Philadelphia Fans Strike Again

Yo Philly!

Yo Philly is a saying my family and I developed over four years of living just outside of Philadelphia. After moving from the west coast to Pennsylvania, I began thinking something was wrong with me. Everywhere I went I was annoying people. For a long time, I took the atmosphere personally.

The cheesesteaks and Italian hoagies are worthy of their legendary praise, but so too is the east coast stigma of being cantankerous. I couldn't buy a pack of gum without feeling insulted. Eventually I figured out that the city is just full of pricks that are unhappy with themselves. Whenever I was subject to that attitude I would just think, "Yo Philly!"

That attitude becomes a collective monster inside Philadelphia sports stadiums. Philly sports fans have been justly maligned as the world's worst since the sixties when they famously threw snowballs at Santa Claus during an Eagles game. The incident achieved folklore status and has been greatly exaggerated, but what isn't exaggerated is how awful Philly fans can be.

Safety is a serious concern for any opposing fan or player. Just ask J.D. Drew. In his first visit to Philadelphia fans threw D-cell batteries at the outfielder nearly resulting in a home team forfeit.

July, 2009, a man was beaten to death outside of Citizens Bank Ball Park, the same day a Phillies game had to be temporarily stopped due to a fan shining a laser pointer in the face of St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols.

There are countless tales of horror from fans attending games in Philadelphia, and I can tell you first hand, these are not exaggerated. These people will boo anything. It was sitting in those stands that led me to take a no booing stance (other than anything Longhorns) as a youngster.

Perhaps former New York Giants star Michael Strahan described it best, "Philadelphia is the only place where you pull up on the bus and you've got the grandfather, grandmother, grandkids, kids, everybody flicking you off."

The city also produced highlights like heckling Philly native Kobe Bryant at the 2002 All Star Game. But their crowning achievement came when Eagles fans cheered as Michael Irvin laid motionless from a neck injury that would end his career.

Yo Philly!

If being an opposing player or fan is bad, actually playing for the city is worse. Fans and media are directly responsible for running a number of marquee players out of town before their time. Ask Allen Iverson, Scott Rolen, Eric Lindros, and Randall Cunningham.

Charles Barkley says he is one of the few that wasn't run out by the media, but they still got tired of the Barkley era and traded him to Phoenix where he led the Suns to the NBA Finals.

No matter how great you are or have been, Philly fans will eventually burn you if you aren't winning championships every year. Anything less than perfect play is not tolerated, and no star is above getting booed. These fans would boo their own daughter at a youth basketball game.

Bob Uecker said about Philly fans, "I saw a drunk fall out of the upper deck. They booed when he tried to get up."

Beloved Philadelphia Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt thought his brilliant career would have been better appreciated somewhere else after retiring.

One year removed from a World Series title, Philly fans called for the benching of MVP winning shortstop Jimmy Rollins.

Long time Temple head basketball coach John Chaney calls Philly fans, "the worst in the world."

You get the point.

Donovan McNabb is latest victim of Philly's insane fanatic behavior. The greatest quarterback in the history of the Philadelphia Eagles just got shown the door to the delight of nearly every Eagles fan. McNabb is another carcass in the trail of dead former Philadelphia sports heroes.

McNabb led the Eagles to four consecutive NFC East championships, five NFC championship games, one Super Bowl, and leads in every major statistical passing category in team history. During his tenure Eagles fans became spoiled knowing they could win every football game they entered. More often than not they did with McNabb. By the way, they booed this guy on draft day.

Think of it this way. The only year the Eagles reached the Super Bowl was the only year they had another big time offensive player on their team, and it was team dividing Terrell Owens. McNabb was clearly the best player on the team and couldn't get over the hump because the rest of the talent was not up to par. Without McNabb, fans would really have something to complain about. Now they'll get their chance.

Be careful what you wish for should be the mantra for Philly fans. Do they really think they will be better off with McNabb somewhere else within the division? I don't think so. There is no way anyone can say Kevin Kolb is a better choice right now. McNabb is only 33. The city gave up on him when they should be blaming nearly everyone else. Philly fans aren't the type to sit back and wait for a QB to develop. They wanted McNabb gone because they honestly feel they have a better chance to win a Super Bowl with a guy who has never been a regular starter.

The Eagles are primed with young offensive talent and are known for putting tough defenses on the field. Defense was a problem for the Eagles at the end of last season, but they have enjoyed success against their rivals for a long time. Dallas was due to win a couple.

So why make the move now? The Eagles have played with a running back that was a game time decision for three years which made their offense rely heavy on passing. Most teams would struggle with this imbalance, but McNabb put up great numbers. No quarterback is perfect, and McNabb wasn't either, but he's a winner and I would take him over Kolb in a second.

