Was wandering through the visitor's locker room this morning -- by that, I mean Tampabay.com -- and read a disturbing piece about how Philadelphia fans are the worst. The headline: "Phils fans live down to their reputation."
And I wondered if this is a "cultural difference," or we've got some 'splainin' to do.
The St. Pete Times piece is by columnist John Romano, who wrote:
During Game 3 of the World Series on Saturday night, Rays family members and employees say they were harassed and abused by Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park to an unacceptable degree.
Children were cursed at, and one 9-year-old boy had beer poured on him. A Rays family member stayed locked in a bathroom stall because, he said, Phillies fans were banging on the walls and threatening him.
I'm curious. Was anyone there who can shed light on the ambience at the ballpark? Anyone see the bathroom incident?
He goes on:
This isn't just rude or profane; it is intimidating and threatening. It is women being called whores and worse. It is children having food thrown at them. It is being pushed, shoved and jostled in the concourses.
Does this sort of thing happen at other stadiums? Without a doubt. And I'm sure it has happened on occasion at Tropicana Field, too. But no city has the reputation of Philadelphia. And the Rays have never complained about another stadium in this way.
He quotes Ray's coach Joe Maddon's good-natured comments about the fans, and how he'd enjoyed his back and forth, but wished people wouldn't throw mustard at his granddaugher. Can't blame him.
The writer then calls Philadelphia fans the nation's most brutal. This is a favorite meme of visitors, but there's fresh atrocity reported. Again, I'm still curious -- anyone see this stuff? I'd love to know what it was like from other perspectives.
Posted by Daniel Rubin @ 1:54 PM
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237 comments
i was there and noticed the rays fans completely horrified that we all didn't have cowbells, and that we stood for the game, and that we were all yelling and screaming for our team. they were baffled. horrified. confused. they also noticed that all of our merchandise is all worn in and it looked like we had been to many many games before, and didn't just pick up a rays 'i'm a fan now' pack at the stadium. i'm sorry to say, that all of the above is true.
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Like to know where they were sitting. Even though we were all wet and tired waiting for the game, all I saw/heard Saturday night was some prety tame ribbing. Locked in a bathroom stall? Hard to believe Harry.
I find it hard to believe those accounts. Are there even mustard packets in the building? There are relish packets. But where are the mustard packets? Mustard and ketchup is dispensed by those terrible "taps". That's shenanigans number one.
The Phillies security have been quick to act all season long. If beer was actually poured on an 8 year old ON PURPOSE, the fans themselves would police it before the security got there.
I'm not saying Phillies fans aren't bad and won't rib their opponents. I sat in a section during the Milwaukee series with 3 rows of Brewers employees. No incident.
I'd like to hear from Phillies security on this.
i refuse to believe a "9 year old" had beer poured on him. Yes- it gets rough sometimes- but come on!
I was at the game and what I saw was a lot less tormenting of Rays fans than other fans usually get tormented, because come on they have no REAL fans! The physical abuse part I am convinced is made up, once again the media hates philly! Go Fightin's!!!!!
i was there (section 107) and all we did was boo... I didn't hear any cursing or see any food/drink flying.
This stuff is about as believeable as the other junk emails I get. You have a disgruntled 22 year old fan in St. Pete's making claims about "his visit to Philly" when he probably never left Tampa. Just other people hatin' on Phillies fans.
This is Very Jayson Blair-ish on details. No quotes or anything.
"Twelve? TWELVE! In a crowd of 45,900? In a town known for having the country's most brutal fans? In a game that did not begin until after 10 p.m., giving fans more booze time? Chuck E. Cheese's has more ejections on a Saturday."
What's the logic, here? There should be a minimum number of ejections? A quota system. To say the least, this is terrible reasoning. This guy is like that young reporter in The Wire, engaging in moralizing without details against an easy target and fudging the details in ways people won't question. Give me a quote about an incident with a name and I won't believe that he wrote this piece on the plane before he got to Philly.
My last Phils game was on a dollar dog night. I tend to think they shouls have family sections and college student sections, at least on those nights. At any rate, one drunk kid accidentally kicked a little kid in the head when he was trying to "skip" to the next row. He refused to apologize. the other fans, including other drunken college students, began to point at this guy and chant "a-hole" until security came to see about the ruckus. the father explained what had happened and they escorted the offender out to two sections worth of cheers. it's worth noting this kid had a mets hat on at a phils game.
Yeah, I'd say the Rays fans got off extremely light. Playful ribbing, maybe even some "A-sh-le" chants, but nothing even remotely close to this. Frankly, the Rays fans aren't good enough to be deserving of such creative torments.
Yet another smear campaign by out-of-town media. Don't these morons know that in 2008 they can't write a made-up story and not have it make its way to Philly? I live in LA, but my buddy went to games 3 & 4 and he told me that aside from some booing and good-natured ribbing, the crowd really didn't care about Rays fans. They were too busy watching the Phillies. This Rays writer is obviously salty that his team is stinking up the World Series, so he makes stuff up. I think the Phillies and the security staff should sue this guy for libel.
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actually, it wasn't thrown onto the bench.
pay $7.50 for a beer only to pour it on a 9 yr old kid, methinksnot.
While I feel bad if the fans were abused, incidents like these happen ALL THE TIME in Philly. People should know not to wear their team colors at a game in Philly, epecially a game of this magnitude. If you arent ready to take abuse, dont wear your opponent colors. That is just the way it is in Philly, like it or not.
Is it me, atkinson or does this article talking about Phillie fans by John Romano in Tampa talking about the World Series games? Go troll somewhere else.
As far as the smoke bomb thrower, they're in pursuit of them as well. Just in case common sense isn't part of your comment, I don't think anyone that was there actually enjoyed that stink bomb being thrown as EVERYONE inhaled it, so who besides the perpetrators do you think actually enjoyed that thing going off?
There is absolutely no chance, NO CHANCE, that anyone intentionally threw a beer on a nine year old kid. Come on. It's obvious that you can make up any story you want about Philly fans now and people will be dumb enough to believe you. Hey, did he happen to mention that we once threw snowballs at Santa Clause? Or, that we cheered when Michael Irvin's career ended on the turf at the Vet? Or that we booed Mike Schmidt every once in a while? Can't we just create a press release with all this cra*p in it so these half-wit moronic writers can save themselves 10 minutes by not having to write a story that's already been told 18,000,000 frickin' times? For cryin' out loud, enough!!!
also, i think we crashed their website.
At Game 3 the worst I saw was the typical A-Hole, A-Hole, A-Hole chants.
these writers can really be sore losers.
GOOD! Let them all think that! The less rival fans there, the more home team fans can get it!
I agree this has to be BS. I have been to both Stadiums and witness many fans from other teams, yea they get ribbed, but unless they act like tough guys, then it usually turns out to be harmless banter between both parties.
Been to plenty of other stadiums and guess what, happens there too. It's all part of the game and its fun. I enjoy getting harrassed at other parks...because I give it back...in the end, if done right...both sides have fun at the expense of the other.
Hey b.atkinson, it was thrown on the ice, in the direction of the Devils' bench. It was stupid. But your information is wrong. Thats exactly how this stuff gets started. I'm a season ticket holder. We don't stand for violence towards children or verbal abuse of women specifically related to them being women.
Does anyone notice there are more accounts of Philly Phans being aggressive and violent than there are actual Devil Rays(intentional mistake) fans? I find that strange. We love our team, we don't like yours(it doesn't warrant our hate), and we love being vocal about both.
Let's Go Phillies!!!!
