended 2 games for entering stands in Philadelphia

The NBA has suspended Washington Wizards guard Isaiah Thomas for two games without pay after he entered the stands and confronted two fans during Saturday’s road loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the league announced Sunday.

“NBA rules state that any player who deliberately enters the spectator stands during a game will be automatically ejected and subject to a fine and/or suspension,” read a statement from league executive vice president of basketball operations Kiki Vandeweghe.

“This bright-line rule is intended to prevent altercations or other hostile interactions between players and fans, for the benefit of both, and is therefore enforced even in circumstances such as these when the encounter between Thomas and fans did not escalate.”

The two fans Thomas confronted have been barred from the Wells Fargo Center for 12 months, and the season-ticket holder who gave them the seats has had his tickets revoked.

Thomas said he entered the seating area after the fans shouted obscenities at him while he was shooting free throws in the fourth quarter. He said they told him they were upset he didn’t miss both foul shots, which would have entitled them to a free Frosty from Wendy’s as a part of an in-game promotion.

The suspension will take Thomas out of action for the rest of the Wizards’ road trip. Washington faces the Knicks in New York on Monday and the Pistons in Detroit on Thursday.

Flyers to unveil statue of franchise founder Snider

Philadelphia Flyers founder Ed Snider will be immortalized in the form of a nine-foot bronze statue outside of the Wells Fargo Center, the team announced Thursday.

Snider founded the Flyers in 1967 and owned the franchise until his death in 2016. He witnessed Stanley Cup victories in 1974 and 1975.

The statue will be revealed Oct. 19 prior to a game against the Nashville Predators – on the 50th anniversary of the Flyers’ first-ever game.

Report: Sixers have sold more 2017-18 season tickets than any other team

Is The Process finally ready to produce Results? The Philadelphia 76ers‘ fan base sure seems to think so.

According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers have sold 14,000 season tickets for the 2017-18 season, a franchise record and currently more than any other NBA team. The Wells Fargo Center – which holds a capacity of 19,500 – is expected to be sold out for all 41 of the Sixers’ regular-season home games, and the team will reportedly have to roll out a waiting list to accommodate the demand for tickets.

Having already built some excitement with a promising 2016-17 season, in which Joel Embiid exploded onto the scene and Dario Saric arrived from overseas to produce a Rookie-of-the-Year-caliber campaign, the Sixers fanned the flames by acquiring the No. 1 pick in the draft, which they’ll use to fill their position of greatest need by selecting point guard phenom Markelle Fultz.

Add to that mix the belated arrival of last year’s No. 1 pick, Ben Simmons, and it’s easy to understand why the long-suffering fans in Philly are feeling eager about the season to come.