From Santa Claus to Sarah Palin, it's been going on for at least 40 years. Philadelphia may be known as the City of Brotherly Love, but its sports fans aren't exactly warm and fuzzy. In fact, they'll boo anybody at anytime. Rays fans, on the other hand, couldn't be much different.
Are Phillies fans overzealous, or just plain passionate about their team? Are Rays fans loyal to their club, or simply late-arriving bandwagoners? Let the fun begin!
#1 - Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:32 PM EDTPhillies fans are very similar to NY fans-passion.
Rays fans come on give them a break who would have said they were a Rays fan before this year ???
Well, I had a good comment about this... it was posted and then it was removed - didn't even have anything bad to say. Seems like the posts are one-sided. Oh well... I tried.
Thanks - it's back!
Well, as a Phillies fan I guess I should personally apologize that our team beat the Dodgers and ruined the Series for the rest of the country. That seems to be the theme of alot of national stories this week.
And for heavens sake, enough already with the Santa Clause stuff! Will they still be holding that against us for another 100 years? Apparently so.
Phillies looking good, stopped following baseball a while back , was watching espn the other night and i think the Philies can win this. the rays are a good team though so its still anyone game really.
I think that the Philly fans are the better fans. We love our team win or lose. I now live in Tampa and you really didn't hear much about the rays until they started winning and got into the playoffs. now everyone is a rays fan since they are going to the Series. These same people were ray haters after they gave up 8 runs in game 5. come tampa either be a real fan or get off the bandwagon.
#2 - Tue Oct 21, 2008 11:06 PM EDTI didn't think there was such a thing as a Rays fan.
And remember, while Philly may have booed Santa Claus they never booed Rocky!
#3 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:10 AM EDTHEY-YO!!! You talkina me?? Hey Adrienne!!!!
Yeah, Rocky is Philly's folk hero. Got a problem wid dat? ha ha
Look, I lived outside Philly all my life. Was always a Phillies, Iggles, and Sixers fan. I remember going to an Eagles game when Norm VanBrocklin was the QB. Mid winter, snowing like crazy, wow, now that was football.
As a Philly sports fan, when you're a kid, the first thing you learn to say, at the end of most seasons is..... "Well, fugedaboudit, there's always next year!"
I live in Florida now, not retired, transferred for work. South Florida, a fan of..... YEP, you guessed it... Dolphins. Imagine, there's a football team that's worse than my beloved Eagles. I think Philly sports team fans have every right to be angry. Sports teams owners that never seem to spend enough to get the best players, and figure the fans will still come, and they will still be highly profitable. Yeah, Philly, you all have every right. Ok, let me interject that tossing snowballs at Santa.... a little over the top, ok? Gotta knock that stuff off.
What other sports town has (or used to have at least) a judge that would try and convict you in the friggin stadium if you got caught being bad. None that i can think of.
I love Florida... South Florida... but one thing is for sure... my heart is still in Philly when it comes to sports teams. After a while, it gets in your blood. Character flaw I guess... or might be something in the Philly water. Ya just Nevva Know!!!
Sports teams owners that never seem to spend enough to get the best players, and figure the fans will still come, and they will still be highly profitable.
Yea, the Phillies had the fifth highest attendance in the league this year, but only the 13 highest payroll. I think those are the figures. Yea, that worked this year, but how about next year when the Phillies will need to retool their outfield, rotation and bullpen?
GOoooooooooooo PHILIIESSSSSS
Rays only have some late arriving ticket buyers, not fans. Philly fans are FAIR, bringing it down on our own team when it doesn't produce. Now take that boo/snowball Santa stunt of a while back. The REAL highlight of that game was when a dummy effigy of the Iggles coach was hung off the top deck, and the the fans below set the dummy on FIRE. Now that's a fair fan, and what I remember about that game. Santa was a sideshow.
#4 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:27 AM EDTRays only have some late arriving ticket buyers, not fans. Philly fans are FAIR, bringing it down on our own team when it doesn't produce. Now take that boo/snowball Santa stunt of a while back. The REAL highlight of that game was when a dummy effigy of the Iggles coach was hung off the top deck, and the the fans below set the dummy on FIRE. Now that's a fair fan, and what I remember about that game. Santa was a sideshow.