If I were an Eagles fan I would be upset. If I was an Eagles season ticket holder I would be incensed. There is no way the product on the field next year will be as good as last. You cannot take a guy with two career starts and anoint him better than a legend. Even Aaron Rodgers needed a year to get good, and he still is yet to win a playoff game.

What does that make Kolb's time table? I predict two games. When the Eagles start 0-2 the entire city, including media will be calling for Michael Vick to get the start and Kolb's confidence will be irreparably shaken.

Philly fans have been collectively brain washed thanks to their fictitious boxing champion, Rocky. They are still waiting for the underdog to come from total obscurity and take them to the top. It takes someone of Barkley's mentality to survive in a city like Philadelphia. And just to remind you, Barkley has done way more than his fair share of creepy things right down to spitting on a child during a game. What a guy. I guess that's why fan and media criticism didn't bother him.

McNabb goes to a tough situation in Washington because of the inept Redskins offensive line. One thing is certain. New head coach Mike Shanahan will have an offense that runs the ball which should take some pressure off McNabb. At 33, McNabb still has time to integrate into a new system with a proven head coach that took another 30+ "wash out" named John Elway and made him a two time Super Bowl champion.

Washington has no shortage of resources and the city is just as passionate about putting a winner on the field as Philly. I believe this to be the right mix for the Skins and once the O line gets solid, they will win with McNabb at QB. Don't be surprised when the success of the Eagles fades into mediocrity and the Redskins ascend the NFC East ladder.

The best part is that Philly will have no one to blame but themselves. So many cliches come to mind. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth. The grass is always greener. You never know what you got before it's gone. Hindsight is 20-20.

Right now the entire nation is shaking their head, and Eagles fans are celebrating. They demand a champion as payback for having to live in such a hard and cruel city. That cruelty gets redirected on their sports stars and the seat is always hot. Don't expect any sympathy if you play in Philly. Don't even expect rationality. For some fans, winning is worse than losing because they have to find new ways to express their disgust for life. Throwing batteries at a world champion would be ugly even for a Philadelphian. Getting rid of McNabb makes sure that the Eagles will have plenty to complain about next year.

The city of brotherly love.

Yo Philly!

Playoffs?!?

Wipe the slate clean, it's tournament time in the NFL and the action should be fantastic. Looking at the first round games I don't see any possible upsets. What I mean by that is no matter who wins, it shouldn't be considered an upset. After the first round, every remaining team has a great chance to make the Super Bowl.

I am very excited for the playoffs, and it doesn't hurt that the Chargers are the hottest team in the NFL. Regardless of my biases, the games look to be very entertaining, even for the fans whose team missed the playoffs. In one of the strangest twists the NFL has ever seen, three of four first round games are rematches from the previous week. Baltimore/New England is the only game that is not a rematch of week 17. All three games had lopsided outcomes which may or may not mean anything. We'll find out this weekend.

The only problem I have with the playoffs this year is the way the Jets were able to sneak in. In a year where half the AFC was competing for the last wild card spot the final week, the Jets benefited from extremely favorable scheduling and management decisions by teams that had their playoff spot locked up, effectively eliminating competitive action. I didn't see it coming because I assumed Indianapolis would defend their perfect season, but they decided to rest their starters to the benefit of the Jets. You can bet there are some fans in New England that would agree with that decision.

It is an issue that deserves attention from the NFL to keep the spirit of competition alive late in the season, although I doubt there are any real solutions available. You can't expect teams to play all their starters to the bitter end when the game effectively means nothing. Right now, the negatives out weigh the positives.

Round 1

New York Jets vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Jets and Bengals played last week with NY dominating Cincy to the tune of 37-0. The game was played in the Meadowlands, in frigid weather, after Cincy had locked up their playoff spot. Still, the Jets defense was pretty convincing holding the Bengals to one first down and zero yards passing. Don't let the points fool you, the Jets won't put up 37 again, but they might benefit from great scheduling, once again, playing the mourning Bengals on the heels of a blowout.

The Jets and Bengals might be the teams that pose the weakest threat to win the AFC. Cincy played fairly inspired football in San Diego the week after Chris Henry died, but have since looked like a team waiting for the playoffs to start. They will have to find their offensive identity against the league's best defense, after coasting the last month of the season. I believe it will be very important for Cincinnati to score in the first quarter. They will also have to play better defense than they have recently.

