David Raymond The original Philly Phanatic now owns the Raymond Entertainment Group (REG) in Newark, DE. He graduated from Newark High School in 1974. He went to the University of Delaware from 1974-1979 where he received his Bachelors Degree in Physical Education. He played on the football team, coached by his father, "Tubby" Raymond. In '76 David interned with the Philadelphia Phillies and in '78, landed a job as the first Philly Phanatic. After leaving this job, he joined Brooklyn-based company, ACME Mascots. In 2000, he started the Raymond Entertainment Group, which offers soup-to-nuts character branding programs that develop market opportunities and plans, costumes, performer development and training, and growth management to generate maximum value from a sports or corporate character. The Raymond Entertainment Group produces the Mascot Boot Camp, hosted in Kutztown, PA. They also started the Mascot Hall of Fame, an online-only hall that has an induction ceremony each year in Philadelphia, PA. The Raymond Entertainment Group has created characters including DownTown of the York Revolution, Cylo of the Lancaster Barnstormers, Gapper of the Cincinnati Reds, the NCAA's JJ Jumper, and their own character, Reggy the Purple Party Dude.