Earlier this week, it was announced that the Philadelphia Phillies have made some modifications to the Phillie Phanatic. Today, those changes have been shown to the public for the first time.
The Phillies purchased the rights to the Phanatic from co-creators Bonnie Erickson and Wayde Harrison in 1984, but could only hold them for 35 years before renegotiating. Erickson and Harrison recently informed the Phillies they want the rights back, but the Phillies filed a lawsuit in response saying that they had made the Phanatic their own through several changes over the past 35 years.
Sunday, the Phillies unveiled a slightly updated Phanatic, one they expect to be able to feature if they lose the rights to the Phanatic they have been using:
The iconic mascot certainly remains recognizable. The most notable updates are a change in his shoes, a shorter snout and a smaller stomach.
According to MLB.com‘s Todd Zolecki, the Phillies still hold the rights to the original Phanatic until June 15. If they are able to reach a settlement before that date, they will return to that version and this new-look Phanatic will have been short lived.
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