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I am sure Buck will be sure to lead with this "story" tonight since he loves Philly so much.
im skeptical- the writer changed throwing a mustard packet into throwing Mustard. not the same thing. Ive seen plenty of beers accidentally spilled on people over the years, but this implies someone purposely spilled one on a child- i just don't believe it..
true, the worst behavior has been during college nights...not many of that crowd would be paying $400 plus to get into a world series game
hey its not like the rays fans didn't know what they were getting into by coming. maybe they had preconceived notions and were already skittish. sounds like alot of exageration to me. now if they were dressed like santa claus i could see it. p.s. the comments are hilarious
I thought the exact same thing when I read about being pelted with mustard packets. WHAT mustard packets? Maybe someone actually threw the whole tap and bottle at her and, if so, I agree that this is a little too much.
Let's be real.... The Phillie Phans have nothing to be angry at...ribbing yes hurting children is not what the fans are about...all they want is for their beloved Phillies to make Philly a happy place for just a little while. Then back to reality murder and mayhem. Plus it is not our fault that TB fans are scared of the big city.
Anyone can embellish a story with an unnamed member of the Rays' traveling party being locked in a stall. Romano apparently doesn't want the facts to get in the way of a good column.
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Yeah, we're pretty serious fans, Harry, but for the few who are crude and rude, we might throw snowballs at Santa Claus, but we don't pour beer on children or torment out-of-town fans by not letting them out of the stalls in the lavatories. Get real!!!
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Posted by jim715 02:05 PM, 10/27/2008
im skeptical- the writer changed throwing a mustard packet into throwing Mustard.
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So, how does that work? You go up and fill your hands with mustard from the tap and then heave it at an unsuspecting Rays fan? Maybe flick it off the end of your sausage?
I was in sec. 428 on Saturday night. The vast majority of the Rays fans were sitting there. They mostly worked for the organization.
Beyond a lot of taunting, I did not see any of the behavior described in the article (largely because it was probably just made up and not verified by the reporter).
I did speak with a guy who works as a carpenter for the Rays in the beer line. He said that the worst thing that happened to him and the crowd he was with was a lot of taunting.
The "Philadelphia fans are mean" story is just the crutch of lazy reporters rewriting other reporters stories. Think about who wrote this, the guy at the Tampa sports desk who is assigned to write about something other than the actual game during the world series. I am sure he is a crack reporter.
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None of that happened...like we care about those bandwagon losers..seriously. Go Phils!!!
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QUOTE..."The way Philly treated Mitch Williams, who destroyed his body getting the Phillies into the last world series, says more than I ever could to most of you out there."
Two words (think GEICO commercial)..."Ugh...WHAT?!?!?!?"
Never believe an article that quotes completely unnamed sources for the meat of the article. If someone was scared enough to lock him/herself in a bathroom stall, were they interviewed? Who is the boy who had beer thrown on him, was it mentioned to security? If it was, surely there is a record. No record, no proof. Just another whiner.
As a long-time fan of all Philly sports teams I can not believe this drivel. We ARE some of the rudest, meanest fans that I have ever seen BUT we are not violent towards other fans nor would we treat children in such a manner. I agree with the rest the Rays suck and the press does not want to write about it.
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welcome to philadelphia
I have been at games where I was berated...for sitting in my actual seats! My seats were in section 303, and were seats 1 - 4. Some guy and his friends were in the row right behind us, also in seats 1 - 4, and started verbally abusing us. We figured out it was because they wanted to put their feet up on the seats in front of them, which we were now occupying. The four seats to our right remained open and the people behind us kept yelling for us to move over. Typical jerks, they take out their anger about their own miserable lives on others via physical indimidation.
What no story lead in about throwing snowballs at Santa Claus? Like one poster said at 7.50 it's not going on a 9 year old. Beside those awesome Tamba Bay fans average 15000 a game. How totally lame. Maybe they should all depends like most of the population of St. Petersburg..or is it St. Pete like in the next person they'll sooon see! Go phils!! Bury them tonight!
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I'm the guy that poured the beer on his head. He said 'I bet you won't dump that beer on my head'. I said 'oh yeah?'...
That's why it wasn't a big deal, he was laughing about it.
Tell them not to flatter themsleves. No one really cares if they're here or not.
I'm a Phillies Fan who lives in NY. I attended a Phils/Giants game in SF a few years ago, wearing my Phillies hat. My wife and I were pelted with peanuts from behind. When I complained to the usher, not wanting to get tossed for starting something, I was told, "Take your hat off and you won't be pelted". Nice. Last year on the #7 train out to Shea to watch a Phils/Mets game we were taunted on the train, yelled at at our seats, and had hot dog wrappers thrown at us while we watched in our Phils jerseys and hats.
Visiting fans are treated just as bad in other ballparks.
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I have a hard time believing this. I was last at a Phillies game over the summer, and took the subway. On the very crowded ride after the game (I think the Phillies lost), there were a few fans of the opposing team wearing their team's gear, and everyone was perfectly nice to them. Not just nice for stereotypical Philadelphia fans, but very nice by anyone's standards.
PHILLIES ARE THE GREATEST AND THE FANS ARE AMAZING! btw..anyone enjoy Patti Laballe last night...What so proudly we hailed at the SKYLIGHT last gleaming.
Whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous FRIGHT...Hey Patti, the lyrics are on the big screen for a reason!
The Phillies fans were probably banging on the stall for him to get out for others to use?? Did this person stay in there until the game was over and everyone was going home?? Give me a break. Someone should cancel the reporters reservation at the Four Seasons and hook them up with the finest Motel in Chester.
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Unfortunately fans here have this reputation. So much so that while we have suffered in the purgatory we have with no championship, the vast majority of the media have no sympathy for the foolish Philly fans. Only in Philadelphia can ignorance and intolerance be celebrated. From the fans of the sports teams to Joey Vento.
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And atkinson shows the ignorance I have been waiting for. The "bomb" wasn't thrown in or at the bench, it was tossed onto the ice by a fan, just because it was in Philadelphia doesn't mean a NJ fan didn't throw it in anger because his team just lost.
I was there and saw that all of the Rays fans had arrived. Turns out that both of them were able to make the trip. I was too impressed by their appearance to say anything nasty.
I can offer a few perspectives on this. I'm a Phillies fan, and I also root for a football team other than the Eagles. I wore my jersey to an eagles game at the linc, and while a few fans were rather vile, most were fine. About what I would have expected. So I don't think I'm viewing things at Citizen's Bank through rose colored glasses when I say that the fans there aren't bad. I'd expect a fan wearing the jersey of another team to get heckled, but generally, I don't think they'd be physically threatened. I also have a hard time believing that kids got beer dumped on them.
I was at game 3, sitting near some Rays fans. It got pretty bad. Especially when Upton tied it. Saw some beer thrown on some older women wearing Rays jerseys. Folks, if you are at the game and see some of this deplorable behavior, condemn it. It ends up being a reflection on all of us and how we are perceived nationally. Others have every right to come here and cheer for their team.
This is what lazy journalists write when they don't know what else to write about. The bad fans of Philly. I'm surprised it wasn't reported that they threw snowballs at the umps and batteries at the people being carried out of the 700 level.
To once again point out the reputation of Philly fans, is a black eye on the city and irresponsible and sure sounds like sour grapes to me.
I just wish for once they would do their research and look back at history and the idea of the reputation is far more interesting then the incidents that have happened.
I know I thought the same thing, there are no mustard packets at Citizen's Park, I hope this didn't happen, I don't think it would due to how much it cost to buy a ticket and a beer but you never know it is Philadelphia, LOL LOL LOL>
I know I thought the same thing, there are no mustard packets at Citizen's Park, I hope this didn't happen, I don't think it would due to how much it cost to buy a ticket and a beer but you never know it is Philadelphia, LOL LOL LOL>
On the other hand...I was at the Flyers/Devils game the other night when some idiot threw a smoking pipe bomb of some kind across the ice and over to the players benches. They had to clear the benches. What kind of moron does something like that?
