About

Green Man costumes are lycra body suits that are typically worn by people at large sporting events. The first appeared on the TV show It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia in 2007, but soon spread onto the internet, and into real life. They are now used as a distraction tactic at major sporting events. Green Man has several fan pages on facebook, for both the original It’s Always Sunny incarnation, and provincial “Green Men” who appear regularly on college campuses and at local games.

Origin

According to Green Man’s Wikipedia page, Rob McElhenney, creator of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia came up with the idea after watching the Philadelphia Eagles defeat the Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. Without warning, in the parking lot after the game, a friend of McElhenney’s stripped off his clothes and donned a full-body green lycra suit. McElhenney said: “Everyone started chanting, ‘Green Man! Green Man!’ It went on for several hours, and all I could think was, ‘My god, there has to be a way I can take advantage of this on the show.’” This account is confirmed by an interview McElhenney gave in 2009 (begins at 1:00).

Green Man made his debut the next season of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia in an episode entitled “The Gang Gets Invincible” (which first aired on September 13th 2007) as character Charlie Kelly’s LSD induced alter ego.

Green Man has also featured in the episodes “America’s Next Top Paddy’s Billboard Model Contest” and “The World Series Defense”

Spread

After his first appearance on It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia, Green Man began emerging at real life sporting events, most notably at home games of the Canadian ice hockey team the Vancouver Canucks, where two anonymous “Green Men” taunt players from the visiting team sitting in the penalty box.

Other Green Man Sightings

Outside the CBS Early Show (c. July 2010)

Variations

On September 20th 2010, a man dressed in a red lycra body suit ran onto the field during a Philadelphia Phillies home game against the Atlanta Braves. Braves outfielder Matt Diaz eventually tripped the intruder before security staff were able to apprehend him.

External Links

Articles About Green Man

Link to ESPN’s article on the Green Man phenomenon from October 2009.

Link to “The Legend Of Green Man” on Deadspin.com.

On YTMND

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