Philly Fans: Where perception meets reality

I'm with Flavor Flav on this one: Don't believe the hype. The issue of Philadelphia fans and their, uh, temperment has been covered ad nauseum - even in this blog. So when a couple of elite media types had to make a big deal about it before the Phillies/Dodgers NLCS, I was compelled to save them for later comment. And the future is now.

First up is this goofball:


ANGRYVILLE -- You spend any time in this dingy city and around these folks,

Cute dateline. But, as this article will demonstrate, the angry one appears to be Mr. Simers.


and pit bulls running wild come to mind. Fine when leashed, but set them free, put a beer in their grubby paws and it's only a matter of time before they're going to go on the attack -- both the home team and its opponent feeling the bite.

This just in, pit bulls running wild are fine when leashed. Also, don't let them drink beer. Apparently sober pit bulls do not bite.


It's an angry place, all right, everything old here in Philadelphia, crumbling and in ruin. Even the city's main attraction has a crack in it.

Yeah, take that! History is for losers!


So the prevailing opinion around here is you have to be an obstinate pug to make it in Philly, the football team tough, the hockey team a bunch of bullies and the Phillies rugged competitors like Larry Bowa. This is supposed to make Philly an intimidating place to play.

The thirty-year-old references to the Broad Street Bullies and Larry Bowa's Phillies notwithstanding, is being "tough" as an athlete a bad thing?


But if a Philly crowd is so intimidating, as Bowa suggests, why do the Phillies lose here so often?

Because the fans don't actually play the games?


A year ago, the Phillies became the first pro sports franchise in North American history to lose 10,000 games.

And clearly that's the fans' fault. If they were more polite, they wouldn't have lost number 10,000 until at least 2009. But seriously folks, am I the only one who thinks that this was one of the most irrelevant and overcovered "sports" stories last year?


The Dodgers have the better team, a destiny date in Boston, and while that might make the folks in Philly miserable, they don't know how to act any differently here. Funny thing, too, this series will probably come back here [to Philadelphia] for Games 6 and 7, and nothing more disappointing [SIC] than getting that close to a World Series only to trudge out of the stadium wondering what went wrong.

He was wrong about the Dodgers having the better team and "a destiny date in Boston" and the series coming back to Philadelphia. But despite the massive SIC, he was right about how disappointing it is to get close to a World Series and then trudge out or your own stadium wondering what went wrong. I'll give him half-credit, even though I don't know how to act any differently - whatever that means.


The Phillies get the first two games here, their best pitcher in Cole Hamels starting against Derek Lowe, who is pitching for a new contract next year, as much motivation as any pro athlete can have these days. Advantage Lowe.

[Buzzer sounds] Well, that was wrong. And I'm also pretty sure it's not a sentence either.


Brett Myers, who has more losses than wins, then takes on Chad Billingsley, and the Dodgers look pretty good to win one of the first two games here. A sweep is not out of the question.

[Buzzer sounds] Oh! Another incorrect answer. Only one strike left.


Then it really turns ugly for the Phillies, who can only throw 100-year-old softball pitcher Jamie Moyer at the Dodgers and then just another guy in Joe Blanton.

Jamie Moyer just didn't match up well with the Dodgers. I looked at the numbers before the game and they weren't good. So that's how that goes. But Blanton isn't Joe the Plumber. And clearly he showed that against the Dodgers.


So there you go, the Phillies lose again, but then what's new?

[Buzzer sounds] And that sounds means we'll have to say goodbye to our Mr. Simers. But he'll be leaving with our home game and, of course, the disappointment that comes with getting that close to a World Series and then trudging out of your own stadium wondering what went wrong. Thanks for playing.


Our next contestant is from Toronto but is just as goofy:

Tonight, the National League Championship Series between the hometown Phillies and the Los Angeles Dodgers is forecast to begin in cool, moist weather. But after 15 years of disappointment, the heat pouring down from the stands promises to be scorching.

Take that Philly fans!


The Phillies haven't come this far in the post-season since 1993. They went on to lose the World Series in fairly embarrassing fashion to the Oronto-Tay Lue-Bay Ays-Jay.

I have always thought the Phillies should have won the 1993 World Series 4-2, instead of losing it 4-2. Far from embarrassing (see 1983 World Series), I would call that a competitive and entertaining series - although clearly more entertaining for Toronto. And what is the purpose of the pig-latin, which was completely butchered?


Saying more while actually in Philadelphia could be dangerous. They take their grudges seriously here.

I'm not sure there was ever a "grudge" about 1993 and, even if there was, the fact that Mitch Williams is popular in Philadelphia shows the fans are over it. Now JD Drew is grudge-worthy and yes, the fans take things like that seriously. Is that a bad thing?


They boo their opponents of course. They boo their own players as well. When they get bored with that, they boo the ball girls.

Hey, fair is fair. If a ball girl or a fan can't make the play, they get booed. I've got no problem with that.


They spent much of the early season catcalling Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins and he's only, you know, the defending league MVP. "They're front-runners," Rollins said after he'd had enough. "When you're doing good, they're on your side. When you're doing bad, they're completely against you."

Fuck the heck? I suppose this guy wasn't paying attention. Fans starting booing Jimmy after he made those comments. But don't let the facts get in the way of making your point.

I know I'm dreaming, but with the Phillies in the World Series, maybe we can put the whole "Philly Boo Bird" issue to rest. Right? Right?

Never mind.

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