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!

An Ode to Opening Day

I know Alexander Pope wasn't referring to baseball when he penned, "Hope springs eternal," but to many baseball fans (including myself), those words ring true every April. Optimism runs like the rapids of the Rogue River even in a sport so critically flawed by salary and payroll imbalances. Without optimism, being a San Diego Padres fan would be nearly impossible. I can't imagine life without baseball, and without strong ties to a team being a fan would be meaningless. So I love the Padres, and I love opening day.

I must admit that I do get a certain perverse satisfaction from being a fan of a continually failing franchise. There aren't many people outside southern California (and even in southern California) that are rocking Padres gear. Baseball fans all over the country give me credit for sticking by my team and not being afraid to show it. My obsession goes further than most know, as I am sure I am the only person in the state of Texas who purchased the MLB Extra Innings package to follow the Padres out of market.

Although the Padres traditionally function as a farm club for major league teams with money, I am still on the edge of my seat following the progression of every player, every year. More often than not, my team is at the bottom of the payroll chain making player retention nearly impossible. Young talent gets their start in San Diego until they really develop and are traded away for more "future" talent. It is maddening, and I do as much complaining about ownership and management as I do rooting for my team. You could build an all star team with former Padres, and the worst part is every player says they love playing in San Diego, and most make their off season home there. Still, it's better than being a Cubs fan.

But none of that matters today, and that is why opening day is such a magical time for every baseball fan. While most analysts give four teams an honest chance to win it all, every team starts today in first place. Most Padres fans feel pretty good about the team this year. They are under new ownership and the team has a youthful feel built around speed which is much more important today as steroids are phased out of the game. The starting pitching is suspect at best, but they added a solid starter and play in the most pitcher friendly ball park in the majors. There are some really exciting young players that are sure to be stars for someone else one day, but right now they are Padres, and they should be able to compete on a nightly basis.

I could write a 50 thousand word essay on why the lack of a salary cap and the MLB players union have destroyed the game. I could tell you why American League baseball is not really baseball because of the inclusion of the designated hitter. I could complain endlessly that the Padres won't be able to afford to keep hometown hero Adrian Gonzalez, and that over the last 25 years I have been witness to the worst personnel management in the game.

But I won't. Nope. Today I will tell you that baseball is the purest sport in existence. No other sport fuses specialized physical skill and endless strategy like baseball. For sports fans that say baseball is boring, I would simply say, you don't understand the game. When you do understand baseball, every pitch is exciting. With every ball thrown towards a batter there are 50 players and 12 coaches trying to think one step ahead of their opponent.

I can't deny that the fan experience and competition of the league has led football (both college and NFL) to reign supreme in this country. For those that read my posts, you know that my passion for football is enormous. The structure and pace of the sport is far more exciting. When you compare a 17 game season to a 162 game season it is easy to understand why it's easier to invest in football in the age of attention deficit.

But, like nearly every child that grew up dreaming of playing major league baseball, the sport is in my blood. My dad and I can talk football all day long. We can enjoy 18 holes of golf (when we're not exploring nature's bounty in search of our ball). But there is something way more special about being outside and throwing the ball around, or walking into the ball park and grabbing a dog and a beer. I enjoy football on television more than actually going to the game (in most instances), but there is no replacement for being at the ball park in the sun on a warm spring afternoon. It's pure magic.

So I am going to enjoy this month more than the following six. Before optimism turns to pessimism, before my team is mathematically out of the race and selling off their marquee players, before the reality of salary limitations rears its ugly head, my team is in first place and has a chance to win it all. Here's how I see the division races shaking out:

AL East: New York Yankees

Don't blame them for baseball's problems. They just happen to have the most money and the most interest in putting a winner on the field.

AL Cent: Chicago White Sox

They would have the best pitching staff in baseball if it weren't for the Red Sox. Luckily, they don't have to play in the East and will only be challenged by the Twins within the division.

AL West: Seattle Mariners

You can't knock them for sitting idle in the off season, unlike the Angels. Seattle will supplant Mike Scioscia and perennial front running Los Angeles (or California or Anaheim).

AL Wild Card: Boston Red Sox

Dominating pitching staff. Once again the most intriguing race in baseball will be NY and Boston.

NL East: Philadelphia Phillies

No team in the National League is even close to these guys. Add the best starting pitcher in baseball in Roy Halladay, and take the New York Mets continual injury issues and you have a winner.

NL Cent: St. Louis Cardinals

Baseball royalty with the best player on the planet in Albert Pujols. Oh, and they re signed Matt Holliday so he will have protection in the lineup. Very solid starting pitching.

NL West: San Diego Padres

Yep, that's right, I said it. Hope springs eternal...So here's mine. Added speed and a variety of players that will surprise people in a division that is very winnable for any of the teams. It should be known that the Padres are picked to finish last by every analyst in the world so I might be going out on a bit of a limb. I don't care.

NL Wild Card: Atlanta Braves

Reloaded and ready to win.

