Ummm, well did you wear an Aikman Jersey to a redskins/cowboys game? or a Ray Lewis jersey to a Ravens/Steelers game in Pittsburgh?
Or a Larry Johnson Jersey to a Raiders/KC game in Oakland?
Another worthless, the "philly fans are the worst" crap piece!
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Fanning the flames with a jersey
By Joseph A. Gambardello
Inquirer Staff Writer Reporter wears Cowboys jersey
It started getting ugly at halftime.
To test the theory that Eagles fans are the most hostile in the NFL, I went to the Linc yesterday wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey - and paid the price for it.
It was not Terrell Owens' No. 81. No need to throw gasoline on the fire of a legendary rivalry. I chose No. 8, the jersey of former quarterback Troy Aikman, now a Fox Sports commentator.
Suffice it to say, all the years that have passed since Aikman last played did not provide immunity.
It wasn't too bad at the start, when crowds migrated from the tailgate parties to the stadium, some fans already quite pumped on beer.
There were a few good-natured taunts ("Are you nuts?"), the expected boos and curses (the A word was most prevalent), even words of genuine concern along the lines of "Be careful. Some of these people are crazy."
At one point a woman dressed in black and wearing sunglasses walked up to Abdul Salaam and Abdul Mumit-al, two Germantown residents wearing Owens jerseys just a few feet away.
"I'm undercover police," the woman whispered to them. "If you need me, I'm here."
When last seen during the second period, the two men said they'd had no need for the police officer, but they did report seeing a Dallas fan get doused with beer.
During the first period, George Poracky, a Dallas fan from Old Bridge, N.J., said, "There's been a lot of throat slashing [gestures] but nothing physical.
"Wait until we're winning," he warned.
And at halftime, with Dallas ahead 21-17, things indeed started to change.
Those inclined to hassle a Dallas fan - and there were a few - started using variations of the F word in a more menacing tone.
Then a couple of fellows in Eagles jerseys slammed into me a bit harder than could be expected in an accidental bumping.
Instead of apologies, they used curses, and walked away laughing.
I took off the jersey.
Doug Rodriguez and his wife, Isabel, flew up from Miami to see the game.
They will never do it again.
"It was like the gladiator days and the mob ruled," Doug Rodriguez said after the Eagles rallied in the second half to win.
"It's scary. The fans are bullying and insulting. In your face. I've never seen anything like it."
He said the lack of police presence in the stands should be an "embarrassment" to the city.
"The fans are yelling in your ear and there is no one you can turn to and say, 'Hey this is enough.' "
Amar Dhillon, who flew up from Fort Worth, also had a low opinion of Eagles fans by the end of the game.
"They are a poor representation of a great town," he said. "They have the biggest inferiority complex."
Local sports psychologists David Greenwald and Joel Fish say it is not fair to call Eagles fans the worst.
That distinction, Greenwald said from personal experience, belongs to the supporters of the Oakland Raiders, who once mooned the Eagles' bus - after their team won.
"I don't think Eagles fans would do that if they won," he said.
Fish, director of the Center for Sports Psychology in Philadelphia, said Eagles fans are no better and no worse than football or soccer fans around the world.
Each team, he said, has good fans and bad fans and while the latter are small in number, their actions attract the most attention.
Still, Eagles supporters are perhaps more passionate than most, Fish said, a legacy of team loyalty passed from generation to generation by a fan base with deep roots in the Philadelphia area.
That passion can be loud and even rude in its expression, but add alcohol to the mix and the chance for trouble increases, Fish said.
"Fans are less civil than they used to be everywhere."
For the record, Eagles spokeswoman Bonnie Grant said there were no major incidents last night and just a "few arrests," in line with other games.
But all it takes is one hostile encounter to reinforce a reputation that is deserved or not.
The New York Times last week reported on a run-in some Giants fans had two weeks earlier with Eagles fans at the Linc after New York rallied to beat Philadelphia in overtime.
According to the Times, one 21-year-old fan from Long Island was punched in the nose after his tour group endured a game's worth of taunts, curses and even spitting.
Michael Martocci, who organized the tour of 72 Giants fans, did not respond to messages seeking comment. But he told the Times: "Every year, the abuse we take from those animals in Philadelphia gets worse and worse. I'm seriously considering having two armed guards sit with us next year."
The sad thing is, that to some fans being called an animal is a compliment and only reinforces their belief that showing team loyalty means more than cheering, wearing a jersey, or painting their faces the team color.
