Column

Worst Fans In The World?

By: Kelsey Lynch 

Passionate or classless? Being classified as “the worst fans in the world,” by GQ magazine was not the first time Philadelphia fans were represented in a negative way. These die hard fans are considered to be “rude, inappropriate, and the obvious one, obnoxious by many people in the world of sport,” by the same magazine.

I believe that these accusations are false and if anything blown way out of proportion.  

As a Philly fan myself, I love the atmosphere and the entertainment that most fans bring to the game. I believe that everything a Philly fan does or says is done out of protection or loyalty. Granted, some fights were unnecessary and maybe throwing up on a small child could have been prevented, but most likely the people doing these things will not remember it the next day.

 

Thankfully, the media is watching our every move and will broadcast it for the whole world to see.

But what about the game changing energy, does the media catch that?

The crowd’s enthusiastic energy and continuous chanting creates an atmosphere that many 

opposing teams fear and Philly teams love. Seeing rally towels spinning in the air or hearing your team name cheered continuously can greatly impact the players and potentially change the game completely. There have been numerous occasions where the fans inspirational cheering has brought a difficult loss to an uplifting win.

 

Most cities typically have those crazy fans that take a loss differently from others and show their anger through fist fighting and name-calling. Although because of Philadelphia’s long history of outrageous behavior whenever there is an incident pertaining a Philly fan, it most likely will make a media headline.

Walking into any Philadelphia sports complex with an opposing team jersey is a risky move. You shouldn’t expect to get an applause or a sign of approval because most likely you will get the complete opposite. Most fans know what they’re getting themselves into as soon as they walk into the building but for those who don’t know, you’ve been warned.

Just like any other city, Philly fans are not going to tolerate any trash talking. If negative comments are made about their beloved team, then most likely they will return the favor. I’m not saying it’s appropriate to start a fight or pour beer on someone but I do think all fans have the right to stick up for what they believe.