#5 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:30 AM EDTBOO to this stupid article. FORTY YEARS AGO fans boo'd a fake Santa Claus. Get over it!
If the writer bothered to watch just the LCS series in both cities, he'd notice a big difference between the fans in Philly vs Florida. You didn't see anyone in Philly sitting on their butts in the top of the 9th about to win the LCS. Can't say the same for the Rays.
If you show you don't try, are dogging it or do the same stupid act over again and again, you're going to hear some boos.
#6 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:42 AM EDTIf the writer bothered to watch just the LCS series in both cities, he'd notice a big difference between the fans in Philly vs Florida.
Actually, the difference between the fan bases is exactly what the story is about.
I thought that was the intent of the story, but why does DeMarco have to make the obligatory mention of Chicago, Boston and LA. ("...even if the rest of the nation would have preferred...") How did he fail to mention NY? We don't care about them! The series is between Philly and Tampa, and the Philly fans are the best!
I am getting tired of the national media painting Philly fans in the same broad strokes. Fans, over 40 years ago, booed a horrible rendition of Santa who, was so drunk, that he fell on the track around Franklin Field! Did you bring up snowballs being thrown at the Meadowlands when the Giants were in the Super Bowl this year? No. How about the Cleveland Browns fans pelting the officials with beer bottles when the Cavs were in the finals? No. What about when Detriot fans practically burn down their city when the Pistons or Red Wings win titles? No. The list goes on and on but yet here you are continuing to make Philly fans look like hooligans where they are no worse than the rest of the fans around the country.
Maybe next time you can find a place to write about the Flyers Wives Carnival, the Best Cancer research the Eagles fans support, or the Red goes Green campaign the Phillies fans fund. You, Bob, along with that garbage at ESPN, need to do some actual journalism and research something new to write about and give us some credit where credit is do.
#7 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:18 AM EDTAgain the trashing by the national media - this time it's their fans. I have been a Phillies season ticket holder for 32 years and have lived and died with the Phillies. But isn't that what sports is all about. Yes, we are a passionate City and usually this time of year all the attention is turned on the Eagles but this year is special. Why not turn this story around and tell about how passionate we are about our team - didn't think to mention the record breaking sellouts this year - and this was all year long - not the last couple of games when they made the playoffs. All the players in this town know how knowledgeable their fans are - how about Ryan Howard and Pat Burrell talking about how their fans were celebrating back in Philly when they clinched in Milwaukee and Los Angeles. This group of players spent more time celebrating with their fans on the field than in the clubhouse when they clinched the division because they wanted to share with those that have supported them all year long. You are no different than any other national media writer that has bothered to write about the Philadeolphia fan. Going back 40 YEARS to get information for your article - come on what other article did you pull that from? For Phillies fans from PA, DE, NJ and all over the country we can't wait to hold that parade for our '08 PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES. This team didnt lose 10,000 games, or the '83 or '93 World Series so lets give those stats a rest and enjoy the moment and the passion that makes up a Phillies fan!!! GO PHILS!!!!!
#8 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 7:41 AM EDTBrother forgive them...they know not what they do.
The best revenge is living well on one of the worlds most livable street, Broad street... As awarded by the American City Planners association 10/10/2008.
Do sportswriters actually get paid to re-hash the same tired old stuff?
#9 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:08 AM EDTI'll echo the sentiments of other responders. That Santa was drunk doesn't ever seem to make it into the sotries. That it was only a few people booing Michael Irvin, do not indict the whole philly sports fan crowd as a whole.
Don't bother to mention the gang activity that the Phillies fans had to deal with in Los Angeles. Just grab the easy story so you don't have to really work for your money.
Philadelphia is a working class city. We expect our players to bust it. If you bust it, and the effort is evident, then you have our love. Play with an appearance that is complacent and an attitude that you are better than everyone else, and you'll have a problem. Scott Rolen was loved by the fans, but he started to hear the boos when he turned on the organization.
If you are going to write detrimental things about the Philly fans when they do something wrong, I expect you to write the same story when any other team's fans act the same way.
GO PHILLIES!!!
