Absolutely Awful at a Phillies Game

[The Artful Dodger]

I had been to Veterans Stadium when I was 12 and it was perhaps the worst baseball experience ever. I think it's common to have a go at visiting fans anywhere and that's OK, because most are in good nature, even if the insults are over-the-top. I was pretty much on edge there. What's worse is some tubby, surly man in his mid-30's cursed at me for no reason at all because I had a UCLA shirt on. Good thing I had a potty mouth back then, otherwise, that guy would've tried to boss me around like no one else's business. Wound up having to leave after 5 innings. Rotten wanker.

One time, I saw ECW at the old Viking Hall in South Philly and while I like ECW fans' passion, they're all nutters. Surely, Philly fans earned that reputation, if you ask me. I've seen worse fans in my day than Philly fans though, but in America, they do have a leg up for being the closest thing to a hooligan town in this country.

Not all are bad though. We have our share of Philly transplants in L.A. and they're proper folks, but I find they're the opposite: die-hard Eagles fans. However, a number of them are not real big on the Sixers, Phillies, and Flyers unless they're doing really well as the season draws to a close.

[Inukchuk]

Yeesh, I went to Veterans Stadium a few years back with a Giants shirt on. I had fun dodging beer bottles on the way out. Thankfully they were plastic and empty, as well as thrown by drunk guys. I can't imagine what it would have been like if the Giants had won...

[Metroid]

In some cases I'd agree with Art's viewpoint...maybe in a less ugly incident...but not this one. Anywhere this story happened it was going to be covered. It's disgusting on a whole new level.

Totally agree. I just can't see a story about an adult at a baseball game inducing projectile vomit on an 11 year old girl and her father being back page everywhere else. I would think it would get just as much coverage wherever it happened. Drunk guy pours a beer on an 11 year old girl? Sure that get's brushed aside, but I've never heard of anything like this happening anywhere before.

[teddy ballgame]

Either way the fans of Philly probably get a little more flak than they deserve. They are under the microscope more than other cities around the country. That's just the way it's become for Philly fans, here's 12 reasons why it is that way, including the "Santa Claus incident". Stories of adults intentionally throwing up on children aren't helping their cause.

The most appalling thing on that list was the inclusion of:

4. Flyers Fans Boo Sarah Palin

Then again it is a FOX website.

[DbacksRback]

I live right outside of Philly and go the one thing I look forward to every summer is going to Phillies games. I'm positive the environment has changed much from the Vet to CBP and I've never had a problem. I’ve seen fights and heard taunting but nothing that was terrible to me. I know Philly gets a bad reputation and I can understand why with a few fans being incredibly out of line but I really don’t think that takes away the passion the city has for its sports teams. I've been to many stadiums and really haven’t witnessed the fan support I see every night I go to a game. I can’t speak for eagles fans since I’m more into baseball but as for Phillies fans I've gone to many tailgates all and games and had nothing but an amazing time. Last year I went to a tailgate for the WS and there were some Yankees fans tailgating. I admit I was waiting for something to happen for a while but they ended up drinking in a big group of Phillies fans including myself.

Now I know I may be biased, but I think its very wrong to call us the worst fan. While being very passionate, when CBP is packed as it usually is, I couldn’t imagine a better place to be. I understand a few incidents have ruined some views on Philly but coming from someone who's been there frequently it’s not even close to how some describe.

[Snakes Gould]

couple thoughts...

i dont really care or disagree if anyone called us the most passionate or "worst fans" when it comes to opposing teams' fans. to be quite honest, we/they probably deserve some of the flak, but it has really gotten blown out of proportion.

i agree with pretty much everything art said.

i also agree with some of what dbacks said (it still bothers me you're a phillies fan with dbacks in your name fwiw). the vet was brutal. absolutely terrible. low security, low ticket prices bringing out some rough around the edges/blue collar types. but since the moves to lincoln financial field and citizens bank park, most of that has stopped. its too expensive, the stadiums are too nice, and theres too much security for most of that stuff. sure you have the occasional ejection or unruly fan, but for the most part, the rest of philadelphia fans are with you. we hate those types too.

before the past few seasons, the eagles were really the only team in town. sure, the others had their smaller followings, probably more than most other towns, but philadelphians loved and adored their football more than any other sport or city. now, with the phillies being so successful and having the same core players for the past 3-4 seasons, mostly everyone has fallen in love with this team. tailgating for phillies games are huge events now and rival sundays in nfl cities, causing the number of drunks in and around the stadium to multiply pretty quickly.

i also heard the other day on the radio, and i forget the specifics, but dodger stadium had almost 5 times more ejections/arrests than cbp did last season.

philly.com is the website for both philadelphia newspapers, and yes i did post an editorial, so there is opinion there, but it's also the same place that posted the original story(s) and tons of other opinions about how bad the fans are/have become.

[Pogotheostrich]

i also heard the other day on the radio, and i forget the specifics, but dodger stadium had almost 5 times more ejections/arrests than cbp did last season.

So security is better at Dodger Stadium?

[The Artful Dodger]

i also heard the other day on the radio, and i forget the specifics, but dodger stadium had almost 5 times more ejections/arrests than cbp did last season.

This reminds me of the time my friends kept heckling Cliff Floyd non-stop to the point he gave us the finger (about 10-11 years ago) and shortly thereafter, they got the boot. I got to stay in and watch the rest of the game.

I wouldn't be surprised about the ejections bit, of course. While it's true that Dodger games are rowdy especially since the Raiders left (depending where you sit, of course), that bit is misleading. A big part of those ejections come from folks who think they're going to the beach and bring beach balls with them. They're prohibited, but people blow them up during the game and it's not odd to see folks volley around 10-15 beach balls a game. Some people aren't too happy with a surprise beach ball hitting them from behind unintentionally and sometimes, that leads to a verbal tiff. It's a rowdy crowd and I think it's good, but really nothing compared to The Black Hole in Oakland and The Vet.

[AussieDodger]

nothing compared to The Black Hole in Oakland

Are you chirpzing me brah?

[The Artful Dodger]

nothing compared to The Black Hole in Oakland

Are you chirpzing me brah?

Either speak English or learn Welsh.

You know the A's home when it becomes a Raiders game? That's the black hole and every now and then, you see folks like this: