(NSFW: Language)
This past weekend a lot was made about the way the Mets players and their fans were treated while they were in Philadelphia for a three game series. Fans and players a like were reportedly heckled and fight between a Mets and Phillies fan apparently spilled over a railing. Reporters like The Bergen Record's Bob Klapish basically reprimanded Phillies fans for their actions, titling Sunday’s article “Phillie Fans Reach New Low,” (click here for the article) but it led me to wonder if he had ever attended a game at Shea.
About a week ago I attended the Mets/Phillies game at Shea Stadium, chronicled in my “More Things I Learned at Shea” post (#6). I alluded to the fact that the Mets fans were far from being on their best behavior, making a joke of the situation because at the heart of it, I understand Mets fans' frustration with the way things turned out last season and the fact the Phillies were the team that swept them down the stretch and in their eyes stole their NL East title away. I made light of the situation. I in affect downgraded it, because as a Braves fan in a Mets dominated world, I had witnessed their poor sportsmanship in droves before. But following The Record article, I felt it was best to defend the actions of Phillies faithful because after all, Phillies fans were treated to the same sort of unwelcomedness that Mets fans discovered last weekend.
On April 10th I had my first baseball outing of the season. I was super excited for the start of a new season and was happy to make my way on the 7 train out to Shea for what is the Mets final season at the 40 + year old ballpark. As I awaited my friends to go into the Stadium I saw a mix of Mets and Phillies fans peacefully walking down from the Subway exit making their way to the entrances of the Stadium. No dirty looks exchanged, no inappropriate chants broke out and no signs of rivalry that echoes through the Bronx when the Red Sox come to town to play the Yankees. All and all, an inauspicious start to the game. But that all changed rapidly as I sat down in my seats. The game was like most Phillies/Mets games I attend, exciting, with the Mets taking an early 3-0 only to see it evaporate off the bats of Ryan Howard and Pedro Feliz. As the game tightened up, so did the hostility in the crowd. A group of proud Phillies fans began to be berated by frustrated Mets fans. Chants of “asshole” broke out as Phillies fans did all they could do to not seem flustered. I have never witnessed a verbal assault at Shea as I did on that night. And while it never became physical it was never appropriate either. The police were even brought in to settle down the raucous crowd. And for the remainder of the game, anytime a fan wearing Phillies gear got up to just run over to the concession stand or restrooms, the crowd would roar with the “asshole” chant. When they weren't directing their frustrations at single fans they were yelling "Phillies Suck" instead of the "Let's Go Mets" that was flashing on the scoreboard. Hardly the friendly environment the New York area media would make it seem.
I don’t mean to insinuate that what Phillies fans reportedly did this weekend was ok. But I do want to point out that it wasn’t like the Mets fans were much nicer just a week prior. Rivalries are rivalries and very important to the sport but increased hostility by fans in my mind only negates the excitement of playing against your most hated teams. Friends who attended the game with me on that fateful night who are die-hard Phillies fans have said they will not go back to Shea to see a game because of the way they were treated and the way we saw other Phillies fans were treated. They’d rather drive down the NJ turnpike 2 and a half hours to catch the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park than be treated the way they were at Shea. That ruins the fun of baseball for everyone.
On the flip side I will say in my life I’ve met a lot of really great Mets fans. Usually I get razzed by them for wearing my John Smoltz tee when the Braves are in town. But it’s always in good fun. We trade barbs but they are always about the teams they never get personal. “Oh that John Smoltz is old,” they’ll tell me, which I will respond with, “So like El Duque is young?” Or if the Mets homer they’ll say something like, I bet you wish you had Carlos Beltran on your team, to which I would respond with I’ll keep Andruw Jones (before his departure of course.) Even the night I was at Shea the guys behind us pointed out the Phillies 10,000 losses, which we responded with 17 games. We had a great time chatting them up. They were a lot of fun, like I would say 90% of the Mets fans at the game were. But like everything else, the 10% who were downright nasty, left a sour taste in our mouths.
I just wanted to point my experience out because it’s not just Phillies fans that are being inappropriate, it’s Mets fans, it’s Yankees fans, it’s Red Sox fans, it’s a lot a different fans who take their love of their team way to far. Baseball is sport for everyone to enjoy. Remember that the next time you go to a game!
It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate
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