Philadelphia Phillies: 4 Untrue Stereotypes About Phillies Fans

Not even the Philadelphia Phillies leading the major leagues in attendance last season was enough to erase certain stereotypes about Phillies fans.

Of course, not all stereotypes may be bothersome.

Philadelphia sports fans have long been thought of for booing Santa Claus, cheering as players lay injured and even watching as police Tasered a fan on the field.

But these events may not be accurate for characterizing an entire fanbase.

For a fanbase that has previously been ranked as one of the worst in sports, 204 consecutive regular season home sellouts may beg to differ.

Phillies fans may be proud of some stereotypes, but others are not true.

All They Do Is Boo

Well, there’s not much to boo when the Phillies win 102 games during the regular season.

And for every audible groan heard when Ryan Howard strikes out, a number of other actions by the fans can also be seen.

For one, a team that has won five consecutive National League East titles, made three NLCS appearances, taken two trips to the World Series and won a World Series title—all in the past five seasons—receives a little breathing room when it comes to hearing boos.

And for every scene witnessed when J.D. Drew comes to the plate, there are also instances such as when Jim Thome, Aaron Rowand, Matt Stairs and even Jayson Werth first returned to Citizens Bank Park. 

Of course, the applause may not last too long, but it takes the place of boos for the time being.

Phillies fans may boo when the situation calls for it, but applause and cheers are far from rare occurrences.

And on a night such as late on May 1st last season, boos were the farthest thing from the fans’ mouths.

All They Care About Is Winning

Of course Phillies fans want to see the Phils win every game. 

But there are certain moments when the fans realize there are more than just games.

Like last June, when more than 6,000 fans helped raise nearly $900,000 for ALS at the 2011 Phillies Phestival.

Or last August, when more than 2,000 fans donated blood at Citizens Bank Park.

Or how fans raised money for a statue of longtime broadcaster Harry Kalas that now stands inside Citizens Bank Park.

Phillies fans may expect the Phils to win, but they also know the impact that baseball has even once the game is over.

They're Rude

We’ve all heard of the Phillies fan who threw up on an 11-year-old girl at a Phils’ game two seasons ago, and we’ve also heard this incident be thrown into the same pile that contains the booing of Santa Claus and the cheering of an injured player. 

But it is hard to believe that one fan may represent an entire fanbase.

Horrible?  Yes.

Characteristic of all Phillies fans?  Not even close.

Last season, the Phils averaged 45,441 fans per home game and had attendance of 3,680,718 for the season—both of which were the best in the major leagues.  The team has also sold out 204 consecutive regular season home games.

It’s hard to believe that one fan out of a possible 3,000,000 who attended games can be used to characterize an entire fanbase.

They're Going Soft

It is hard to complain about a team that has won 473 games over the past five seasons, to go with five National League East titles and a World Series championship.

But just because the fans may be lenient with the current Phillies roster doesn’t mean they’ve gone soft.

Not only have the Phils enjoyed a recent string of success that few others in the team’s 129-year history have had, but they are also led by homegrown talent.

Players such as Cole Hamels, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard and Chase Utley were all drafted by and have spent their entire careers with the Phillies.

Few Phillies teams have won over a fanbase as well as the current Phils roster.  Between homegrown talent and recent success, fans may give the Phils a second chance before letting them have it.