October 19, 2023
Even the Eagles are jealous!
In a football-centric town, it’s been the baseball team stealing all the headlines as they power their way into the World Series. The Phillies now hold a commanding 2-0 series lead over the clueless Diamondbacks. It was over for that Arizona team as soon as they stepped inside Citizen’s Bank Park. It was for Atlanta and will soon be for any team out of Texas.
A.J. Brown was one of many current Philadelphia athletes to comment on the atmosphere at the Bank, despite being on a team that made the Super Bowl last year. Sure, it’s been loud as hell at the Linc and both the Sixers and Flyers have experienced high-decibel levels in the past, too. Nothing seems to compare to this though.
This is more than just a reminder that we have some amazing fans that show up to playoff baseball games. It’s a reminder of what the Philadelphia fan base can be at its best. Maybe it's sobering reminder of what will be missing this year for the Sixers and Flyers, and what could be for the Eagles so long as they get their s**t together.
The Diamondbacks' No. 2 moron Merrill Kelly had some thoughts ahead of Game 2, the one where he saw Trea Turner launch one in the first inning, mentioning he’s heard louder ballparks than that of Philadelphia. One example was the World Baseball Classic when Team USA beat Venezuela in Miami – yeah, OK, dude.
It's not that the Phillies fans keep showing up, keep screaming, keep making life difficult for the opponent. It’s that the opponent just won't shut up. Even the idiots from Arizona had to back it down a little bit, knowing that there’s absolutely zero benefit in firing up this crowd in South Philadelphia.
Think about that. You either ignore this crowd or take them head on and I’m not sure what is dumber. There’s no middle ground. The Phillies just smacked 15 home runs over their last four games. Each one of those have come at Citizen’s Bank Park, where the team is enjoying a 28-11 record in the stadium's history. That is the best record in the postseason for any team at any park ever. The Phillies have a +33 run differential so far in the playoffs, the largest ever across any eight-game span in the postseason.
Are you starting to see the magnitude of what’s happening each baseball game in South Philly? How dangerous this team is so long as they get one win on the road in each series? They can’t lose.
Maybe it’s a coping mechanism. The most overrated team over the last 20 years in baseball, this year’s Atlanta Braves, made the stupid mistake of going after a player — notably Bryce Harper. Beyond the basic idiocy of lighting an even bigger fire under the rear of the opponent’s best player, they picked on the most popular player.
There have been many instances in which a team’s top player or two just isn’t the most popular, be it in the clubhouse or with the fans. Teams and fanbases begrudgingly accept the relationship each year that’s necessary to watch and endure a season of sport — this isn't that. Instead, it’s correlated with how loud and wild fans get — adding that type of trash talk ammo is only foolish.
The Rangers or Astros will face a similar test when they square off against the Phillies. Talking any trash to or about Bryce Harper or the fan base is a no-go.
I truly hope another moron falls into the trap because Philly sports evolve when we have moments like these. We’ve come a long way from stealing a soccer chant and claiming, “Nobody likes us and we don’t care.” Now, we are coming to true grips with who we are as a fan base — the world hates us and we absolutely love it.
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