Hey Philly, booing Adam Eaton and his ring? Below the belt
When it comes to Philly fans, one of the things they always like to tell you is that the reputation they've earned as loutish thugs is just a bum rap assigned by lazy media who like to fall back on old stereotypes.
And, over time, they've made so many cases about why it was OK to throw snowballs at Santa Claus and why Jimmy Rollins deserved to be booed after he called Philadelphians front runners, that I started to get a little case of the old Stockholm Syndrome. Maybe their consistent defense of "Hey, we have bad apples just like everyone else" was ringing true.
But booing ex-pitcher Adam Eaton during Wednesday's World Series ring ceremony which was held before an impossible and incredible 12-11 sweep-avoiding comeback win over the Braves?
Well, inch me back closer to the side which just got more ammo for its anti-Philly fans arsenal.
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure many of the fans were probably booing in a tongue-in-cheek, "you-want-Philly-we'll-show-you-Philly" type manner. And I'm not saying they should have greeted him with a large ovation, not after he went 14-18 with a 6.10 ERA and 1.63 WHIP over two seasons with the Phillies and not after he was left off last year's playoff roster and released before this year.
But ring ceremonies tend to be a happy time and you clap for everyone ? no matter how small the contribution ? from Ryan Howard to the traveling secretary to So Taguchi.
Yeah, Adam Eaton wasn't very good, he won't be good with his new team (the Orioles) and the Phillies still owe him $9 million. But that isn't the point. The Phillies WON the World Series, this guy ultimately didn't do anything to mess it up, and on World Series ring day, everyone earns absolution ? and at least a polite golf clap during ring retrieval.
When it comes to Philly fans, one of the things they always like to tell you is that the reputation they've earned as loutish thugs is just a bum rap assigned by lazy media who like to fall back on old stereotypes.
And, over time, they've made so many cases about why it was OK to throw snowballs at Santa Claus and why Jimmy Rollins deserved to be booed after he called Philadelphians front runners, that I started to get a little case of the old Stockholm Syndrome. Maybe their consistent defense of "Hey, we have bad apples just like everyone else" was ringing true.
But booing ex-pitcher Adam Eaton during Wednesday's World Series ring ceremony which was held before an impossible and incredible 12-11 sweep-avoiding comeback win over the Braves?
Well, inch me back closer to the side which just got more ammo for its anti-Philly fans arsenal.
Yeah, yeah, I'm sure many of the fans were probably booing in a tongue-in-cheek, "you-want-Philly-we'll-show-you-Philly" type manner. And I'm not saying they should have greeted him with a large ovation, not after he went 14-18 with a 6.10 ERA and 1.63 WHIP over two seasons with the Phillies and not after he was left off last year's playoff roster and released before this year.
But ring ceremonies tend to be a happy time and you clap for everyone ? no matter how small the contribution ? from Ryan Howard to the traveling secretary to So Taguchi.
Yeah, Adam Eaton wasn't very good, he won't be good with his new team (the Orioles) and the Phillies still owe him $9 million. But that isn't the point. The Phillies WON the World Series, this guy ultimately didn't do anything to mess it up, and on World Series ring day, everyone earns absolution ? and at least a polite golf clap during ring retrieval.
