Philadelphia Flyers mascot Gritty has emerged as the only orange-hued public figure worth trusting on any and all matters related to the coronavirus pandemic with a heartfelt and silly note posted on social media Tuesday.
With the NHL — like all other major sports leagues — on hiatus, Gritty offered fans and admirers an update on his own well-being (“I’m health in its purest form”) and how he’s handling self-isolation.
— Gritty (@GrittyNHL) March 17, 2020
“The most adorable creatures seem to be immune (dogs, small children, and possibly me?),” Gritty wrote of the coronavirus. “Regardless, I’m taking this very seriously. My paws are very clean. My home is completely wrapped in toilet paper, the virus isn’t getting in.” Additionally, Gritty said that his body temperature is still at the “classic Gritty average of 55.6 degrees Celsius” (about 132 degrees Fahrenheit), although the one thing plaguing him is a long-standing case of swimmer’s ear.
As for how he’s passing the time under self-quarantine, Gritty admitted his pickings were slim: He was on his ninth viewing of the 2001 Chris Rock animated medical comedy Osmosis Jones, and although he started binging Lost, “I couldn’t find Seasons 1 or 2, so I started on Season 3 and I can’t help but feel like I missed something important.”
Gritty closed his note with some heart, humor, and a bit of existential pondering: “I’m lonely, so I’m sure you are, too. We can be lonely together. Maybe being together in loneliness will make us … not lonely? I recognize that there’s a lot going on, and I rightfully assume my duty to be the orange light of hope in this COVID-19 covered world. After all, laughter is the best medicine. Next to medicine.”