#10 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:21 AM EDTHere we go again. Because some lazy reporter has to write a story about the philly fans he goes right to something that happened over 40 years ago. Seriously earn your keep and write about the fans of this year or last year or even 5 years ago. Also if you would have done some investigation you would have realized that the fans were angry with the Santa because he was drunk, his beard was falling off and he was falling all over the place.
Philadelphia is a hard working town. We expect our players to be the same. If they do not work hard, then they will get booed. If they work hard, they will get cheered. The writer mentioned asking Pat Burrell about getting booed. Why dont you ask him how he was cheered and encouraged for an entire year when he was playing terrible because the fan base realized they needed him to perform and help the team win. The Philadelphia fan base knows their sports. They know when a player is mailing it in and when a players is busting his butt. Where else in America would a stadium cheer and give a standing ovation to a player fouling off pitches like Brett Myers did against CC Sabathia??? The fans knew what was going on after the 4th pitch.
Also is Philadelphia the only place that has rowdy fans. Funny I heard a number of stories of Philly fans getting knives pulled on them in LA for the series. Didnt here much from the media about that. How about in Chicago when a father and son assaulted a Royals first base coach. That got pushed under the rug. Or when the Giant fans were throwing ice balls at the opposing bench and knocked a coach out. No problem there I guess. Thousands upon thousands of incidents happen every year at stadiums yet the Philadelphia fans are the ones that get brought up all the time.
Mr. Harkins, whatever this site pays you, you should give back because you basically just stole a pay check. Do some work before writing a story.
#11 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:26 AM EDTGO PHILLIES!!!!!
#12 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:27 AM EDTAnother hack "writer" from somewhere else bringing up the tired Santa story.....
#13 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:53 AM EDTThe national media are always criticizing the fans of Philadelphia. Why don't these "writers" ever stay in our city for a whole season instead of taking snapshots of certain games. The fans here are passionate, knowledgeable and always want our teams to perform to their best abilities. What is wrong with that? The national media should really start to think of something new to say about our fans. Santa was over 40 years ago, Michael Irvin wasn't getting booed when laying down on the field-I think it was Deion Sanders who was getting the boos as he was dancing around Irvin on the ground. I wish the national media would start picking on new fans...how about those LA Dodgers fans who were constantly trashing the Phillies fans in the stands in Los Angeles.
#14 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 9:54 AM EDTMuch of what I had to say was already said on here, but it is just embarrassing how it is impossible for national writers writing about the fans to not mention Santa Claus. It is pretty ridiculous considering it seems not one writer ever even knows the real story. I am glad some others clarified it a bit, but 99% of people will just see the headline or read the article and think, "oh, philly fans are idiots". A REAL article that would have taken a little more work might have been one against the grain trying to dispell some of those myths. Bottom line, its just lazy. You couldnt even get out or THE FIRST SENTENCE without mentioning Santa. On a side note, I do agree with the Rays assessment. Its a joke and predictabley, the national media LOVES the Rays. Go Phils and shut everyone up.
#15 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:02 AM EDTlol.... I live in St. Pete so I am rooting for the Rays, but years ago had seasons tickets to the Phillies when Vet Stadium was new.... I've seen Phils fans boo Steve Carlton and I've seen them boo a 4 year old boy during a baseball tossing contest on the field.
There are NO fans like the Philly fans............when they love ya, they let you know... and when you screw up.... they let you know it bigtime.
GOOOOOOOOOOO RAYS............... but a little piece of my heart says Go Phils!!!!!!
#16 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:09 AM EDTBeen a Rays fan since the beginning... been STANDING and cheering since the beginning! And there are lots of us too! It takes a while for a young team to get good and to establish a fan base... I think smart America knows that and I don't think the Rays fans have to defend it... isn't that where all fans begin? On the bandwagon?? it may have been decades ago, but the Phillies were new once too - along with every other franchise. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Philadelphia Eagles, the Lightning beat the Flyers... now it's time for the Rays to beat the Phillies and make it a SWEEP! Sorry Philadelphia... I actually love your town and your people... went to college there... and I disagree with the media... PA people are some of the nicest I've ever met... but we're still cheering for our Rays and we won't sit down either!
#17 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:23 AM EDTSo it is unreasonable for the fans of a team that does a complete turnaround in one season to follow suit by showing their support? Ummm. Isn't that what makes a good fan?
