Scott (r) vows the Flyers will be more aggressive in free agency than they have been recentlyGETTY IMAGES
Flyers Chair Dave Scott last year made the decision to "find his own right-hand person, someone who can run everything else for him while he spends more time with the Flyers," which led to the hiring of Flyers and Wells Fargo Center President of Business Operations Valerie Camillo last month, according to Sam Donnellon of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. Scott, 65, also serves as Comcast Spectacor Chair & CEO. All "key revenue functions, marketing initiatives, analytics, technology, and business optimization -- things that took Scott’s eye off things like the Flyers' team makeup and performance -- now stream through" Camillo. The move "allows Scott to fixate on hockey," and he "vows the Flyers will be much more aggressive in the free-agent market this summer than they have been recently." By next season, more than $260M will have been spent to "improve the fan experience" at Wells Fargo Center." Scott: "We’re going to keep investing. We’re going to be cap spenders. We want to build the best team possible" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. 1/26).
STILL BREAKING THE INTERNET: In DC, Sarah Larimer noted Flyers mascot Gritty is a "viral sensation on the Internet and a real celebrity in a city whose citizens have embraced him as their own." Gritty is "super on-brand, a true (expletive) Philadelphian." From a business perspective, Gritty’s first few months have been an "unlikely success story." He is the result of an "unselfish and collaborative effort, and represents total commitment from an organization that took chances and leaned in." The team consulted with David Raymond, the original Philadelphia Phanatic, and "worked with several artists, including Brian Allen, who sketched out a design of the creature." Two people "handle Gritty’s social media presence." When Gritty appeared on “The Tonight Show,” the Flyers "chartered a helicopter so he could make it back for a game that night." Then he "had a police escort to Wells Fargo Center (WASHINGTON POST, 1/25). In S.F., Al Saracevic noted Gritty has over 200,000 Twitter followers, and "political extremists on both the left and right have fought to appropriate him." It is "no surprise that some of Gritty’s colleagues might be a little jealous." Before a league-wide mascot segment ahead of Saturday night's All-Star Game, Gritty was the "center of attention, in full regalia." The Coyotes' mascot said, "It’s good because it sheds light on us all. It’s bad because it’s all about one guy" (S.F. CHRONICLE, 1/27).