When was this supposed beer poured on the un-suspecting youth? Because they cut beer sales off in the 4th inning.
Sounds like a Led Zeppelin concert back in the '70s. I wasn't there so I can't say if these incidents happened or not. But considering the price of the tickets I doubt the crowd was of this class. But then again I wasn't there and can't say...
Geez, do TB Rays fans wear diapers?
Did they hold them down and carve P in thier face?
@ Throbo. Mitch Williams is beloved here in Phila. He's a Phillies post game analyst on Comcast. He has a weekend spot on sportstalk radio and is also on in the mornings as a guest. I have personally seen him at the Bulls BBQ pit during games, and everyone is cheering his name and getting pictures with him. He throws BP before games. You don't even know what you're talking about, stay down in Florida.
I'm filing a Libel suit on behalf of the City of Philadelphia against this hack a@@ clown "columnist" from Tampa Bay. Who's coming with me!?
I remember Wayne Chrebet's wife getting assaulted in Denver, and a coach for the Chargers getting hit with an iceball in Giants stadium, and batteries thrown by Yankees fans at outfielders. But all I hear about is Philly fans.
I went to game 4 and sat in 102. I commented to my friend how few Rays fans I saw at the Bank. Maybe they don't want to come to Philly mid week or maybe there's a better chance of prying a gun out of Charenton Heston's hands then finding a Philly fan willing to give up his seats. The TB fans I did see, were obviously in a daze watching the apparent collapse of their "worst to first" season. Phils fans treated them the same way I've been treated at Wrigley or any other NL stadium I've been to. Has anyone been to an Oakland Raiders game wearing visitor's colors? We're Mother Theresas compared to those fans!
AND A COWBELL IS A GOOD THING ???????? LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU BECOME A REAL FAN AND LIVE AND DIE WITH YOUR TEAM.......AFTER ALL YOU HAD TO INSTURCT YOUR FANS WHEN TO CHEER AND WHAT TO DO......PUULEASE...
Phillies Fans wouldn't waste the beer on some little punk.
Next time, we should just chuck batteries at the Tampa Fans. What a Bunch of Sissies.
I was not at the Phillies game at Citizen's bank park, but I was a Phillies fan at the trop during Thursday's game. I can attest to the ridiculous behavior of the so-called Rays fans: An eight year old constantly ringing a cowbell directly by our ears, I wish I could have poured a beer on him; Threats to throw my husband down the stairs when we stood up for longer than they would prefer; and a Rays fan actually pushed me (a girl) when I asked how many games he had actually attended that year after constant harassment just trying to leave the stadium after the game was over. I will never go back to that hell hole of a stadium.
This tool is just trying to sell papers. There is nothing good to talk about the Rays on the field, so he has to mud sling some nonsense. If the Rays were winning(NOT), then this garbage would have never been written. I got your cowbell--RIGHT HERE! GO PHILLIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There are mustard packets at the park????? I didn't think they had them anymmore and that all they use are the dispensers?? Are there any confirmed reports of this or just speculation? I have hard timie beliveing a 9 yr old would have beer poured on them and a little girl would have mustard packets thrown at her. That Rays group must have been sitting in good seats and they weren't in the 700 level at the Vet.
I cannot believe this article. The staff at the bank is pretty good. Methinks a little embelishing by the columnist?
I have been to a number of games and their so idiots at the game, but I also see Philly Fans police there idiots. Go to a soccer game in England to see nuts or worse yet Italy
I was at the game last night in the "cheap seats" (400 level, @ $150 each) and saw nothing. There was a brief "A-sh-le" chant at one point, and tons of "E-va, E-va!" from the entire crowd. Methinks the Tampa Bay columnist is suffering from the "Hey, wait, it wasn't supposed to go like this" syndrome.
This is typical of Phladelphia fans. They have no class and show how trashey they are. Im glad Philadelphia teams have not been able to win a Championship since the early 80's. I hope they never win any championship becasue they dont deserve it. They could learn from Dallas Cowboys Fans on how to have class. Go Rays!!!!
I agree with potus....We love our beer (and our Phillies) too much to spill it on a nine year old. I was at the game and didn't see anything like this, although that was the loudest I have ever heard CBP.
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The majority of the Rays family members were sitting in section 126. I was sitting in section 121. I had a clear view of their section. When the Rays tied the game up they were very loud, ringing their cowbells etc. I did hear other fans yelling; "Sit down, shut up" etc. I saw no physical interaction between Phillies fans & that section. I didn't see anything being thrown. Also, there were ushers all over because of the World Series. Their story seems exagerated.
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I was at Game 3, and though there was plenty of shouting and screaming, I was not witness to any crude or nasty behavior. There were cops everywhere. And, I heard from a trusted source about a Phillies fan being ejected all the way up top for something that was SO low-key by anyone's standards...that's how alert the cops were.
I did hear elsewhere, though about the Rays fan locked up in the bathroom, but it was noted it was a woman. So, could this be a Philly fan myth? Hope that's the case. We can do better than terrorizing the visiting team's fans...I'd rather let our team terrorize their team on the field. GO PHILS!
I didn't know the Rays had fans.
I tried to post the following on their comments but it seems that we crashed their upload server:
"This is a fascinating story, mainly because it is just that, a story. You should write the next Lord of the Rings because you clearly love fantasy. I was at both games, the chances of these things happening are slim to none. Attribute your quotes."
As a longtime Phils fan who has sat through way, way too many College Night and Dollar Dog Night games with juvenile 15-to-25-year-old drunks who are inadequately monitored by ballpark security and the police, I don't have any reason to doubt the descriptions of the Tampa columnist. Of course, that behavior is not unique to Philly, or even the so-called tough Northeastern towns, but I would say we aren't as outraged by it as fans in many markets.
The fans are usually pretty good at pointing out problem fans. A friend of mine thought it was a good idea to throw something at Jeromy Burnitz. People in our section (2 of his other friends and I included) pointed him out. He was ejected.
I think to say that all Phillies/Philadelphia fans are abusive is terrible. Why is it that a few bad apples always spoil the bunch? I see plenty of fine upstanding fans at Philly sports venues. \Yet all I ever hear about is the small amount of bad things that happen and now the whole of Philadelphia Fan base is beer chugging rude people who intimidate. You cannot tell me that every other venue within the United Staes doesn't have some "bad" fans. Say something enough and it becomes truth even though no facts are there to back it up. So out of 45,000 fans a few spoil the party now all of the 45,000 are bad fans....doesn't make sence to me and realy shouldn't make news either!
Most fans police themselves and wouldn't allow this to occur to a child. I would say reporter provide us with your source and lets here the rest of the story. Maybe Rays fans don't know what its like to be with so many other fans who actually care about their team and do more than just ring a bell. Phillies 2008 attendance 3,422,883, Rays 2008 attendance 1,811,986
Let them keep writing about these falsehoods. Hopefully it will scare all visiting team fans from coming to Philly and there will be more tickets for us!!!! Go Phils!!!!!
This is crazy! I was sitting next to an ENTIRE section (421) of Rays fans and there was nothing of the sort going on! Maybe a couple taunts but nothing out of hand! Sheesh... just because they got their asses handed to them last night doesn't mean they have to cry about it!
Hey, lets be nice! They are our guests and their team is providing us with a championship and a big parade. Thanks Tampa!
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I heard one guy in the bathroom being given some grief while in the stalls, but it was because he was in there so long people were wonderng what he was doing and started ripping him.
