Tag: sports content

What is the first thing that you think of when you hear about Philadelphia? Or, more specifically the city’s sports fans.

It’s probably Jolly St. Nick getting pelted by snowballs in a stadium full of drunken Scrooges. 

Did this happen? Kinda. But, I’ll get into that later. 

Does Philly or its fans really care that everyone from sports publications like ESPN or The Bleacher Report to reputable news outlets like Time constantly bring this up? Not really. We take pride in how passionate, gritty, and even ridiculous we can be when it comes to our sports teams — and city for that matter. 

What personally aggravates me is that content creators are still relying on an incident from, *checks notes* 1968 is still referenced to describe how terrible the fans and city are. 

As a content creator myself, relying on this singular incident from decades ago just shows how lazy, uninspired, and unoriginal this is. A lot of other infamous incidents have taken place since then. And while these events are mentioned, they still get glossed over by the so-called Santa Incident. 

I get it. It’s an outrageous story that’s bound to elicit a response. But, when it comes to content overall, it has to be original and unique. If the same incident keeps coming up time and time again, how will your content stand out? Whether you realize it or not, it’s not what your audience wants. And, it’s definitely not what the Big G is looking for. 

Does that mean you have to completely sweep the Santa Incident under the rug? Of course not. It’s an iconically infamous moment. But, you should certainly put your own spin on it so that you stand out and prove that you’re an authority figure. 

Here are just a couple of directions you could in:

The 10 Worst Sports Fanbases (That Aren’t Philly). 

Philly fans have a reputation for being some of the worst sports fan bases. And, there is some truth to that. We’ve thrown batteries at players. Puked on little girls. And, have punched horses. Oh yeah, there’s that whole Santa and snowball incident. 

But, in fairness, these 10 sports fanbases are worse. 

10. San Francisco Giants fans.

San Fran is probably the most ridiculously overrated and awful city in the country. The cost of living is exorbitant and the open-minded citizens are pretentious.

Oh, yeah. Giants fans stabbed and killed a Dodgers fan. 

9. Duke basketball fans.

There’s something incredibly enraging about their smug self-satisfaction and air of intellectual superiority. Let’s not forget about their fans camping out in tents and trolling their opposition’s stars.

What most annoys me about them? The Duke basketball program is great, and its fan base is extremely loyal, regardless of how irritating it may be.

8. Pittsburgh Steelers fans.

Were you aware that the Pittsburgh Steelers have won six Super Bowls, tied for most in the post-merger era? You’ll hear all about it from their arrogant fans.

Plus, how can you forgive a fanbase that supported a scumbag like Big Ben?

7. The Entire SEC.

Would you ever support your biggest rival in any game, let alone in the national championship? Sadly, this is the norm in SEC Country. The whole “Rah Rah SEC” bit that Arkansas, South Carolina, and the rest of the league do when Alabama wins the national title or when an SEC team wins the CWS is sad. I mean, would you ever see Michigan fans root for Ohio State? 

6. St. Louis Cardinals fans.

You might be surprised to learn that they invented baseball. Not really. However, they want to rewrite history to make you believe this is the case. 

5. Golden State Warriors fans.

Basketball in the 2010s has been dominated by them. The move to Oakland, however, showed the weak fan base they had before. A major reason for this is that “tech bros” pay inflated prices for courtside tickets because they think everything the Warriors do on the court is revolutionary.

4. New York Yankees fans.

It’s true that they have won tons of championships. They have won 27 World Series championships in 40 appearances.

With all that winning, you’re going to get some arrogant and obnoxious fans. That’s definitely the case with Yankees fans. More recently in 2022, this classy fanbase pelted Cleveland Guardians outfielders with garbage after a 5-4 loss.

Let’s also be real, shall we? As a whole, New York City is a stinking pile of garbage.

3. Los Angeles Dodgers fans.

Remember that time Dodgers fans disabled a Giants fan? Yeah, that rarely gets mentioned.

Additionally, they are still whining about their World Series loss to Houston. Sure, the Astros are cheaters. But, the Dodgers, despite all their regular season wins and money spent on talent, have only won the World Series in 2020. And, that doesn’t really count, does it?

2. Patriots fans.

Once upon a time, this franchise was a complete disaster. Then Tom Brady arrived — along with the numerous cheating allegations. You’d think they’d be happy after six Super Bowls in 20 seasons, wouldn’t you? That’s not true. Despite their wins, Pats fans still believe the NFL is trying to destroy the franchise.

