Sixers' Kapono, Holiday compare Philly, LA

Sixers forward Jason Kapono doesn't care for the Schuylkill Expressway, much as he doesn't like the congested freeways in Los Angeles.

He admires the passion Philadelphia fans have for their sports teams - just like Los Angeles fans.

How can Philly fans be mentioned in the same breath with LA fans?

The Southern Cal native explains.

"Both cities have great history," said Kapono, who is from Long Beach and attended UCLA. "I mean, the Dodgers coming from Brooklyn and all the great teams they had. The Phillies have had a ton of greats. The real fans, the true fans, are the blue-collar, hard-working [fans]. They're not the fans who just show up for the World Series or just buy the jerseys and stuff when the team is doing well and then when they [stink] they're not interested.

"So many people come from so many areas. Philly fans come from Jersey and beyond the city limits. Same with Dodgers' fans, they're coming from San Diego, Santa Barbara, Orange County. It's not just like the fans come from a 30- or 40-mile radius. It shows how passionate the fans are. They'll drive 3 or 4 hours in traffic just to see their teams. In that way I think they're comparable."

After much thought, though, he did notice a slight difference.

"Both cities have great passion for their teams," Kapono said. "I wouldn't say Philly is rougher, but they do tell you where you stand, maybe a little more than in LA. I think both sides have a passion and a spirit for the team when you're out there trying to do the right thing. If you come to work hard and lose, they'll accept that."

Jrue Holiday threw out the first pitch at a Phillies game after he was taken 17th overall in the June draft. He is also a SoCal native (LA area) and attended UCLA for a year before turning pro. He hasn't had a lot of experience with Philly fans, but he has seen enough to form an observation.

"I don't think Dodgers fans really boo as much as fans do here," Holiday said. "In LA, they usually just try to cheer them on. Here, the critics are a little crazy. In LA, the fans try to just be supportive, and here the fans are that way, too. When I went to the Phillies game, when I threw out the first pitch, it was crazy. It was real fun. I was in the stands in Dodger Stadium and they were crazy and it was loud, too. They're kind of the same that way."

Kapono, who is a single-digit handicap golfer, also sees similarities in the great golf courses both cities boast.

"It's a tie," he said when asked who has the better courses. "Here you have all the private clubs - Pine Valley, Merion, Aronimink, Llanerch. LA has Bel-Air, LA Country Club, Riviera, Wilshire. I've played all those in LA, but haven't played them all here yet." *