"It's a matter of pride to them," psychologist Greenwald said.
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Or a Larry Johnson Jersey to a Raiders/KC game in Oakland?
Another worthless, the "philly fans are the worst" crap piece!
//////////////////////////////////////////////////
Fanning the flames with a jersey
By Joseph A. Gambardello
Inquirer Staff Writer Reporter wears Cowboys jersey
It started getting ugly at halftime.
To test the theory that Eagles fans are the most hostile in the NFL, I went to the Linc yesterday wearing a Dallas Cowboys jersey - and paid the price for it.
It was not Terrell Owens' No. 81. No need to throw gasoline on the fire of a legendary rivalry. I chose No. 8, the jersey of former quarterback Troy Aikman, now a Fox Sports commentator.
Suffice it to say, all the years that have passed since Aikman last played did not provide immunity.
It wasn't too bad at the start, when crowds migrated from the tailgate parties to the stadium, some fans already quite pumped on beer.
There were a few good-natured taunts ("Are you nuts?"), the expected boos and curses (the A word was most prevalent), even words of genuine concern along the lines of "Be careful. Some of these people are crazy."
At one point a woman dressed in black and wearing sunglasses walked up to Abdul Salaam and Abdul Mumit-al, two Germantown residents wearing Owens jerseys just a few feet away.
"I'm undercover police," the woman whispered to them. "If you need me, I'm here."
When last seen during the second period, the two men said they'd had no need for the police officer, but they did report seeing a Dallas fan get doused with beer.
During the first period, George Poracky, a Dallas fan from Old Bridge, N.J., said, "There's been a lot of throat slashing [gestures] but nothing physical.
"Wait until we're winning," he warned.
And at halftime, with Dallas ahead 21-17, things indeed started to change.
Those inclined to hassle a Dallas fan - and there were a few - started using variations of the F word in a more menacing tone.
Then a couple of fellows in Eagles jerseys slammed into me a bit harder than could be expected in an accidental bumping.
Instead of apologies, they used curses, and walked away laughing.
I took off the jersey.
Doug Rodriguez and his wife, Isabel, flew up from Miami to see the game.
They will never do it again.
"It was like the gladiator days and the mob ruled," Doug Rodriguez said after the Eagles rallied in the second half to win.
"It's scary. The fans are bullying and insulting. In your face. I've never seen anything like it."
He said the lack of police presence in the stands should be an "embarrassment" to the city.
"The fans are yelling in your ear and there is no one you can turn to and say, 'Hey this is enough.' "
Amar Dhillon, who flew up from Fort Worth, also had a low opinion of Eagles fans by the end of the game.
"They are a poor representation of a great town," he said. "They have the biggest inferiority complex."
Local sports psychologists David Greenwald and Joel Fish say it is not fair to call Eagles fans the worst.
That distinction, Greenwald said from personal experience, belongs to the supporters of the Oakland Raiders, who once mooned the Eagles' bus - after their team won.
"I don't think Eagles fans would do that if they won," he said.
Fish, director of the Center for Sports Psychology in Philadelphia, said Eagles fans are no better and no worse than football or soccer fans around the world.
Each team, he said, has good fans and bad fans and while the latter are small in number, their actions attract the most attention.
Still, Eagles supporters are perhaps more passionate than most, Fish said, a legacy of team loyalty passed from generation to generation by a fan base with deep roots in the Philadelphia area.
That passion can be loud and even rude in its expression, but add alcohol to the mix and the chance for trouble increases, Fish said.
"Fans are less civil than they used to be everywhere."
For the record, Eagles spokeswoman Bonnie Grant said there were no major incidents last night and just a "few arrests," in line with other games.
But all it takes is one hostile encounter to reinforce a reputation that is deserved or not.
The New York Times last week reported on a run-in some Giants fans had two weeks earlier with Eagles fans at the Linc after New York rallied to beat Philadelphia in overtime.
According to the Times, one 21-year-old fan from Long Island was punched in the nose after his tour group endured a game's worth of taunts, curses and even spitting.
Michael Martocci, who organized the tour of 72 Giants fans, did not respond to messages seeking comment. But he told the Times: "Every year, the abuse we take from those animals in Philadelphia gets worse and worse. I'm seriously considering having two armed guards sit with us next year."
The sad thing is, that to some fans being called an animal is a compliment and only reinforces their belief that showing team loyalty means more than cheering, wearing a jersey, or painting their faces the team color.
"It's a matter of pride to them," psychologist Greenwald said.
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