In 2016, the Philadelphia seventy-sixers got a new mascot, Franklin the Dog, and he’s terrible. Dogs are great, but Franklin is ugly, blue, and boring, unlike the real man’s best friend. There are so many iconic parts about Philly that could be used to create a mascot much more fun and representative of the city, but they chose him. Instead of Franklin the dog, I suggest they change the mascot to one of my personal ideas.

My first idea is the iconic LOVE sign on John F. Kennedy Blvd. Imagine a person comes out in a giant LOVE costume to positive upbeat bop music, shaking hands, hugging people, and just being as jovial as possible. But then, the lights go out and the music stops, only for seconds later for the beat to drop with flashing lights, and the person in the LOVE costume doing crazy trampoline-dunk stunts. The crowd would go insane.

My second idea is Franklin the dog, but this time, it’s an actual dog. Studies show that the majority of people prefer real dogs over fake dogs, and the new Franklin would meet that demand. It would be the iconic live animal of the sixers, just like Ralphie the Buffalo for the Colorado Buffaloes. It could come out with a trainer and do tricks in the middle of the court, almost like a mini pre-game dog show. Merchandise would sell like crazy. 

My third idea is the constitution. Written in Philadelphia and the basis of our country’s government, what could be a better mascot. You may be wondering, what would the constitution look like? Well, it has already been done, just look at Mr. Bill from schoolhouse rock. You also may be wondering, what would the constitution actually do at games? 

You know what people love though? Freedom and loud noises, and that’s why my final idea for the sixer’s mascot is the Liberty Bell. But not just the Liberty Bell, it would have its friend Mr. Mallet to chase him around the stadium. To accompany the presence of Liberty Bell and Mr. Mallet, every time the sixers dunk, a giant bong noise would be played. It would go viral.