Other than that, there weren't enough Rays fans there to even notice!
I spent both Saturday & Sunday in Ashburn Alley and, while I heard booing and some heckling when Rays fans walked by, I didn't witness any physical altercations. Most of the fans I saw, many of whom were likely inebriated, were paying too much attention to the game to traumatize Rays fans.
I can't root for my team without being harassed by those obnoxiuous Philly fans. I'm gonna have to lock myself in the bathroom before they make me get naked.
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The Rays havent been playing, and their fans havent been routing for them long enough to have any complaints. Maybe if more Rays fans showed up to their games something would go wrong. If this did happen to kids, thats a shame. But this behavior happens everywhere. This is not exclusively a philly thing. Methinks the reporter has not much else to write about. Romano sure knows alot, like he was "looking" for bad things to say. I call shenangins for sure, alot like a guy in an "old" Rays jersey. I heard in Game 1 40% of the people in TB still had tags on their jerseys. See John? I can make stuff up too.
where's my comment from 20 minutes ago?
that link to the story is dead.. I wonder why.
I wonder, when was the last time a high profile sporting event took place in Philadelphia without the press from the other city writing some version of this article? It's getting old, folks.
philly fans ... the dumbest sports fans in America!!! keeping your reputation strong, way to go idiots!!! too bad there's nothing else to do in your city but cling to your sports teams.
I think everyone commenting has missed the whole point that a 21 year old has to point out. You are harassing people who have come all the way from Florida to support their team and watch them in the world series, which could make them real fans I think. And the biggest point is that THIS IS A SPORTING EVENT. No fan is actively playing that game on the field and is not getting a paycheck from the Phillies. So cheer when they score, boo when they don't hustle, but don't curse out or throw things at the other teams fans, city reputation or not, you're all better than that.
Well folks, I just moved from Philly to Vegas due to business and have to listen to ESPN Radio. Guess what the topic of conversation is? That's right, the SAVAGERY of Philadelphia fans. Tirico and Van Pelt are ripping the "animalistic behavior" exhibited once again by Philadelphia. See, why do some research and background on an article when you can just take this moron's word for it and spread it across the country.
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"And I'm sure it has happened on occasion at Tropicana Field, too."
No. It's easy to separate visiting team fans from the dozens of Rays' faithful at Tropicana Field.
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LH - The guy who was ejected was either in 428 or the section directly further out along the third base line (429?). If I recall correctly, it happened after the Phils scored in the sixth.
The taunting of the Rays fans turned up a notch when the Phils scored.
The guy who was ejected got confrontational with one Rays fan. Both guys were standing up yelling. There were cops at both the entrance to that section and 428. Finally they tossed the Philly fan, but there was not actual touching, just a lot of yelling and bravado. It was not clear who started it, but I would have to guess it was both about equal.
DITTO! I pay too much for a beer to just let a 9 yr old enjoy it...And they were knocking on the bathroom stall bc they needed to use the bathroom and were tired of a Tampa fan throwing up over the bad performance they made them watch!
I was in the section right next to the Ray's Family Box. It is true that the Phillies fans were yelling at the Rays fans, but what should be noted is that nothing started until after the Phils fans were taunted by the Rays fans with their cowbells and screams. There were absolutely NO beers, food or condiment packets thrown at any fans; let alone any children in the box. It should be noted that a cop did visit the Phillies section, only to walk away after realizing nothing was really happening. The only thing true is that some were yelling A-HOLE...but this is nothing new from a Phillies home game. The Rays just aren't used to real baseball fans. Again, the paper blew that WAY out of proportion.
Beer poured on 9 year old? You betcha! Philadelphia fans are pathetic. The economy is in the tank and all they can do is play dress-up and worship billionaries. The mentally handicapped have larger IQ's than Philly sports fans.
I'm a native New Yorker who has lived here for 21 years AND who had family for 25 years in St.Pete. I wrote to my buddies around the country two weeks ago that the Tampa Bay media only discovered the Rays two weeks before that; that despite all the Northerners living in Florida, Florida is a football state; and that the Rays were lucky to fill the Trop to HALF capacity. So it's true to say they have few fans to abuse here! I have gone to the Trop a number of times and was shocked at how expensive everything was AND what a lousy place to watch a baseball game it was. By the way, I've read John Romano's columns for years; he has always struck me as interesting and fair-minded. It could be that he believes that nonsense about fans being threatened in the rest room.
I was there Sat night and saw several Rays fans and didn't witness any problems what-so-ever. I was at the Brewers and Dodgers series and saw nothing like this either. So far there is not one coroborating(sic?) poster. I call BS!
I believe the story, I've seen and heard people with opposing jerseys and hats on get the bad treatment at the ballpark. It's no good, and very poor taste. This is sports it's not barbaric medieval times, but some of the fans are drunk, they're out of control and short of throwing them out of the ballpark for this behavior. That's what should be done. I was in Tampa last week, and was treated with respect and decency as I walked around the ballpark outside of Trop Field with my Phillies shirt on. Phillies fans would do well to turn these rowdy fans into security as soon as they see these type of events happen at Citizens Bank Park.
All I can say is "more cowbell." lol
I live in the Tampa area. There are fans of Tampa that believe it is their right to win every championship when playing a Philly team. The harrassment of Red Sox fans during the ALCS went unreported, just what Red Sox fans did to the Rays fans. When I went to International Mall, I had 2 Sox fan tell me how bad them and their familys were treated. Including a 75yr grandmother and her grandchildren getting cursed. Btw, ask Carolina Panther fans who they have more issues with, Eagle Fan or Bucs Fan? Stay Classy Tampa.
Boo friggin hoo, if you come up here for a world series game flying the Tampa Bay colors you deserve what you get provided there is no bodily harm done.
I hope the report that a child got beer thrown on him was inaccurate as that would be way, way over the line.
I demand a Philly writer/reporter to ask this guy who writes for St. Petes newspaper to ask him for some sources. This guy is making it all up except for what John Maddon said. And they don't even have packets of mustards at phillies games. just relish! WE DEMAND A SOURCE FROM THIS LIAR!!!
Who do these Florida guys think they are, Mets fans??? :)
"Does this sort of thing happen at other stadiums? Without a doubt. And I'm sure it has happened on occasion at Tropicana Field, too. But no city has the reputation of Philadelphia." - perhaps it's because every opposing team's beat writer decides to beat this theme into the ground because it makes him or her popular and liked to the native readership.
I was in section 232 sitting directly in front of the Rays box. They had one cowbell which they started ringing during the pregame introductions. During that time, there was some ribbing, but no cursing. After the Rays scored their first run, the cowbell came out again, being rung by a mother who was holding a toddler. Chants of a**hole followed. The mother then gave the bell to her toddler and all cursing stopped. When the Rays scored again, the cowbell was rung again, this time by a young high school age girl. The a**hole chants started again and this time the girl decided to display the middle finger along with several young men in the booth joining in on the taunting. It's funny how the writer failed to get this piece of information. It was a much easier column to write with only viewpoint of the situation.
b.atkinson obviously gets their news from inside their own head. smoke bomb thrown on ice, and it p'd everyone off. so one bad person makes 19,000 bad? think about it moron.
Let's see here. Tickets in that area would be over $500, right? $7.50 to $10 for a beer, right? People that spend this money to sit in GREAT seats are going to act this way? Come on Romano, get a grip. Another baseless, un-named sources hack job. The day you produce pictures, get actual Police reports or show this on video, PLEASE do. On top of the accusations, you're apparently saying that the Police aren't doing their jobs at the games either. Pathetic story.
I've had beer "spilled" on me. Never poured. That is a made up story. Bring me the kid. I'll buy him a shirt.
