Philly Fan Hypocrisy
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by Tvern09
"For who? For what?"
Ricky Watters' infamous line following his first game as an Eagle as came to define everything that Philadelphia fans claimed to despise.
The whole idea that Philly fans are 100% about "playing hard" and "giving it your all," is complete BS. While this has always been a tough, blue collar city, with the recent rise in 24/7 sports (ESPN, WIP), the typical Philadelphia fans' attitude has been blown out of proportion so much that we have begun to believe it ourselves. When Aaron Rowand was traded here after the '05 season, it was said that he would be a perfect fit for Philadelphia, even called "the prototypical Philly fan favorite." Well what the hell does that mean: prototypical Philly player?! He wasn't our favorite only a year after the trade, when we were begging Pat Gillick to trade the hard (broken) nosed centerfielder for some bullpen help. Yeah, you heard it right; the "fan favorite" was on the block for middle relief after hitting .262 as the Phils fell short of the playoffs for the 12th straight season.
Our recent history is full of these types of players - the ones perceived to be a perfect fit for the city - but instead of continuing the "play hard" tradition of Philly, all they have done is extend the city's record of futility.
Doubting me already, eh? Some think we would rather lose with hard-nosed players than win with aloof stars? Let's look at a few examples.
Allen Iverson. The definition of leaving it all on the court. The same man who would play through 12 injuries at once (yes, they counted), bang his 5'11, 165 pound frame against guys like Shaq and Ewing while driving to the hole, in a super-human effort to place another W on the board for his Sixers. But in the last few years, no matter how much heart has been shown, the fans have soured on AI. They say that, despite averaging over 7 assists since the '03-'04 season, his apparent lack of ability to act as a true point guard has hindered the Sixers offense. The problem is, with guys like Kenny Thomas, Eric Snow, and the fading prima donna formerly knows as Chris Webber as your second options, having 10 assists a game and simply starting the offense wouldn't make much sense. Despite the overwhelming evidence that AI had little to do with the Sixers' struggles, the fans proved the only thing that matters is the ring.
Terrell Owens. The definition of I. If unprototypical were a word, then T.O would be the unprototypical Philly player. All that is selfish and egotistical is Terrell Owens. But for almost two years, we completely overlooked the obvious, turned a blind eye, and enjoyed the times as the Birds marched towards the Super Bowl, and Owens towards a blow up. It wasn't until the end of Owens' tenure in Philly, after no championship was delivered, that the fans started accusing Owens of being the problem in the locker room and on the field. When the Eagles won, he was a savior; when they lost, it was his head on the stake.
I hate to say it, but we aren't that dissimilar from the fans in Boston, New York, or Chicago. Maybe we don't complain as much, aren't as annoying, and don't blame our futility on curses (i.e. we're smarter), but our views on the success of our teams and players are alike. We boo a Rowand strikeout, New Yorkers boo a Jeter slump, Sox fans call for a Foulke exile only a year after the curse was lifted.
Forget previous success. In the what-have-you-done-for-me-lately world of sports, the desire for championships often puts unwarranted blame on teams' best players. The virus even spreads to the most knowledgeable Philly fans, some of whom accuse the supposed fan favorites Jeremiah Trotter and Brian Dawkins of failing to perform at a high level, while overlooking the effect the sub-par play of the D-line and strong safety would have on the two.
The views and feelings toward even the most blue-collared players of Philadelphia are trumped by the success of the team. And there's the hypocrisy. While fans everywhere would like to believe the Lombardi quote that "winning isn't everything, but the will to win is," that simply isn't true. The reason the city celebrated with the trade for TO wasn't because we were getting a clubhouse guy to make his teammates play harder, it was because we knew, no matter whom he was playing to please, Owens could bring us closer to a ring.
While Philly fans may have earned their image as some of the most passionate in the country, the notion that we would rather watch a mediocre blue-collar athlete than a pompous star is merely a myth. Perhaps another Lombardi quote best defines the mantra of fans in this championship-starved city: "winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."
