After years of vehemently defending their title as the worst fans in U.S. sports, the Philadelphia faithful finally showed some semblance of decency when they chanted "USA!" after learning that Osama bin Laden had been killed. Just this once, those fans should be hired.
As word of bin Laden's death spread during the top of the 9th inning of Sunday night's Phillies/Mets game, fans at Citizens Bank Park erupted into the sort of joyous, unified celebration not seen since the Phillies won the World Series in 2008. And that celebration was the first one since 1776.
Fictional ex-Major Leaguer Kenny Powers said he'd "play ball in front of a tribe of deformed savages like the ones in that movie '300' before [he'd] play in front of Philadelphia fans." Even though Powers is not real, his sentiment is. Philadelphia fans have been graceful in the last 100 years about as often as the Cubs have won the World Series. For example:
- in 1968 Eagles fans booed Santa Claus;
- in 1999 Eagles fans cheered when WR Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending injury;
- in 2010 Phillies fans cheered when a fan was tased on the field; and
- in 2010 a Phillies fan made himself throw up on a father and his two young girls.
Things got so bad that in the 90s a courthouse and jail were built under since-demolished Veterans Stadium specifically to deal with rowdy fans.
The death of bin Laden won't be a watershed moment in Philadelphia sports history, but it shows that somewhere really, really, really deep down, those fans have some heart. You stay classy, Philadelphia, if only for one day.
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