This article written by the St. Pete Times is completely without merit. I would like to hear first hand who this happened too. No, its just a random source. I was at the Sat game and I can tell you there were no Rays fans in attendance. Not a one. They are all casual fans.
Ever time a Philadelphia sports team makes the playoff and are hosting a game, I hear the snowballs at Santa story. Yet not once have I ever hear the announcers get the story straight. Here's what really happned: Santa was to make an appearance at the game. When the guy comes out, he's was stumbling and appeared drunk and his Santa outfit is dishelved and he was skinny. That's why fans threw snowballs. That and the Eagles' were wrapping up a 2-12 season had the fans in a sour mood.
The guy pounding on the bathroom wall was Brett Myers, he thought his wife was in there.
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To the media of Philadelphia:
Stick up for your city. Rip back the writers who make up this garbage about someone paying over $500 for a ticket, and spilling beer on a little girl. Tired of the media who are not from this area making up stories about Philly.
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i clicked the link to read the original. The page is there, but the article is not. Hmm. Makes you think is was made up and Mr Romano was found out.
I'm sure this will be blown out of context just like Booing Santa Claus. The whole world hates Philly, nothing new in that. And you know what? WE CAN TAKE IT!! I was at game one in St. Pete and we took some abuse too. So what!! But there fans (both of them) really don't have a clue. I talked to a number of "Rays Fans" that were attending there FIRST game. Most didn't even know that the Phillies have spring traing in Clearwater. This is just about another bitter sports writer with nothing else to write about.
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Scumbag journalism in it's purest form. He probably doesn't even believe his own BS and wrote this just to get us talking about it.
Seems like a bitter piece by a bitter city... and FYI, your stadium is a joke too....
Before you rip us Rays fans, keep in mind the vast majority of us are not like this. John Romano is a hack; he had no business writing an article so scathing, so vile, so accusatory, WITHOUT DOING HIS RESEARCH! He's basing it off 2nd-hand accounts of what people said happened; he never actually saw it happen himself. There's three sides to every story: Side A, Side B, and the Truth. Instead of looking for the Truth, he's going with the mainstream media and "Joe-Sixpack" that still asks me, a 25-yr old guy originally from Philly, if I also threw snowballs at Santa. That was in the 60s, and my PARENTS weren't even born when it happened, let alone myself! It's irresponsible journalism for pinning an entire fanbase of millions of people on what one or two drunk frat boys allegedly did at a ball game. You can't tell me that there's not another person anywhere in any stadium in the world that has done such a thing, because I saw it happen at the Trop dozens of times...BEFORE this season! Shame on him and anyone who believes this drivel. Phillies phans are some of the nicest people I've met and know, and to vilify them like this is horrendous! He does not speak for us all, and some of us just wish he would go away!
Philly fans are emotional NUTS! we know it ...but what can you expect....people need an outlet ..remember the Roman Collesium, at least we don't feed them to the Lions not yet anyway!!!!
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Totally exaggerated...I heard the atmosphere was pretty friendly. I think the Rays fans who were there need to grow a pair if they felt their lives were in danger from people banging on their bathroom stall...it is harmless teasing and I'd expect that and laugh it off in an opposing park wearing opposing colors!
Now, I don't know of anyone who would stand by while beer was poured on a kid's head...and if that really happened, that would be by one of the 12 people who would be kicked out...by security who was probably called by another allegedly "classless" Phillies fan! Trust me, most people at the park won't stand for anything beyond WORDS (albeit more profane words than Floridians may be used to.) This guy must picture hooligans with fangs circling around the kid and holding him down or something.
If you read it, you also get the impression that Philly fans just throw food at kids, then you realize later that it was just mustard packets. That is somewhat harmless, but just call security and they will warn them and kick them out if it happens again or escalates.
At least he didn't mention Santa Claus....
They have been calling cheater, unfair, and most of the AL, along with them, have been calling boring even...If it aint about them, they don't care. They don't even care that it's baseball...AL fans are a joke all together.
Okay, I'll admit, we do get a bit crazy sometimes. I was at a game on Aug. 25th against the Dodgers and a fight nearly broke out with a few guys over sitting in the wrong seats. They were two Phillies fans just drunk and being moronic males. The Phillies security took care of them within at least 5 minutes once they saw how they were disturbing the fans (and kids around us too). And the concession people aren't allowed to sell anymore beer to a patron if they think they've had too much (I saw this happen at a game this summer too, different game). So I find some of this hard to believe. Locked in a bathroom stall because Phils fans were banging on the door? Come on. Give me a break. I don't buy it. I know we can get a bit crazy but we're not THAT horrible.
Robert...Do you mean retired cop? I mean, an ex-cop...isn't that close to the same level as a convict? I mean, who signs up for such a noble job and then quits...Well, I guess it could be someone is negative about negative people...
i find this article totally bs. I have gone to Phillies games and have season tickets to the Eagles and have NEVER seen this go on. Yea there is chanting and some ripping that happens at EVERY sporting event. Locked in a bathroom stall? Please, sounds to me like that person couldn't handle the Shmitter and had one too many crab fries. I think Rays fans are just trying to make Philly fans look bad, since the Phillies are making their team look like the last place team they really are!! Boo-Yah!!!
The mystique of the Philly fan. Most other fans do the same thing- we just get stereotyped for it. Detroit has the rumble at the Piston's game. White Sox fans assault players and coaches. I've been harassed by Devil fans and Skin fans when visiting their stadium. I just don't whine about it. You kinda need to expect it when you visit opposing stadiums wearing your team colors.
IF THESE FANS ARE SO AFRAID, MAYBE THEY SHOULD JUST WATCH IT FROM HOME!!
I was in Section 106. The Rays fans are mistaking booing and supporting your team for this hostility. This was one of the most mild games I've seen (probably because no one takes Rays fans seriously). I bounced around and met up with friends and didn't even see any Rays fans get booed at. They are just looking for excuses on munson-ing a world series.
am a member of the press who is in Philly at this moment. I am fromoutmof town with no alligence to either team. TB Rays friends and families are being seated by the press box and the events described in this article NEVER HAPPENED. Funny as I am unable to post this at the St. Pete Times website. Do the rules of journalism not apply to them?
Well, it took almost the entire postseason for some writer to start the "nasty Philly fans" whine. What else did we expect?
I guess one would be aghast at a Philadelphia fan who will boo and cheer for his team. It’s such a huge change from the typical Rays fan-an empty seat covered with a tarp.
Listen people-I believe what he wrote. Read above vandy 123 is from Philly and saw this going on....STOP GETTING RIPPED and act like human beings...Don't be proud of trasshing some little kid from another town. How would you like it if you were at some other town and you little kid was F-you and F- your team...Grow up people...stop[ giving OUR CITY a black eye.....Enjoy this run and rip the METS fans...But stop the bad language around children and the drunken behavior that people love to point to. See Flyers game on Saturday!
I've had season tix for the Flyers, Eagles, and Phils. The Phils, and Flyers games are pretty calm with people wearing other teams jerseys. It's the Eagle fans that are the A-holes. It happens at every stadium. I went to a Lions /Eagles game 2 seasons ago in Detroit and decided to wear my Eagles jersey . I got ribbed quite a bit as did the guys I went with. It's all part of the game as long as nobody gets hurt. I could care less what people wear to the games , I'm there to watch my team. It's usually about 5 to 10 percent that don't deserve to be around decent fans. Bashing Philly fans is everybody fav. thing to do, even the announcers trash us. Again is the same at every ball park. If the stadium mgmt. wanted to halt it ban the , arrest them, or whatever it takes.