World Series Matchup: New York Yankees vs. Philadelphia Phillies

Baseball's woes continue as the two biggest payrolls meet for a World Series rematch. Barring injuries there is no one in the league that should compete with these guys. I predicted this rematch the day after the World Series was over last year. Please get a salary cap, and quick, baseball. Please. The Phillies would be playing in their third straight World Series.

Winner: New York Yankees

Some things never change.

There it is. Just two words left to say. PLAY BALL!!!

Shane Victorino Tries to Save Major League Baseball

I want to praise Shane Victorino for hustling out his at bats every time he hits (on display this World Series). I’m sure no one notices other than die hard and sober Phillies fans, but I believe his hard play to be exactly what Major League Baseball needs. In game two of this years World Series, Victorino had a runner on first, one out, and hit a tapper to the infield. He tore up the line like his hair was on fire. The play was made routinely, and Victorino headed back to the bench, but watching him run made a huge impression on me, and also highlighted what is wrong with the MLB.

You never see that anymore. You just don’t see players playing 100 percent all of the time, even in the World Series. I think for the most part players run out their fly balls and ground balls, but no one really runs all out. You see the 65 percent jog. Fast enough to avoid looking like a dog, but easy enough to show you know it’s going to be an out. Running hard on a ground ball puts a little extra pressure on the defense that can mean the difference between an error, and a routine put out. Running out your fly balls full speed can mean an extra base if the ball is lost in the lights and dropped. It might only make the difference one percent of the time, but that should be enough, especially in the World Series. The fact that one player running out a ground ball caught my attention means there are some that just aren’t giving enough.

Playing hard is also good sportsmanship. You should do your opponent the honor of trying your best. You hear little league coaches telling their players to hustle all the time. At what point do big leaguers stop doing this? High school? I am willing to give pitchers and injury cases a pass on this obligation, but otherwise there should be no reason for one player to stand out just for running out a ground ball.

Good job to Victorino. Hopefully there were some little leaguers watching him. An honorable mention goes to Jerry Hairston Jr. of the Yankees. I know it's not as cool as a home run for most, but I think players playing hard is what makes baseball great and exciting.

Players not playing hard, not enjoying themself, not getting excited, not playing for team, is why the country was ready for the National Football League to take over. Football has far surpassed any other sport as America's past time. There is no denying that football is a great sport, and it happens to be my personal favorite (as I'm sure it is all of yours), but at the time the NFL's popularity was increasing, the MLB was losing steam. To me this issue is directly related to the energy the players are putting into the game. In football, you have guys playing all out every play. When you stop doing that in the NFL you lose your job.

Baseball doesn't have that. Everybody credits a baseball player for hustling when he slides hard into second base. Whooopeeee! Is that really all that we should ask of a base runner to consider them hustling? Why did Pete Rose earn the nickname "Charlie Hustle?" He played the game the way every other player should have played it, and it earned him a nickname. There should be no such thing. Every baseball player, playing like Charlie Hustle, that's what I want to see. For my money, the most interesting guys to watch are guys like Shane Victorino. Guys who aren't quite as naturally gifted as some of the players they are playing with, but maximize their abilities by going 100 percent all of the time.

It is a common theory that fans want to see more offense in baseball. "Fans like the American League because you don't have to waste an at bat watching the pitcher hit." I don't think we give sports fans enough credit with these theories. Sure, the casual fan will be more likely not to change Sportscenter when they show baseball highlights, but more true fans of the game will be developed if the players would adopt the football mentality of "all out every play." I believe more fans would be created if every major league player did this than if you implemented a designated hitter in the National League. Once you really learn and invest in the sport of baseball, having a pitcher hit becomes an interesting and strategic part of the game. Speed and base running become critical. How and when to use your bullpen is more of a challenge. It also forces you to go deeper on your bench during games because of the double switch.

Baseball has latched on to the theory that home runs = fans. Aside from the steroids they welcomed players to use, they also juiced up the ball, built most new ball parks shorter than their predecessors, found new types of wood to make more powerful bats, and added teams which thinned the talent pool. All of these methods were successful in creating more offense and homeruns. Where has this gotten them? Fourth place on the hierarchy of american sports behind the NFL, NBA, and NASCAR.

Perhaps it's time for a new strategy. One that won't have an instant payoff like the homerun spike, but one that will cultivate more loyal and interested fans over the long term. Here's my idea. Just hustle. Just play all out, every play, like there is someone waiting to take your position. Play like Shane Victorino and maybe it's possible you can sell the game of baseball and not just the homerun to the American public.

The Punishment Fits the Crime: Big Mac's Return to Baseball

Big Mac, Mark McGwire makes his return to baseball next year and already the uproar around the game is deafening. McGwire returns with Tony La Russa and the St. Louis Cardinals after last being seen in front of a Grand Jury flopping around like one of those wind sock men you see in front of the car wash. McGwire will be the hitting coach of a Cardinal team that won their division and boasts slackers like Albert Pujols and Matt Holiday in the middle of their lineup.

