Philadelphia is a passionate city. They love they're sports teams. The Eagles, Flyers, 76ers and the Phillies are all part of the Philly fabric. All 4 teams were playoff teams in the last season. Not many cities can claim such success. Generally, this type of success brings great tradition and pride to a fan base. Though, I'm sure the fans in Philadelphia feel those things, they always seem to take a step backwards when it comes to being civil.
In 1968, fans at an Eagles game boo Santa Clause during half time. Not the worst thing, but they compounded the problem by throwing snowballs at him. Speaking of Eagles fans, there was the 700 level at the old Veterans Stadium. The 700 level was known as a violent, dangerous place for anyone cheering for the opposing team. Sometimes, it was dangerous for Eagles fans themselves. The violence got so bad, they had to install a court, judge, and jail inside the stadium! I would bring up fans booing McNabb at the draft, but who hasn't been upset about a pick or two from their team in the past? Not to be outdone are the Phillie fans. They've stepped it up to a whole new level recently. Last season a rowdy, fan decided it would be a good idea to throw-up on people asking him to calm down. The 5 people he threw-up on were all Phillie fans, and one was a little girl. There was also a fan who ran on to the field during a game. He was so elusive the cops eventually tased him. The list goes on & on....trust me.
On Sunday night, in the top of the 9th inning of a Phillies, Mets game, word began to spread about the death of Osama Bin Laden. Not that he was found dead, or that disease or age had caught up with him, but that a team of Navy Seals had carried out direct orders from the President of the United States, and killed him. It's the top of the 9th, it's 1-1, and the noise from the crowd was not about baseball in any way. It was about patriotism, unity, pride....USA! USA! USA! The chants were faint at first. The news was not on the score board. It wasn't announced by the public address announcer for the entire stadium to hear. Fans were doing what modern day fans do, they were networking. Messages began to poor in on cell phones. Texts, emails, Facebook alerts, tweets. As the news spread through the crowd, the chants grew louder....USA! USA! USA! An energy began to fill the stadium that went well beyond the two teams on the field. A weight had been lifted from the shoulders of an entire country still looking for a way to cope with the 9-11 attacks....USA! USA! USA! Everyone in that stadium remembers where they were on that horrific day. Everyone in that stadium will remember where they were on this day of retribution, as well.
Sports had a way of bringing the country together after 9-11. The Yankees were in the World Series. The NFL was only in it's second week of the season. The patriotism shown by the players and fans was exactly what the country needed to try and feel normal. It's fitting that as news of Bin Ladens death spread, it was a baseball game that housed one of the nights biggest "goosebump" moments.
Philly fans have a bad rep. They've earned it. But on this night, when it mattered most, they got it right....USA! USA! USA!
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