C'mon. I saw a guy in Manny Ramirez dreadlocks and cap in the mens room during the NLCS, and the worst he got was an @$$hole chant. If they didn't intimidate him, no Rays fan is getting worse treatment.
I know it's not true, but visitng fans cheering for the opposition need to stay out of parks and stadiums during the playoffs. Those tickets should have gone to true Phillies fans, not somebody from Florida who never had been to a Rays game until this season.
"A Rays family member stayed locked in a bathroom stall because, he said, Phillies fans were banging on the walls and threatening him."
I was at the game. If seeing real, genuine, dedicated fans going nuts for their team gives you explosive diarrhea, don’t blame us!
The locked himself in the bathroom thing is a little hard to believe!!!! To tonythunder you are a classless LOOSER.
Mr. Romano sounds like T.J. Simers of the LA Times when we were playing the Dodgers...Can't these writers give us our due and stop being bitter, sore losers!
i don't believe any of this garbage. just perpetuating a myth. is he gonna write about the irish being a bunch of drunks and itlians being womanizers and blacks being criminals. gimme a break. utter nonsense.
i've been to some pretty brutal phillies games in my life. i've gone to a game with my mom a while back where phillies fans and mets fans were calling each other "p*ssies" for 9 innings. talk about uncomfortable and inappropriate; but this game was nothing as far as unruly crowds go. i watched the game from section 304, which can be one of the most notorious sections in the park, but i didn't see anything get out of hand. sounds like this writer is a sore loser to me.
go to tampabay.com...click on "World Series: Phils' fans live down to their reputation" for the article...actually, John Romano has ridiculed the Rays in the past and guess what?...No one complained when he wrote...PATHETIC!!
I was there and this is so far from the truth. The name calling was limited to "Eva" "Garza" and "Melvin". More energy was expended towards our team, cheering them on to the win. Yes it looked like an Eagles game with everyone standing and the towels waving. Yes we sang the songs and yelled disagreement when Moyer got the ball to first only to receive a bad call. I hear a few fans 'boo' some TB fans when they walked by, the Philly fans did not chase them. Most of the people in the 200 section were educated as they were Penn State students and other professional. The families have exclusive seats and do not mingle with us poor folks. Are they saying that J-Ro's family abused them? Be real.
IF THESE FANS ARE SO AFRAID, MAYBE THEY SHOULD JUST WATCH IT FROM HOME!!
Sure they weren't carryin "McCain/Palin" signs past Ed Rendell. Look what Palin got at the "Flyers" game. Don't tolerate fools gladly!
I know Philly and I don't doubt it is true, as sad as it is. I love the Phillies and it is a shame. Almost as bad as fans selling tickets for outrageous prices. Greed is BAD!
We went to a Yankees/Red Sox game in Boston this summer. My step-son, who is 12, got called names that you wouldn't believe, by adults! And another kid, maybe 10 years old, said F*** you to him in the bathroom. So it does happen in other cities.
Enjoy the game if you can afford the price of the ticket.
GO PHILLIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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I know a few cops who have the Ray's family members as a beat. They are not going to the game tonight due to incidents at the ballpark. They've decided to say and watch at their hotel. Something hapened.
Have to be honest was at Game 3 and saw 2 separate groups of Rays fans being escorted by Phillies security personnel. Now I am sure they were not escorted everywhere, but really, shouldn't you expect some ribbing and other 'clean' insults in the enemies territory? I think things are way over blown and as usual just another hack jumping on the battered reputation of our city's fandom.
They make it sound like CBP is ATTICA. Fans banging on the walls and DEVILRAYS (yeah i refuse to call them the rays because their owner is a Jesus freak) Fans locking themselves in the stalls. Come one if the fans wanted to hurt the person locked in the stall they would have gotten to him/her. I refuse to believe that beer was dumped on a 9 year old's head.
This story is made up because they have nothing else to write about because of how horrible the DEVILRAYS are!!!!!!
For all of you who think you saw all that went on over the past two nights, I have news for you, there is more than one section of Rays family in the park. I know, I sat in the middle of the other one. While for the most part there was a lot of good natured give and take between the two groups, one group was quick to escalate the confrontation from verbal to bordering on physical. I'll let you guess which group that was. Regardless of whether you feel the Rays "deserve" tho win because of their short history or how true their fans are, you have got take a step back a look at whether you'd want your family treated that way. Trust me the cringe factor came in to play alot. If the past two nights are any indication of what could come to pass if the Phils win it tonight, I shudder to think what's going to happen. Stay Classy Philly.
Where is his "article" about the dirtball Rays fan who jumped in front of my daughter in Tampa on Thursday at Game 2 and stole a ball Cole Hamels threw to her? I was also at Game 3 and our fans were well behaved towards Rays fans. After all, we wouldn't want their new clothes to get dirty.
Does Romano have any links? Any footage? If not, he needs to go into hibernation and keep quiet before we do start treating them like he said!
Please. The Rays are done tonight, and they'll never be heard from again.
.....I remember the NFL strike..(Eagles strike) and I saw parents,relatives, and kids of relacement players being spit at and things thrown at them.
OH MY GOD. I'll tell exactly what this sounds like. It looks like the Ray fans are just learning what real cheering for your team is about. If I was a Ray's fan and my team got to the WS, I would be jumping all over the place. I watched the 2 games in Tampa and the Crowd was LAME, let me say it again, LAME. They should take some lessons from us. It is the World Series, WAKE UP. I think some of the stories they told are a little fabricated. It sounds like they are from a different planet and NOT different cultures.
Well I have lived in Philly for 39 years and California for 4 years, Go Phils!!!! Let's face it St. Pete has nothing else to write about, especially not the Rays and their fans. Hopefully they have received a lesson on how passionate Philly fans really are about their teams. I wore my Phils hat to a SF/Phils game in SF and not only were fans saying things to me but their mascott came out to embarass me on the fanta vision, took my hat, waved his tail in my face and what did I do -- laugh and said bring it on!
Just out of town media hyping - such non-sense, see POTUS comment, I had my share of beers and wouldn't dare spill a drop. I saw one person yelling at a Tampa Bay fan, it started as a comment about "new" fans and is this the first game you've been too? My 16 year old son pointed out that people dressed in full Tampa Bay game were taking their lives in their hands.
I believe that people may have hassled one of the 10 or 11 Tampa fans that were there, but this is just garbage journalism. Get it right Romano, if you have to fabricate stories get into fiction.
Fans only go overboard if the opposing team's fans are jerks. If security witnesses anything or if you notify them of an incident, they don't hesitate to kick people out. Plus the fans would have taken care of someone who did anything to a kid!
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A winning culture would reduce a lot of the hostility in this town. It's all a matter of learning how to win, and this town has a LOT of catching up to do in that department.
BTW, anyone who thinks that the a-hole chant is good natured ribbing is a moron. People remember creative chants ("Who's Your Daddy" in NYC) or unified rallying cries ("We want Dallas" in D.C.).
"A-hole" just means you're not smart enough to come up with a real insult. Philly can do better.
As someone who is not a Philly native, but is from a prominent national league city (not NYC either)-I can attest to the behavior of Philly fans. I have been many times to the Vet and the Bank to see my visiting team come play the Phils, and the treatment received is brutal. The behavior I have seen leads me to have, unfortunetly, no trouble believing much of this account (although I hope the bathroom account is "dramatic license"). Hey, since live here, I'd love to see the Phils win, but when my hometown team is in town, I go and I root for them. Yes-Philadelphians are the most brutal fans in the the MLB (more brutal than NYC and Boston in my opinion), and it has driven many a good player and coach out of this city.
