The new Sixers mascot is a fluffy blue breakdancing dog named Franklin.
The Sixers consulted several experts, including Dave Raymond, the original Phillie Phanatic, but they handed most of the creative duties to 1,000 kids ages 6 to 10 in the Delaware Valley, says Tim McDermott, the team’s chief marketing officer. The team’s research showed that most fans become fans within that age range, and so the Sixers decided to build a mascot kids that age would like. [Grantland]
The new Sixers mascot is a fluffy blue breakdancing dog named Franklin.
He will dribble, and dunk, and do all the crazy stunts fans expect of mascots now, McDermott says. He won’t need a sleek alternate costume for those things; the fluffy one is designed to accommodate full mascot freedom.
The new Sixers mascot is a fluffy blue breakdancing dog named Franklin.
The Sixers have quietly become an enjoyable team to watch over the past few weeks, playing competitive basketball against some of the league’s best teams and getting valuable contributions from people like Robert Covington, Tim Frazier, and other players you probably hadn’t heard of before the team signed them at 3 p.m. and inserted them into the starting line-up at 7. They’re kind of adorable, like a mischievous puppy just learning how to use its little puppy legs. I love them.
That said, they’re still not very good. Not yet, at least. And maybe not for a while. But they are fun, as their new breakdancing mascot clearly indicates. Now someone please get Franklin together with Nae Naeing Betsy Ross and let’s take this show on the road.
