Bigotry and sports

[EllisDee]

Larry Bird.

[villa]

@Neptunian_Slug

I wouldn’t deny that you certainly have that element at Eagles games (or in the city in general). Although I did think your comment came off as a bit of an attack on us. Even though I am a transplant, having moved here from Ohio, via DC, I tend to be protective of my fellow fans here. Believe it or not, they get a lot of shit that they don’t deserve.

Now that you can’t sell me. I lived there for a long time. I went to a bunch of different games in all four major sports. The shit they get is absolutely deserved. Not all the fans deserve it, but the asshole contingent is certainly strong enough and vocal enough it is going to tarnish everyone. And it is strongest at Eagles games, and certainly stronger than in any other city where I have lived (in the US).

@Neptunian_Slug

Certainly racism is an issue in the city. And unlike other NFL cities, that element has a much easier time procuring tickets to games than they might elsewhere. But I also think its more overt. Whereas someone down your way with negative feelings might not express it as openly or crassly, I think the on/off switch might not be as functional up this way.

Well, though it isn’t massive progress, I think it is some progress when a fan in another city refers to a player as a “fucking asshole” rather than a “fucking black asshole.” (Nods to Nick Hornby).

@Neptunian_Slug

The other thing that I will say about that is that most of your trouble in the Linc doesn’t come from the guys who come to lots of games. You have a lot of guys who go to one or two games a year and feel the need to overcompensate by projecting that “Philly attitude” (as they perceive it) in ways that embarrass most of the people around them. And often that includes what you have described. Then they can go and tell the guys at work what jackasses they were. That apparently impresses some people.

That doesn’t jive with my experiences. The assholes I saw ranged from people who went to every game, road and home, to long time season ticket holders, to people who go to two or three games a year, down to people who have never been to a game in their lives and just like to sit in a bar calling McNabb a monkey. And in the stadium (never been to the Linc, by the way, so I might be out of date) I sat in pretty much every grade of seat. Things were more open up in the 700s, but the other areas weren’t full of shrinking violets.