Where are the ‘Authentic Fans’?

Philadelphia is known for its professional sports fanbase, whether the perception is good or bad. It is a fanbase that has taken its unfair lumps but also has seen its fair share of praise.  As recently as this week, the city was voted in the top 3 of NFL fans according to a “university poll”. Credited as being knowledgeable, caring, and vicious, the truth appears to be somewhere in between. As an avid Philly sports radio listener, the view of the fan is apparent and often off base with the culmination of the desires, gripes, and expectations of the professional athletes who embody these rosters. Over the years, the local sports radio have made it clear that the stance on sports locally may be learned behavior rather than an innate response to the professional sports product that is before us. 

We have often heard that “these guys get it”, but what does that mean?  Is booing a player for a slump “getting it” or wanting a starter “punished” for not running with the speed or energy they expect? Often during the NBA season, we hear that Philadelphia 76ers point guard, Ben Simmons is “afraid” to play. “Getting it” would be understanding that a young man destined to play basketball, around the game since birth is not “afraid” to play. We are all entitled to our opinions and we all have legitimate and irrational ones but to voice the latter in disgust at times is baffling. From the fans who “get it” I continuously heard what Chip Kelly would do to the NFL “revolutionize” it and in contrast how Doug Pederson was not smart enough to coach a professional team before either got their feet wet in their head coaching positions. One was entering the NFL with an exclusive college background, the other with a somewhat extensive NFL background as a player(QB) and coach. I still am unsure of what serum was passed around the Delaware Valley to make fans believe any of this or voice it. Even local sports figures with radio, television and social media platforms sipped that Kool-Aid too possibly fueling the pro-Chip, anti-Doug sentiments. 2015 showed Chip the door while ushering in Doug. The rest is history. 

As a fanbase often criticized for its hostility and zealous need for achievement, I started to wonder if this is where our general outlook begins. It’s difficult to tell if we are reasonably upset or just responding because this is the way we have learned to feel about our sports teams when things do not go well. Are we sitting through and feeling what’s going on with the team good or bad or are we learning how to respond to them through generations of disdain for underperforming complained about by fans lacking knowledge in public forums? There are no sports cops or right or wrong way to watch a game but for the guy who calls into the radio station and starts with “I am sick of the Philadelphia so and so’s, I turned it off after the first….” are his feelings warranted? Does he really “get it”? It’s an open-ended question, but it is something to seriously consider when we are nationally blasted and locals become offended.

It brings me to a more recent sports outing and my observations of the youngest of fans believing that they “get it”. A few Fridays ago, I had a chance to sit near a group of young teenagers (15 and under) attending a Phillies game vs the Florida Marlins. The group seemed excited to be there but quickly soured by the end of the 1st inning. I wasn’t particularly thrilled with the eventual outcome, a 2-1 loss on Chase Utley night with silent bats and wasted a solid outing from Aaron Nola. Continuing to skid against the floundering Marlins (pun intended) is not what we want as fans, but let’s get back to this small sample size of the next generation of Philly fans. These young guys, a group of possibly four or five, continuously complained about the team and individual players although they seemed to be espousing the casual fans’ perspective. With comments at the top of the line up like “I don’t trust him”, booing, and the redundant “That’s what 330 million gets you” aimed at Phillies outfielder Bryce Harper. Do we feel this way really or is it just the thing to say? It sounded more like a group of mid-thirty to forty-year-olds bantering at a bar talk. The group of teens disappeared after that listless first inning and returned for one more in the 5th unable to get a true feel for that night’s game, just as many of us adults are unable to do since disgust has filled us with our team’s early lackluster performance.  

Can we change our approach as fans, should we? It very well may be too late and the stigma may linger as long as sports do for Philadelphia area fans. We have seen our fair share of ups and downs over the years. Excitedly more ups then we are accustomed to in the more recent years, but the early boo birds’ bias against specific coaches and players have continued throughout. Certain narratives repeat themselves and it certainly appears that our views and responses are at least for some learned or copied behavior. Opinions are entitled to everyone and that’s part of the fun of sports in winning and losing. It makes for interesting conversations, controversy. Booing our displeasure with team efforts are all fair and expected but doing so without reason or rationality pulls us back to the pack as a fanbase. With mild success surrounding our local teams, in comparison to seasons, we have seen in past years, ushering in a more level headed sense of expectations would be difficult but rewarding inevitably. Whatever the national story is about these fans I just want it to be accurate whether good or bad, that would truly distinguish us as not only one of the better but also authentic groups of fans.