11/05/24
February 02, 2005
City of Brotherly Shove: Last year, Steve Erban lived to tell the tale: What it's like to attend an Eagles game in Philadelphia dressed in the opposing team's gear. "Thoughts ran through my head: Do I physically react? Do I walk away? Do I want to live? Do I want to see the rest of the game?"
Big deal. Try wearing a Liverpool shirt at a Man Utd game. Nice to know you have utter knob heads in America as well as over here, mind.
posted by salmacis at 12:16 PM on February 02, 2005
It'd be like wearing a Giants jersey at Dodger stadium and vice versa. It's just this bad at the Bills stadium too whenever I have gone to see a game.
posted by jasonspaceman at 12:49 PM on February 02, 2005
This is bad. You know, I have spent a lifetime going to Yankee stadium wearing a Red Sox hat, and other than the occasional drunken loudmouth, I have never experienced anything even close to this. Similarly, as many times as I have been to Fenway, I had similarly not seen anything like this (though there are possibly isolated instances of idiocy, I'm sure), as ill-mannered as Sox fans are reputed to be.
posted by psmealey at 01:26 PM on February 02, 2005
Philadelphia for all of it's history is and always will be a classless second rate city. It's the people.
posted by rapidroy at 01:59 PM on February 02, 2005
It's just this bad at the Bills stadium too whenever I have gone to see a game. In my experiences going to Bills home games (4 or 5, since I live 4 hours away and don't have season tickets), I've noticed that the Bills fans don't turn nasty on the opposition fans...as long as the Bills are winning. There might be some good natured ribbing and some friendly taunting, but nothing that couldn't be expected if you venture into the lions den wearing Dolphin meat. However, in the games where the Bills lost (especially to the hated Dolphins), it got ugly in a hurry. My dad and I are Bills fans and we feared for our lives leaving the stadium as the angry drunk Bills fans were lashing out at ANY Dolphin paraphenalia, and any Bills jerseys of players they disliked at the time. Since I was wearing a Tasker jersey (scrappy, regular-joe, average-salary, player), no wrath was directed my way.
posted by grum@work at 02:22 PM on February 02, 2005
It's not the city or the fans - it's a few pathetic assholes who get their jollies public humilating others. I'm sure they select popular targets outside of football season as well - effeminant guy in bar, man reading book on street, women walking by the office - excuse me - construction site. Others join in so as to appease the morons, and thus deflect their attention. It's Ok though - 90% of them are upset because of the size of their dicks. Hey, you yell if you get shorted in the lunch line - think about being a Philly fan hung like an infant.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:37 PM on February 02, 2005
Aside: rcade - Worst Headline Evar.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 02:41 PM on February 02, 2005
think about being a Philly fan hung like an infant. I don't know what to think about a Philly fan hung like an infant, but it sure is funny to read.
posted by dusted at 02:46 PM on February 02, 2005
"By now the four letter F word was now being used as an adverb followed in a noun form" f*ckly f*ck? that is a new one by me. the present particple folowed by a noun form, sure. how about celtic vs rangers fans cohabiting the same city, willing to beat each other up on sight (game day and alcohol not being a requirement), and fuelled by sectarianism. they aren't even allowed to sit in the same sections at a game. still, for north american sports that sounds pretty lousy.
posted by gspm at 02:55 PM on February 02, 2005
Philadelphia for all of it's history is and always will be a classless second rate city. It's the people. Being from Philly,I don't agree. Anyone who would say this obviously has never experienced the city and all it has to offer firsthand. One who would call an entire city's people classless after reading one person's account needs to educate themselves and deal with the fact that everyone can't be as classy as they feel they are. Erban experiened a large handful of agitated true blue Eagles fans, he didn't meet the whole city... and I doubt you have too.
posted by Kristi at 03:36 PM on February 02, 2005
Does that mean the ancestors of the Raider Nation came west via Philly?
posted by McLaw at 06:51 PM on February 02, 2005
This is why they segregate football crowds in Europe. I guess if there was a similar tradition of travelling to away games in major numbers in the USA then it'd be happening there too.
posted by squealy at 04:34 AM on February 03, 2005
Erban experiened a large handful of agitated true blue Eagles fans, he didn't meet the whole city... While I agree that you can't characterize every single inhabitant of Phila. through the actions of "a large handful", I do wonder about the overall culture of thuggery that seems to be tacitly condoned there. There must be a reason why Eagles fans are considered to be extremely hostile, and it is the self-same reason why there is a court and jail in the stadium, and why a security guard would give the author warnings that include "Don't make eye contact." Geez. How about cautioning visiting fans to not drink the beer or breathe too deeply? Certainly not every Philly fan is a thug, but why is this behavior condoned by other fans? This seems to be accepted behavior at an Eagles game, due to the lack of sufficient security as well as the tacit approval by onlookers who don't intervene on the victim's behalf. Sorry, Philly. There's a reason for the stereotypes: just look in the mirror.