This is all BS. These copy and paste "fans" will say anything to continue this stereotype. Was a dude drunk and tried to get to his seat with a full beer and spilled a little trying to navigate the narrow seats??? Probably. But pouring beer on a kid's head? Please. Rays fans aren't worth a drop of beer. BTW I hear all Tampa Bay "fans" are fat and lazy and play with cowbells.
GO PHILS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I say old bean, the natives are behaving a bit restlessly. Quite, quite.
We were in section 331, and there were many fans from Florida, some kids too. Everyone was all lovey-dovey. I saw nothing along the lines of what was "reported."
More excuse making from St Pete. Let's face it--they were the darlings of baseball, the team from the great American League, who were going to run roughshod over the Phils. Now that it hasn't happened as of yet, they have to think of an excuse. I am a native Philadelphian, live in London, England now, and breathe Philly sports. I brought a British work colleague and my daughter with me to the Eagles opener this year and he sat in a different section and he did get abused--by a RAMS FAN. The other Eagles fans in the section came to his rescue and security eventually kicked this Rams fan, who was drunk, out of the section. The fans we met at the tailgate before the game were extremely courteous and we had no problems whatsoever. It seems like all fans in Philly get tarred with the same brush, and no doubt, there's a minority of fans who go over the top. But "mustard packets" being thrown at an 8 year old girl? Some Rays family member having to hide in a cubicle? Not likely.
You know the Washington Post pulled this same stunt during the Flyers/Caps playoffs last season calling out the Philly fans, alot of good that did them. You know if I had a dime for every article calling us out, I'd be sitting behind home plate tonight. Stick to reporting on the hurricanes and the all you eat buffets and leave the sports to Philly, GO PHILLS!
Okay, honestly. Anyone who thinks rays fans are lazy? Has anyone been the the trop? Thats one of the loudest, hardest, places to play baseball. It's ridiculous that fans from another team can't go to Philly and watch their team play a sport without fearing their lives. And yes, I mean fearing their lives. My mother went to a redskins/eagles game and got a bear bottle thrown at her head, and had to get stitches on top of her head. Is it that hard to show some class? The rays may have bandwagon fans, but at least they have bandwagon fans with class. As far as the writer in the St.Pete times, who blames him? He is just doing his job, its not bad journalism.
Go rays!
Wow hard to believe someone would say something like that about Phillies fan. Hey we throw snowballs at Santa. The fans in this city stand by there teams and don't jump on the bandwagon when all of a sudden there teams makes the playoffs. Hey Tampa you did the same thing a few years ago when the Lighting made the playoffs. Do yourselves a favor stay in Tampa on a beach and out of our city because you can't handle Philly.
Mr. Toma, Mr. Toma...... Yeah you're right, Philly Fans couldn't in a million years come up with those truly inspiring chants you brought up. Didn't Letterman's writing team come up with those. An A-hole by any other name still stinks...... get real.
Perhaps the most overblown "Incident" that is sited about Philadelphia fans is the Michael Irvin injury at the Vet. Do yourself's a favor and google this to get to a video clip of it. One or two nuckle heads may have cheered but all you hear is polite applause from the crowd as Irvin is wheeled off the field. These things take on a life of their own and are ususally severally overblown.
The untold story: the beer was poured on a 9-year-old Rays fan...by an 8-year-old Phillies fan. Hey, it's as good an explanation as any.
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I was in Section 106 - rather boisterous and annoying crowd after the long delay - one fan behind me made a particularly nasty comment while the Rays were being introduced but after I turned around and sternly told him that it was inappropriate to use such words in a family setting, he actually quieted down and was quite nice the entire game. In fact, everyone I could hear really focused on the thrill of the game - 'cept for the "Eva" chants for poor ol' rookie Longoria..... And by the way, there ARE mustard packets available at the park - from the pretzel sellers, so it COULD have happened....after all the game was delayed for far too long, the fans probably had far too much beer, and what's more fun than bashing anyone wearing the other team's colors? I would NEVER wear a Phillies shirt to a Mets game, for instance......and I did not know there were any Rays fans to taunt....they're too young to even have wives or families...
Daniel Rubin: by printing this garbage.. you're giving it legs. Please do your homework, and contact Phillies security next time, its basic Journalism 101. It's made up fiction. No way anyone is "locked" in a bathroom stall, please. I suppose the seething Phillies fans pee-ed on that kid too now. Ridiculous, you feed the media bias against Philly.
People in Philly are just strange, white trash/ghetto, and uneducated. Simple.
Nezhy - thanks for schooling me in Journalism 101. You'll rest easily knowing I've had a call into Leigh Tobin, the Phillies PR director, for a few hours. Stay posted.
chrissmith what a tool you are. Hardly worth the effort but I had to let ya know what I thought. I'm sure you will be hearing more. The better part of you ran down your mother's leg.
Uh, rays fan, your stadium is not loud, especially for a dome. Worse, what noise that exists is generated by artificial means (cowbells) instead of by cheering/clapping etc.
what sissies!!! their team is down 3-1 and instead of talking about that, they create stupid stories to mask their inability to play baseball. everyone click on the link and defend our city!!!
Smoke bomb on the bench. Does this guy think there's no TV coverage. Probably a Devils fans looking to pile on because they lost 2 to us this weekend. Just another out of towner exaggeration.
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Don't know if this nonsense actually happened 'cause I wasn't there but.....over the past 47 years having attended enough games at Connie Mack, Convention Hall, the Vet, JFK, Palestra, Spectrum, et al I can say that fans have gotten nastier and drunker. No doubt about it. It seems that the more some of these Neanderthals pay for admission the more they feel within their rights to forget about all societal manners. It really is just a small portion of the total fan base but the management should do a better job policing them. And for Gods sake stop serving them beer when they are past standing up.
you guys are a hilarious.
I have been at least one game in each series so far. Including game 4 last night. The closest I have come to seeing any other teams fans tormented or abused or physically harmed was in the opening game of the Brewers series when a Brewers fan didn't take his hat off for the National Anthem. He was yelled at by a couple of guys to have some respect for our country and told to take his hat off. Naturally, he took it right off. He probably didn't realize he still had it on. That's it! The only event that happened in 27 innings of baseball! I think this story is a farce! I agree that the writer is just spouting sour grapes. Maybe these things did happen but not in the right field corner where my seats have been. Has "Eva" Longoria taken a lot of abuse from Phillies fans? Absolutely! But I do not think that Phillies fans have abused any Tampa Bay fans to the extent of the writers story. Heck, our spring training facility is right there in Clearwater! That whole Tampa Bay area has been fans of the Phillies for years! I have to believe this story is made up! Hard to believe Harry!
I do not have any doubt that what the paper says about obnoxious fans is true and it has nothing to do with their team loosing. I had frineds travel to Philly for the NFC Champ Game when the Panthers whooped the birds and they saw the same disgusting behavior from Eagles fans tawrds the Panther fans. I was hoping that had not made it across the street to the Phills fans but i guess that was wishful thinking. Come on Phlly....Show some class for a change. I know most fans do but there are too many who do not.
The only reason the Rays' home field is loud is because the one fan cheering has his voice echoing off of the roof and the Astroturf.
Wouldn't be surprised if these accounts are exaggerated or even fabricated. Convenient that there were no names in the column -- no way to confirm anything with the victims of the harassment. Is this a columnist, stumped for anything else to write about, who would be temped to stretch or dissemble because he knows it will have the so-called ring of truth? Just wondering.
i think its ashamed that a paying customer to any venue shoul not go thru that,hope they are ok.i am a born philadelphian,and i know how it is there.especially if u are a visitor,and your team is playing our teams.i live in central florida,so i feel for any bay area resident up there in the city.i still root for my teams,though the fans,are going to be who they are.they want the best for the teams,and are the best fans around.some may have had the tanks full but usually not that bad.so if the phillies pull it out tonite,get to the airport quick,cause they are going to be worse.be warned early. GO PHILLIES!!!