I can't ignore what the Jets were able to do at home against Cincy, but I still have trouble believing they can put up enough points to win on the road. This is an extremely difficult game to pick. When right, Cincy is better, but if their play over the last month is an indicator as to how they will play this weekend, you can give it to the Jets. Cincy's offense will have RB Cedric Benson back along with WR Chad Ochocinco. I see overtime in this one. The home team takes it by a field goal.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

This is the best game of the first round and features two teams that are quite familiar with each other. Dallas has eliminated the chatter that they can't win in December, and are now being called the favorite in the NFC by some analysts. This is a typical reaction to Dallas winning a couple of games. Let's not forget that the Boys haven't won a playoff game since 1996, and QB Tony Romo has yet to win one.

That being said, the Cowboys beat the Eagles twice this year. Much like the Jets, Dallas dominated Philly last week and will have the chance to make it two weeks in a row. Unlike the Jets, Dallas gets to do it at home. The win also saw the Cowboys defense post its second straight shutout. Head coach Wade Phillips seems to have bought himself another year in Dallas (to the dismay of many Cowboys fans), but really needs a playoff win to cement this. Don't forget, it was an embarrassing loss to Philly in the final game last year that kept Dallas out of the playoffs.

Philadelphia comes in wounded, but before last week's loss they had won six games in a row. Philly gets their third crack at Dallas this year which makes them dangerous, but they bring in a makeshift offensive line without their starting center. The Eagles played most of the year with more fire power than Gilbert Arenas, and if they can find that again they are very capable of winning this game. Head coach Andy Reid always seems to have his team ready in the playoffs. Starting QB Donovan Mcnabb has nine career playoff wins.

Is this the game that gets the monkey off the backs of Romo and the Cowboys? They overcame the doubters for their stretch run in December, but the playoffs are a different animal. The biggest question might be how much can you change in six days if you are the Eagles? Romo and the Boys cannot afford to lose this game, and lucky for them they will be at home. Another toss up goes to the home team.

Baltimore Ravens vs. New England Patriots

So the good news is the Ravens finished out the season nicely and landed a wild card position in the playoffs. The bad news is they are playing the Patriots in Foxborough. Even though I am not wild about the Pats this season, and they just lost WR Wes Welker to injury, New England doesn't lose games at home. Especially in the playoffs.

The Pats are 5-0 all time against the Ravens. They have won 11 straight playoff games at home, and Tom Brady is 14-3 as a playoff starter. Pretty sobering if you are a Ravens fan.

I like the Ravens as a team, but this is not the same team that took a wild card seed and won the Super Bowl. The Ravens have shifted from all defense to mostly offense. The Pats should move the chains and put up points. The Ravens will rely on their run attack, which has been terrific this year, to out score the Pats. The emergence of RB Ray Rice has helped veteran RB Willis McGahee stay fresh and work more as a goal line back. QB Joe Flacco put together a solid sophomore campaign, and the Ravens will have future hall of fame safety Ed Reed back from injury in a limited capacity.

Once the playoffs start, the Patriots will still intimidate their opponents with their postseason pedigree. Tom Brady under center is enough to give the Pats confidence they can win the Super Bowl. Without Welker and a mediocre defense, there is almost no way this can happen, but I expect them to beat the Ravens soundly at home. The true test will come when they have to play outside Foxborough the following week.

Green Bay Packers vs. Arizona Cardinals


In what might possibly be QB Kurt Warner's final game, the Packers and Cardinals rematch in Arizona after Green Bay won 33-7, last week. The teams went in two different directions with the Pack playing as if they needed to maintain momentum, and the Cards deciding to not show any schemes and rest veteran players. Aaron Rodgers will make his postseason debut after a stellar second season as the Packers starting QB.

The Cards come into this game as a team that can play bad one week only to bounce back and look like the NFC champs from last year. WR Anquan Boldin looks like he may miss the game with an ankle injury which will spell big trouble for the Cards. With Pro Bowl DB Charles Woodson covering WR Larry Fitzgerald, Arizona will miss Boldin and his ability to make plays opposite Fitz. Still, this is a Cardinal team that has been here before, and with Warner under center in the playoffs, good things happen. He is 8-3 in the postseason.

The Packers enter this matchup as the NFC's best defensive team and winners in seven of their last eight games. Rodgers deserves the extensive praise he receives, and has eclipsed 4,000 yards passing both years as a starter. He is the only player in NFL history to achieve that feat. RB Ryan Grant had a solid year running for the Pack, and the offensive line troubles that plagued Green Bay early in the season were amended.

It's hard to predict how either team will play in this game. I believe the Packers to be a better team, but they are relatively inexperienced, and they are playing on the road. It will be an uphill battle for Arizona who actually played better on the road than at home this year. A complete reversal from last year. In the end, I see Green Bay as the more complete team, and I expect the Packers to advance.