November 04, 2016
This week in out-of-touch athletes, we have New York Giants offensive guard and Bucks County native Justin Pugh. Speaking to James Kratch of NJ.com, Pugh, a graduate of Council Rock High School South, explained why he doesn't like his "hometown" of Philly.
"I just don't like Philly, to be honest. I'm from there, and every time I go back there, I don't get treated right, from my hometown. So it'd be nice to go get this one and be able to show my face in my hometown when I go back to my (youth) camp this year."
"I'll be sitting there with my mom eating dinner, and they'll be doing 'Eagles' chants. Or I'll go to the bathroom, and they'll say, 'Go Eagles.' Down at my shore house, it's like South Jersey, so it's all Philly people. ... No matter where I go when I'm down there, it's always like that."
"I think Philly fans try to live up to that whole, 'Oh, we threw snowballs at Santa Claus.' I think they try to live up to that. Kids, like when I was 18 years old, [used] to be like, 'Oh yeah, we're Philly fans. We're ruthless.' But they're harmless."
"I was that kid. I can say that, because I was that 18-year-old kid that thought he was the big, bad, tough, 'I'll come wherever and wear my Philly jersey.' Now, I don't like that kid that I was. Now, that kid's booing me when I come home."
A few things:
1. Oh my God enough with the Santa Claus references already.
2. You seriously can't handle a few "Eagles" chants at dinner or in the john?
3. "Down at my shore house, it's like South Jersey, so it's all Philly people." People in the Philly area are Philly fans? Shocker!
4. That kid booing you is booing you because you play for, you know, the Giants. Pretty sure little Giants fans do the same for Eagles players.
Finally, there's this little gem:
When the Giants selected Pugh in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, then-head coach Tom Coughlin brought up his Pennsylvania roots.
"The first thing I said to coach Coughlin on the phone was, 'I'm burning [my Eagles stuff] tomorrow.'"
So, to be clear, the animosity started with Pugh — not Philly fans.
All the more reason to pull for an Eagles win Sunday.
