Philadelphia has had its fair share of sports icons. For example, there is Rocky Balboa, then Gritty, and that pretty much ends the list. One of them guest starred on the hit ABC sitcom “Abbott Elementary.” We’ll give you a hint who it was: it wasn’t Sylvester Stallone.
The cast of the show seemed happier to see Gritty than they were to see Jimmy Kimmel sleep onstage. If Gritty was rub elbows with the Hollywood elite, why can’t N.J. Devil? Here’s a few television shows we’d love to see our beloved mascot make an appearance.
The Real Housewives of New Jersey
The Real Housewives love fighting. Recently married Theresa Giudice loves a good table flip now and then. Maybe N.J. Devil can join the drama and get a few pointers from enforcer Mason Geertsen. Plus, I’m sure there are always cannolis on set, so N.J. can leave with a nice little snack.
Ted Lasso
Ted Lasso is cute and cuddly, just like N.J. Devil! Maybe AFC Richmond decides to expand their sports empire and go into the ice hockey business with a team in the Elite Ice Hockey League (Britain’s professional hockey league). N.J. could go international to help coach the team with Ted Lasso! He can visit Big Ben, pet some Corgis, and meet the new King. He’s red, so he’ll even match the Buckingham Palace guards.
Euphoria
We can’t look at Zendaya and think she wouldn’t have chemistry with a fluffy NHL mascot. Plus, N.J. has bigger muscles than Tom Holland. He can be a new transfer student at Ulysses S. Grant High School.
Squid Game
Here’s a nice plot line for season two: N.J. enters the Squid Games so the team has more money to spend in free agency. Of course, the NHL might call, that “salary cap circumvention” and take away our first round pick (again). N.J. goes to South Korea and is surprised that “Squid Games” have nothing to do with the Seattle Kraken, or calamari. Dennis Rodman gets on a flight to the wrong Korea and ends up as a guest star. N.J. can’t speak Korean, there’s a language barrier, and hilarious misadventures ensue!
It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia
Put N.J. on Gritty’s turf so he can assert his dominance. He can even co-star with beloved fellow New Jersey legend Danny Devito! Serious note, why haven’t we gotten Danny Devito to a Devils’ game yet? We even got the perfect plot idea.
Patrik Elias comes to save N.J. from Philadelphia and then Mac and Charlie get flashbacks to his game seven Eastern Conference finals performance from 2000. Patrik then teaches them the E.L.I.A.S. system, and yes, “S” stands for “Stanley Cups.”
What Could Have Been
The greatest television show of all time, “The Sopranos” ended without a N.J. cameo. It would have worked perfect in “The Pine Barrens” episode. While Paulie Walnuts (RIP Tony Sirico) and Chris Moltisanti are wandering through the snow, talking about that interior decorator from Czechoslovakia, they run across N.J. visiting his cousin the real N.J. Devil. We never did find out if their related in real life.
Disclaimer
As you could tell, we had some fun with this one. The season hasn’t begun yet and once it does we’ll get back to all that exciting stuff about expected goals per 60 minutes, Corsi stats, and save percentages. Though, I hope everyone had some laughs before Devils Army Blog gets back to the hard hitting analysis that everyone loves so much.