LET'S GO RAYS!!!
#18 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 11:32 AM EDTA sports fan enjoys the game, not just the glory. Philly fans were loyal prior to their win at the World Series in 1980. They did not jump on the bandwagon in August of 1980, but in 1883 when they were known as the Quakers. Our enthusiasm is so great that we do not need cowbells, our mouths do the job! :)
We have morals. When Santa showed up drunk and dissheveled, we booed him. He understood and still laughs about it to this day. We did not complain in April that there was no reason to replace a stadium for a losing team only to boast our fanbase when the team makes it to the World Series in October. Our team knows our presence 365 days a year. Make no mistake about it.
A good fan is with the team. They know the team's strengths and weaknesses. They know the actual voyage, not just the destination.
Sorry dude, but good fans can be newcomers too. What about the dad's who finally have a son to bring to the game? What about their daughters and wives who have a new found love of the game because of their recent success? News fans are made everday thank goodness or there would be none left when the old ones die! Our family has been there since the beginning, but we welcome the newcomers with open arms! I surely don't believe that every fan that fills your stadium has been around since day one... Cowbells? Some teams have props, other use their mouths... get over it... its a game remember... it's suppose to be a fun thing.
Our team knows our presence too... at Thanksgiving when we help them fill their food baskets, at Christmas when [with us] they visit the children with cancer, in the summer when they hold baseball camps for underprivileged children... Philadelphia is not the only team out there with a good team and good fans dude... there are good teams and good fans all over the US if you haven't noticed.
First of all, I am not a 'dude'. I am an educated woman. Secondly, no one said Philly was the only town with good fans, we said that the fan base in Philly is more substantial and credible than Tampa Bay. It was that specific.
All sports teams have charities---that was not the issue. The team I am describing knows that we are their fans all of the time is what I said. In April there were a plethora of articles describing how the loyal Tampa Bay fans did not want a new stadium due to the fact that the Rays were a losing team. That does not sound loyal to me. When Citizen's Bank Park was built, the Phillies were not the National League East Champs. We loved them anyway. We wanted more, but still showed up.
Below is the definition of 'fan'---
fan2 –noun
an enthusiastic devotee, follower, or admirer of a sport, pastime, celebrity, etc.: a baseball fan; a great fan of Charlie Chaplin.
To be a devotee, one must be ardently devoted. Not an admirer who came across an interesting show and decided they wanted to be part of the action. That is the bulk of the attendees in TB as the stadium was empty until the middle of August. You were probably there, but not the rest of them. I am glad you have new friends.
So yes, you are a fan. However it seems you were somewhat alone in that position.
I am an educated woman also, PhD in fact, from a college in the great state of Pennsylvania... so the definition of a fan was not needed. My "girl" friends and I all call each other dude... I even call my husband and children dude... so sorry if I offended you - it is a term of endearment in our household.
If you yourself could come to Florida and see the beautiful stadium called Tropicana Field you would understand why the fans don't want or need a new stadium. The current stadium, which went through millions of dollars of renovations not too long ago, is beautiful. It has awesome restaurants, shops, game areas for children and it is indoors... a place we can bring our children and not have them roasting outside in the hot Florida sun for 4 hours. Not to mention that most of the entire season is played during our most rainy and dangerous thunderstorm season. My family has been inside watching the game more times then I can count while outside the most ferocious storms were carrying on.
The difinition was provided to resolve the confusion as to a 'fan' and one who is on the bandwagon. Fans do not suddenly appear when the team is winning.
The reasons given for not building the new stadium had nothing to do with the 'beauty' of the present monsterocity. Yes, I have seen it. All of the reasons related to the losing record of the Rays. Basically, they were known as a losing team and therefore a new stadium was not warranted.
Last night, many Philly fans were in attendance. One of the items that has been mentioned again and again is that there seems to be a need for the TB fans to be instructed when to and not to cheer. Apparently the individuals operating the scoreboard or the board that shows replays and other entertainment tell when it is appropriate to cheer. In addition, one of your papers found the need to explain what the symbols in baseball mean. i.e. K=stikeout. A baseball fan already knows when to cheer. A baseball fan knows that K=strikeout and so on and so forth. I just saw on one of TB's local sports blog a really big question. 'Can a pitcher dictate what kind of hit a batter gets from a pitch". The person who answered did not answer the question, but provided info on that stats of some pitching greats. This is a Little League question!