Regardless of his merits as a coach of hitters, all I have heard in the media or from baseball fans is that he will have to make some sort of statement about his alleged use of performance enhancers, namely steroids. For some reason all the babbling sports show hosts or so called baseball experts have decided they must hear a full confession and an apology or Mac’s future in baseball will forever be protested. All seem to agree that they want to hear the words come out of his mouth. My question is why?

A typical response to this seems to be, “Take a look at Petite or A Rod. They took ownership, came clean, now no one cares.” This issue will resurface once both players are subjects of hall of fame discussions, but the point is a good one. We have a forgiving public. The general sports fan will root for a player/person who is down and needs a second chance (Michael Vick), and tear down someone who has too much success (Tom Brady). I agree 100 percent, the best course of action for Big Mac would have been to come clean right away, admit to steroid use, ask for forgiveness from the fans, and get on with his life. But the ego is a fickle thing. It competes against the part of the brain that is rational and renders some incapable of swallowing pride (Barry Bonds).

This is all well and good, but really, so what? Why are we so obsessed with hearing the words come out of his mouth?

Question. What do the following players all have in common with their alleged or admitted steroid use? Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire, Alex Rodriguez, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Roger Clemens, Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, Sammy Sosa, Ken Caminiti, Miguel Tejada, Ivan Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Andy Petite, Gary Sheffield.

Answer. They are all guilty, every single one. We really don’t need a confession to tell us that, and apologies under the gun are overrated. Did we even need the Mitchell Report to confirm who we suspected of steroid use during the baseball equivalent of Woodstock? Nobody was looking. What did you expect? The only real surprise is that Albert Pujols has never been implicated in any steroid talk. Just look at the numbers hitters were putting up before the Mitchell Report and what they are after two years of testing. And what happened to all of baseballs ageless wonders? They all got old and retired once steroid testing began. Is anyone waiting on pins and needles to find out if Bonds and Clemens can clear their name? Nope. No one cares, unless Bonds gets hired as the hitting coach of the Giants, I guess. Those guys are off the baseball map and probably will be until one of them gets convicted of perjury.

When I think about Roger Clemens now, I have this image of him in some dark, dingy basement. The only source of light is a TV in the corner of the room playing analog snow on mute. He is sitting in a rocking chair wearing white boxers and a dirty wife beater under shirt, staring at a full length mirror unable to blink, and repeating I did not do steroids, over and over in some sort of brain washed trance.

We don’t need a confession to know McGwire did steroids, and we don’t need an apology to form an opinion of the player. He looks worse, and is suffering more because of the way he handled the situation. He pled the fifth in front of congress. Does that not insinuate guilt? He wasn’t an idiot like Rafael Palmeiro, pointing his finger and shouting his innocence from the rooftops only to be tested positive a few months later, effectively ending his career and sending him into total obscurity and seclusion, but he still admitted enough by not saying anything. What does a confession now do to change the way we look at him as a person or player? If he wants to avoid the subject forever, let him. The best punishment for his case is to keep him out of the Hall of Fame which is going to happen whether a confession is made, or not. It is not like confessing will pave his passage. The only part of his game that could get him in the Hall was his power, and we know he cheated to get it.

McGwire could learn a lesson from Pete Rose. Holding on to the truth is futile. Eventually the media will get you to crack. It’s just good business. It’s too late to save face anyway. Those that would forgive him already have. The rest aren’t going to be swayed by a confession. Unfortunately for McGwire, he cannot come back and perform on the field like several others have, and since recovered some good will from fans. As soon as A Rod came clean and started hitting homers again, the fans seemed to embrace him. The same goes for Petite. On the field heroics go a long way in swaying public opinion. McGwire doesn’t have that option.

Regardless of his disposition, and whether or not he chooses to come clean, McGwire has a place in baseball if someone is willing to hire him. He is still a great person, and every baseball fan loved watching Mac and Sosa chase the homerun record. Steroid homers resurrected the sports popularity after the 1994-1995 strike. Unfortunately, the little good it did for the sports popularity was overshadowed by the epidemic that followed with nearly every player of significance realizing that they must also level the playing field by taking steroids. Baseball’s non-testing policy was equivalent to the “Please Take One” bowl on Halloween . Major League Baseball’s stance seemed to be please use steroids cautiously so you help the game, but don’t make it obvious so the media and fans catch on. The bowl emptied before anyone knew it. When hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake, personal health and ethics take a back seat. I would guess that 75 percent of the population would do as McGwire did if they were in his shoes.

It has been proven that steroids damage your body. Players of the so called steroid era set terrible examples for youth baseball players that idolized these stars. I feel, as a purist of baseball, that the game is tremendously better without goliaths hitting 70 homers a year. Speed and strategy come in to play much more, and the game should get more exciting as it gets cleaner. We will once again be able to distinguish the power hitters from others and a homerun will once again become a cherished moment rather than an expected feat three to four times a game. Nonetheless, I do not condemn Mark McGwire. The blame does not fall squarely on his shoulders. If he does not wish to make a confession then we should all just move on. Let him coach and forever be known as a guy who took steroids, hit a lot of homeruns, and is not in the hall of fame. The punishment already fits the crime.