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They were sitting in section 420 -- i know, i was stuck in front of them. It wasn't pretty, but I swear when I say they started EVERYTHING. they were provoking Phillie fans, they were almost trying to pick a fight with everyone around them. at the start of the game, I remember thinking, "these people don't realize it, but the best thing that can happen to them is a phillie win."
How could anyone know who these people were or where they were from or who they belonged to???
this is why the primitive animals that inhabit this city do not deserve a championship. they act like the world is coming to an end and that they must loot,set things on fire and destroy everything around them if their team wins. yeah,thats the right way to celebrate.its ashame a person born in this city and living in this city,i have that mindset,but i know im not the only one.
chrissmith, I believe the only uneducated one here is you or you would have formed a complete sentence and not placed a comma before and!!!!!! As far as the other comments---let's just say LOSER!
I would take my nine year old to a game in St. Pete. In Philadelphia, Forget it. Too many animals, even if it is only half a percent. As a native of SE PA, I hate to say it.
"Yet another smear campaign by out-of-town media. Don't these morons know that in 2008 they can't write a made-up story and not have it make its way to Philly?"
Oh, really "Philly2LA"? Well, I suppose then that my friend SBF, a television cameraman from Northern Virginia is also a propogandist. Shut your eyes and ears to the truth, but my friend is not a liar:
http://nats320.blogspot.com/2008/09/classless.html
Edward J. Cunningham
Rockville, MD
P.S. Yes, that is my real name.
I was there and I saw it. I saw women and children yelled at with profanity. I saw a 10 year old boy coming back from the bathroom hiding his Rays' hat because of the mean comments said to him by adult men. I'm an adult and I don't care what people say to me, but to a child? Shame on Philadelphia, the city of "brotherly love." An usher came at one point and gave some very drunk fans behind us (who had been yelling obscenities at women and children) a copy of the rules and told them to read it. The one guy then cussed out the usher, but still the usher did not throw him out. The usher simply left. Other security folk stood nearby but did nothing. One Philly fan near us apologized for the behavior of the really drunk guys, but none of the Philly fans stood up to the their unruly cohorts. So, go on trying to convince yourselves that someone wouldn't throw a beer on someone because it cost $7.50. Go on trying to believe that women and children made up being threatened. Maybe you can convince yourselves, but you can't convince me. I was there and I saw it. Shame on you, Philly.
Newsie1: In regards to your comment about what chrissmith wrote, a comma before "and" is correct when listing adjectives (it is also considered correct to leave out the comma). What chrissmith said was not nice, but it was a complete, correct, and correctly punctuated sentence. Be careful that you are correct when trying to prove yourself "educated."
Ya know something? With the unbalanced coverage on the Fox 'We Only Love Tampa' Sports Network. The fact that the calls are so blatantly in line with Tampa on the field... Think about it folks, we got a network, a collection of corrupt umpires, fans, and the whole freakin world against us. NOW MORE THAN EVER philly needs to rise up and claim what is rightfully ours! Let'm whine just like L.A. did at the plate. I'd be bitter too if my team was up against the Fightin' Phillies. Let's face it! The Phillies are great! Now shut up and watch the game!
So we yell and cheer for our team... The guy that works at the deli I frequent went to Tamba Bay and got put in jail cause he stood up and cheered for his team (OK probable said something crude too). Grow up John Ramano when athletes started making the $$$ they do and tickets cost what they do is when the family game went out the door!
I sit right next to the Tampa Fans and I feel bad for all road fans who come to philadelphia. Most philadelphia sports fans are classless losers who can't just enjoy watching sports without attacking fans of other teams. This is not europe where they erect fences in stadiums to keep the road side fans safe. Maybe we should do that in philadelphia. I noticed that for games 4 and 5, the Tampa fans were given diamond club passes so they would not be subject to the harrassment of the masses. I also have to say our fans were out of control in the previous series as well. I dont see why fans after we do something good, have to run over and yell in the faces of the Rays fans.
What surprises me is that if these statements are true - wouldn't Nutter and the team, ESPN, or MLB make a statement of some kind? Wouldn't our news stations pick up this story and run with it? We would've seen something from somewhere. I had friends of mine go to the Eagles game in Chicago a few weeks ago - they were mugged and beaten leaving the stadium - yet there was no article, no story, no anything, but it happened. Montreal fans threw a beer bottle at Jeff Carter last season (maybe it was Washington, I forget), someone poured beer on Richards in the penalty box - I mean, it's not just Philly fans - it's everywhere.
b. atkinson: What makes you think it was a Flyers fan that threw the smoke bomb? Just because those dopes on PTI said it doesn't make it so. Why would a home fan throw something on the ice? It was just as likely a Devils fan who can drive.
First, supposedly it was mustard packets that were thrown at Madddon's grandchild, not mustard. Big difference.
I was there on Sunday and didn't see any Rays fans, let alone obnixious behavior. Since I don't see any quotes or direct references Dan, your stories sound like more stuff made up to feed the stereotype.
apreziosi: Throwing mustard packets is different than throwing mustard, but throwing anything at a child is completely unacceptable! I think it is sad that you even try to make this behavior seem okay. Again, I was there and I saw the abuse. I saw children scared of adult men because they dared to wear a Rays hat to the bathroom. I heard drunk Phillie fans curse and scream at women and children who dared to clap for their husbands and fathers. The abuse did happen. You can try to deny it because you didn't see it, but that won't work for me.
Comment removed.
i am a TB ray fan... i live 30 min. from the trop. there was another article in the st. pete times about rude rays fans and their treatment of red sox fans...logic says that the fans of any team in any sport are as different in the ballparks, stadiums etc. as they are out side those venues....there are always a few that ruin it... but the vast majority of the fans, here and there, are routing for their team. of course it gets more emotionally charged when the stakes are the world series....like i said i am a ray fan... but i like the phillies, i watch them play the pirates every year in spring training in march....i have pictures of tug in 1981 and just before his diagnosis...MAY THE BEST TEAM WIN!
b.atkinson: What makes you so sure it was a Flyers fan that threw the smoke bomb?
I can see if FOX had photos of the 9-year old kid who had beer poured on him, then I believe that is the reason why FOX axed 'In the Zone', which was a kids' baseball show. Maybe the Philadelphia should sell Lincoln Financial Field and Citizens Bank Park and rename them after Chuck E. Cheese's. I can see those new Chuck E. Cheese ads with Eagle fans attacking a visitng fans' kids: Chuck E. Cheese Park: Where a kid can be a kid...on life support.
pay $7.50 for a beer to pour it on a 9 year old kid? If you're that kid, can you say Columbine? Can you say Virginia Tech? Let's see if someone poured beer on Dylan Harris and Eric Klebold. That 9 year old brat should have seen the game. On FOX. And shame on that kid for being on that game ON A SCHOOL NIGHT. That kid right now already got an F, just for playing hooky by seeing his favorite team play. Just send that kid to Columbine for high school and let him go to Virginia Tech. That will straighten him out.
Fan violence in sports is getting out of hand. You can blame it on the Democrat Party and the decaying of the media. The Philadelphia sports fan's real role models are low-lifes like Obama, Pelosi, Harry Reid, Bill Ayers, Jeremiah Wright,Hillary Clinton, etc. The Philly sports fans are the Britney Spears of sports. Gee, will Phillies fans applaud Ahmedinejad while boo Santa Claus and Sarah Palin and pour beer on a 9-year old. YES.
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