The Philadelphia Flyers have been looking to find something that will help attract more fans to the games for a quite a while now, and some may say that their solution may have found a way to do the opposite: scare people away.

This season, the Flyers have brought in their new mascot, Gritty.

This large, orange-furred, googly-eyed, hockey-loving creature now roams the streets of South Philly, or more specifically, Broad Street. The scariest thing about this glorified muppet are his eyes, as they swirl with his every move and stare deep into the very depths of your soul. His stringy, flowing mane gives him an Oscar the Grouch meets Mufasa vibe, with many people split between whether the look is innocently goofy or creepily menacing.

At first, Flyers fans were discouraged by the idea of Gritty, thinking he was but a knock-off of the beloved Philly Phanatic. But now, the Flyers have embraced their new mascot, and plan on defending him and his shenanigans with all of their might. His first appearance in the Flyers home opener helped solidify his spot in the hearts of Philadelphians, as Gritty jumped from the ceiling, swinging from a rope to the Song “Wrecking Ball” by Miley Cyrus as thousands of Philly’s finest looked on in confusion and awe.

Many people outside of Philadelphia will be, and have been, quick to judge Gritty just based on his looks, left wondering why the Flyers would adopt such an absurd looking creature. But, that may be the very point the Orange and Black were trying to make. The repulsiveness and creepy nature of the mascot gives him that “cute-gross” sort of feeling, in the sense that he acts like a raunchy cartoon character that you love.

The Flyers are carrying a pretty even 50/50 record at home, so Gritty hasn’t helped the team out too much when it comes to producing actual wins, but, what they lack in success, they certainly make up for in morale. And regardless of the backlash he receives, the cold reception, and the constant criticism that will inevitably haunt him, it seems like Gritty will be with us for the long haul.