posted by avogadro at 08:17 AM on February 03, 2005
I guess if there was a similar tradition of travelling to away games in major numbers in the USA then it'd be happening there too. Actually, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns fans (as well as possibly a few fan groups I don't know about) have pretty rich traditions of travelling en masse to away games, and rarely, if ever, have I heard about anything like this happening on any scale. Philly and Oakland fans have long had bad reputations for this kind of thing, but I wouldn't project the actions of a few drunken dumbasses on their entire local character. I have been to Philly many, many times (only once for a sporting event: a Flyers game), and have met some great people there and had many great times.
posted by psmealey at 09:28 AM on February 03, 2005
When people expect something to spark a riot, it seems like a self-fulfilling prophecy, as assholes are drawn to the place looking for an excuse to raise hell. Maybe that's what happens at Philly games. People know there's a rep for abusive fans, so some jerks try to make it happen, like the guy who bumped Erban. I'm surprised that the Eagles haven't lost families, who tend to be the first to stop patronizing an event if it gets a bad rep. If they did, they would crack down on this stuff in a hurry.
posted by rcade at 10:42 AM on February 03, 2005
Raiders at Chargers is usually followed by many fights and arrests. Not the reverse fixture, though...
posted by billsaysthis at 02:35 PM on February 03, 2005
I can't decide if this Philly fan is admirable or just crazy.
posted by danostuporstar at 11:26 AM on February 04, 2005
Of course, Philly ain't no Pratville, Alabama "People were screaming and running," Prattville cheerleader Cherish Cartee said. "Girls lost their cell phones. Keys got lost. It's something I will never forget."
posted by danostuporstar at 11:31 AM on February 04, 2005
Actually, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns fans (as well as possibly a few fan groups I don't know about) have pretty rich traditions of travelling en masse to away games You can toss the Steeler's Nation in with that group as well. The Pittsburgh/Cowboys game I went to early in the season seemed to have a 50/50 crowd, which is rare for the stadium that God built.
posted by Ufez Jones at 11:43 AM on February 04, 2005
"Girls lost their cell phones. Keys got lost." Keys! Damn! Someone get this girl some counselling.
posted by Mr Bismarck at 12:14 PM on February 04, 2005
There were so many Steeler fans at the game in Jacksonville that the media called attention to it. Local fans were extremely embarrassed when cheers for the Steelers were almost as loud as those for the Jags.
posted by rcade at 03:11 PM on February 04, 2005
I remember one Eagles game when I was about 8 years old where a Raiders fan stood in front of the section I was sitting in to flip us off with both hands. Everyone in my section then proceeded to empty their beers down the rows of seats onto this man in the Raiders hat. While I don't always agree with the way that Philadelphia's fans handle themselves, what about that Raiders fan? If you ask me, he asked for it. The Eagles were so bad for so long, never winning, always losing. Maybe some fans were jealous of other winning teams and took their anger out on other cities' fans. Maybe some other cities were coming to Philly to play and their fans taunted the home field's fans unstoppingly. While these thoughts are no reason for violence, I believe that after years of disrespect and bad sportsmanship from other teams and their fans Philly got fed up and began to retaliate. Maybe not in the right ways, but hey, not everyone's perfect. Every city has it's own thing, and if they're challenged enough there will always be that person or that group that acts in haste and ends up giving the city a bad name to the closed minded that see only that incident. Personally I think that some games should be segregated, like any kind of playoff game, and not only in Philly. Yeah it sucks that it's come to that, but worse things could happen.
posted by Kristi at 11:11 AM on February 05, 2005
Being a Philly native I can't disagree too much and its even a badge of pride of sorts like Raiders fans. Its a tough, working class, gritty city and the fans reflect it. All the fans act up. Phillies fans in baseball. I recall seeing fights in the rest rooms as a kid. Sixers games as well. I have seen Celtics fans beaten up and cars with Mass. lic. plates smashed in. Remember, we booed Santa Claus and pelted him with snow balls. Booed 'favorite son' Kobe when he got the MVP at the all star game we hosted and booed Desitny Child's half time performance. Its just who we are, the eagles fans are even called 'boo birds'. First (and possibly only) stadium to have a jail inside it.
posted by AmericanGooner at 02:21 PM on June 12, 2005
Wow! I mean really, wow! This is so incredible, the only reason I can believe it is I had first hand experience at a college game that was nearly this bad. I thought it was just a bad day. Guess not.