On a bright note, it was also noted that the fans were very gracious and polite. One woman commented how she was standing during the excitement of the game. She apologized to the woman behind her. Their reply was it was okay since her team was winning. No one complained of assualts similar to what occurred in LA--which was bizarre. No one complained that they were verbally assaulted or belittled as in other cities. We thought it was funny that when Ryan Howard caught the foul ball that was landing in the stands, no one 'accidentally' bumped into his elbow. I know, hard to believe that could happen, but it does-everywhere!
Who know, perhaps when the Rays continue their new theme of success , the fans will have more passion and become unreasonable. Not today.
Just to set the record straight, Philadelphia fans booed Santa because he was obviously Drunk and should not have been on the field. And Sarah Palin was booed because she is a self proclaimed Rangers fan (one of our biggest rivals) who the Flyers were playing on our opening night. If you come into our home, especially on the season opener, its your own damn fault if you want to openly support the opposing team. If your city wouldn't have booed at her for doing the same, then you really need to grow a pair. We tell it like it is, no holds barred, and to me, that is what a fan is supposed to do. Yes we boo our own team if they deserve it.
#19 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:03 PM EDTWhich city gas the best fans? Easy, just look at the attendance numbers. Phillies 40,000+ per home game, Rays about 15000 average home game. That leaves more seats empty in Tropicana than occupied for the vast majority of the home games.
#20 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:05 PM EDTWhich city has the best fans? Easy, just check the attendance figures. Phillies 40000+ per home game, Rays about 15000 average per home game excluding when the Red Sox were in town. That means on most nights Tropicana Field had more empty seats than occupied.
#21 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:11 PM EDTHey Red Sox Fan,
Nice. You went to the cold hard facts, not opinion.
Nicely done.
"They boo their own, too. They really boo their own. Just ask Pat Burrell. Or Scott Rolen." Scott Rolen..."their own?" Talk about a non-factor name in the scheme of this story.
Seriously, another story about the fill-in Santa booed by fans 40 years ago? This story is the equivalent of a 3 year old boy telling his parents how his older brother called him a name, repeating it over and over again until you tell the 3 year old "enough...I heard you tell me already!"
DeMarco...is there a reason why there isn't national sports stories about Dodger fans? Here about the game 5 multiple beer tosses at LAPD? See for yourself at
You're the journalistic equivalent of that 3 year old I was talking about above, and it's nap time.
#22 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:31 PM EDTIf you're going to edit my post, why not take my entire sentence out if the youtube website reference can't be used?
BBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
this from a long time Phillies fan.
BBBBBBBBBBBBBOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!
baby!!
Don't forget folks, the game on Oct. 25th is D-cell night! Go Phillies!
#23 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:36 PM EDTSo much of what I was feeling while reading this article has been expressed.
Once again, some hack from the national media has to rely on the tired old cliche' that Philadelphia fans booed Santa Clause...c'mon, give it some real effort. You don't even know when it happened or why. As for booing. There are athletes that played in this town that never got booed no matter what, because they gave us the impression that they gave a damn. Chase Utley will never get booed. Neither will Shane Victorino, because they bust there butts on every play. And as for Philly fans being nasty???? The article mentioned that we boo Pat Burrell, but there was a time duing his 2nd full season, when he went into a prolonged slump we cheered for the kid. We tried to pump him up. And that lasted for a couple months. Do you national guys ever, EVER, give us (Philly fans) the benefit of the doubt? I'd just as soon have you and Mike Wilboun stay home and watch it on TV. You're gonna say what you wanna say without letting the facts get in the way of the story that you want to write.
#24 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 12:59 PM EDTObviously never been to a Phillies game in Phila., PA. We DO have Kiss Cam, and Flex Cam, and Septa subway races, and Grahm Slam Ball hunt and a ton of other legit entertainment like......the Phantic....our mascot is a PHANATIC, as are we.
#25 - Wed Oct 22, 2008 1:30 PM EDTYou're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead. |
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