1. Dallas Cowboys fans.

Dallas hasn’t won a Super Bowl since Bill Clinton was president. And, despite this, every single year their fans insist that this is their year.

Plus, Jerry Jones is a racist POS. 

The 5 Worst Things That Philly Fans Have Done (Excluding Santa).

There is a reputation for Philly fans being rowdy and terrible if you are an opposing fan. Why? There was that time when Eagles fans threw snowballs at Santa. Yet, Philadelphia fans have committed far more heinous acts.

5. Vomiting on an 11-year-old girl intentionally.

A few bad apples should not define a whole fan base. In this case, it was one terrible individual who committed this horrific act. Still, this is perhaps the most traumatizing and harmful moment Philadelphia sports fans have committed.

As a result of intentionally vomiting on an 11-year-old girl, Matthew Clemmens, 21, was charged with simple assault and harassment. It is alleged that the arresting officer saw Clemmens putting his fingers down his throat before he was arrested.

4. Fan threw batteries at J.D. Drew.

When Macho Row ended, the Phillies became a terrible baseball team that drafted J.D. Drew second overall in 1997. Drew signed with the Cardinals instead of the Phillies the next year, so when Drew played in Philadelphia in 1999, the fans threw batteries at him in protest. 

“The fans were slighted and proceeded to make their feelings toward Drew crystal clear,” Sean Kane wrote for NBC Sports Philadelphia. “During his first game at Veterans Stadium in 1999, he was booed loudly and had batteries thrown at him by a couple of fans. The booing never stopped or lost any steam. Every year Drew came to Philadelphia, he was booed intensely.” 

3. Breaking the leg of Zema “Chief Zee” Williams.

Formerly known as the Washington Redskins, the Eagles hosted the team with an unusual mascot called Chief Zee. A super fan, he served as the team’s unofficial mascot. The moment he walked into Veterans Stadium in 1983, he had no idea what was going to happen.

There were two attacks on Williams. His clothes were ripped once he was inside the stadium. Sadly, the second time was a much more violent attack. Throughout the remainder of the year, Williams was confined to a wheelchair and crutches due to a broken leg.

2. Flyers fans lose their bracelet privileges.

In 2016, a group of Flyers fans decided to indulge in some bad behavior in the Wells Fargo Center. In the third period, when the Washington Capitals scored, increasing their lead to 6-1, fans began throwing their wristbands on the ice for a light show honoring Flyers owner Ed Snider. 

There were so many bands across the playing surface that the game had to be postponed. In a statement, the team stated, “Fans have the right to voice their displeasure vocally or by not watching or attending games, but when displeasure is expressed in a way that embarrasses or endangers others, it cannot be condoned or tolerated.”

1. Cheers for Michael Irvin’s career-ending injury.

When a player lies still on the field, a hush falls over the stadium. The opposite was true when Michael Irvin sustained an injury against the Eagles in 1999 that left him motionless. It was discovered later that Irvin suffered a spinal injury that ended his career. Although Eagles players asked fans to calm down, they did not comply. 

The True Story of the Santa Incident. 

On the day the fans booed Santa, longtime Eagles quarterback Norm Snead was on the field. He didn’t think it was out of character.

“It didn’t surprise me,” said the former Pro Bowler. “Because I knew how they were. I lived in South Philly. Kids would boo you on the street when you walked by if you played bad.”

“They’re vocal at games,” he said, “and they’re vocal on the streets.”

And, the Eagles played very poorly in 1968.

Due to the team’s lack of winning, those fans didn’t just boo Santa. The boos were directed at everyone. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that in 1968, they threw snowballs at Vikings and Eagles players and even beaned the Eagles coach. 

So, what happened next should come as a surprise. 

During halftime, Santa was supposed to make an appearance. But, it didn’t show up. So, 20-year-old Frank Olivo, who wore a corduroy Santa suit and fake beard ran onto the field. “He was the worst looking Santa I’ve ever seen,” said Eagles PR director at the time Jim Gallagher.

Eventually, the boos began to rain down. “But then I figured, Hey, it was just a good-natured teasing. I’m a Philadelphia fan. I know what was what. I thought it was funny,” Olivo recalled. And, when the snowballs came, he didn’t mind. It was all in good fun. 

And that’s the bottom line. 

So, if I have one Christmas wish this year, it’s that we stop putting such an emphasis on the Santa Incident. We all know about it. And, if you don’t, that’s on you. But, sports fans have done far crueler acts. Heck, even Philly fans have done worse. Besides, you’re not even getting the story right. 

And, as a content creator, it will make your content stand out while also demonstrating your expertise.