Sports

We Reserve the Right to Boo: Philadelphia Phillies

Once again I will be the defender of Philly fans everywhere. Once again the media is chastising the greatest fans on the planet for booing. And once again the media are a bunch of complete dopes.

This time the Philadelphia Phillies fans have gotten negative attention from the national and local media for booing the home team during their 4-1 opening night loss. The local media (print and radio) have been especially ridiculous regarding this subject. The opinion of the media is that the Philly fans shouldn’t boo the Phillies because they won the World Series last year. They think that since the team is a winner, they deserve only cheers. They espouse the ridiculous theory that the Phillies have earned a pass from any boos for at least the 2009 season. That somehow booing a team that won a Championship makes you less of a fan.

The problem with that is basically that it is a load of crap. Just because the Phillies won the Championship last year you can’t ever boo the team again? Since they finally broke the 25-year Championship drought in Philadelphia, we should only politely clap and accept poor performance? Somebody should bitch-slap these media members and tell them it’s okay since the Phillies won. What a bunch of crybabies.

I couldn’t be happier that the Phillies won the World Series last year, but that was last year. It’s the start of a new season, so they need to do it all over again. I think they can, but they need to actually go out and do it. If they don’t I will be disappointed and I might just boo. On opening night, the Phillies did not start off on the right foot.

Brett Myers gave up three home-runs in the first two innings and the team was behind 4-0 in the blink of an eye. It was after that third HR that the fans booed for the first time. The next day I had to read how some professional ass-kisser in the local media wrote that the “duration of the World Series grace period was 20 minutes.” Hey Jackass, Myers is lucky the fans let him go that long before they booed. Myers was throwing meatballs up there in what looked like a Home Run Derby. Pitchers give up HRs on occasion. In Citizens Bank Park, they might give up more than usual. But Myers was terrible on opening night and he deserved to hear about it.

Myers even said as much in a post-game interview. When asked by a reporter what he thought about the booing he said “Hey I was booing myself on the inside.” See, Myers gets it. If you don’t perform, you deserve to get booed. If the player who was booed can understand that, why can’t the media?

Now, Philadelphia is a unique place in that the fanbase revels in their nasty reputation. As a born and bred Philadelphia sports fan, I can attest to that fact. Philly fans support the local teams, but they want effort in return for that support. If you don’t give the effort, or if your effort just isn’t good enough, then you will get Booed. It really is that simple. This isn’t golf where fan political correctness is ridiculous and you aren’t allowed to make a sound. If somebody coughs, Tiger glares at them. In real sports, the fans can get behind their team or show their displeasure by booing. When a team stinks, like the Phillies did on opening night, they deserved to get Booed. “That’s part of it” manager Charlie Manuel said. “We can handle that.”

The media seems to think that this is evil and makes a big deal out of it every time. Philly fans threw snowballs at Santa Claus. Philly fans cheered Michael Irvin’s injury. Philly fans boo their own players. All true to some extent, but that hardly makes Philly fans unique. Other team’s fans do things much worse and it doesn’t get nearly the press as when the Philly fans boo. I’m sure none of you are even aware that the Detroit Tigers - Toronto Blue Jays game in Toronto was delayed for nearly 10 minutes on Monday night because of fan behavior. It seems that in the 8th inning two baseballs were thrown on the field in the direction of Tigers leftfielder Josh Anderson. That was followed by more items, like beer bottles, being thrown onto the field. It didn’t stop until the public address announcer read a message warning fans that the game could be forfeited. Yeah, booing is much worse than throwing things at the players right? Apparently it is if it happens in Philadelphia.

So here I am, defending the great Philadelphia sports fans from the hypocritical media once again. There are idiot fans in every stadium at every professional sporting event. Why is that only the ones in Philly get the attention? If it sounds like I’m bitching, then fine. I am. I just don’t like getting crap for doing something that any knowledgeable sports fan should do. If your team isn’t giving effort you should be entitled to boo them. If they are playing like crap, you should be entitled to boo them. Fans pay a lot of money to watch sports these days. If they don’t like what they see they’re entitled to voice their displeasure. In Philly we do that by booing.

Does the media think that every movie is Oscar-quality? Is the food at every restaurant 5-star worthy? Is every book a best-seller? Of course not, so why should sporting events and the fans there be held to a higher standard? The answer is that they shouldn’t be. Somebody should let the media in on that little bit of common sense, don’t you think?

I won’t defend some idiot’s right to throw things on the field or start a fight, but I will defend the right of every fan to boo. I’m pretty sure that’s what our Founding Fathers had in mind when they came up with the First Amendment about “Freedom of Speech” in the Bill of Rights. Hey, they were in Philly weren’t they? I hear that James Madison had a nice set of lungs on him.

The Phillies demonstrated their insane ability to score runs, even if the other team gives them a lot of help.  I have no doubt that there was a bit of a “let-down” associated with the events on opening day, banners, rings, red carpets, and accolades.  Let the 12-11 win last night be a sign of things to come… just like the cheers will be there, too.

Welcome back! Follow us on Twitter, subscribe for FREE, or become a fan on Facebook to win tickets to Philadelphia events.