NEXT QUESTION!

Ok, I know I solicited questions a couple weeks ago and then have left you guys hanging. Sorry about that, but now that I'm back in the swing of things (I even pulled my fat ass into the gym tonight), it's time for me to start this segment.

So, let's start this segment off with an email from of the guys that got me to start this labor of love website, my main man, George:

Question: Has Kyle Calder dressed for any of the first eleven Flyers games?

Philly Sports Phan: Yes, he's wearing the same uniform Jiri Dopita wore for two seasons, which causes one to look invisible on the ice. NEXT QUESTION!

From St. Joe's Nick: How do you feel about the national media, specifically about the way Philadelphia fans are portrayed?

PSP: Wow...good question! I've thought about this for a couple days, and mainly I believe that the national media is lazy. It's way too easy for writers to trot out the same story about how horrible Philly phans are (ie, the older than dirt Santa Claus story) than to come up with something original about how we are just as loud and passionate as everyone other fan base, but our creativity and level of frustration cause us to stand out. The media pretty much neglected that in the last six months, the Phils phans were by far the most creative in their razzing of Barry Bonds as he pursued the Babe and the Birds phans were phenomenal with their treatment of T.O. during the recent Dallas game.


New York, Boston, and D.C. fans are just as bad as Philly phans, but since the liberal media is dominated by writers from these towns, their actions are not emphasized as much. I seem to recall a snowball incident at a Giants game where a Chargers coach was almost killed and just last week, the last two seconds of a Bruins game couldn't be played because their fans threw debris on the ice, but as far as the national media is concerned, who cares? These were aberrations and Philly Phans are barbaric, soccer hooligans.

Just today, I read the following from Peter King:

Living in the New York metropolitan area, I'm used to fans at sporting events shouting alcoholically emboldened rudities, and rarely will an usher step in and ask the louts to tone it down. I have friends, rabidly loyal fans of the Yankees and Giants particularly, who have lost interest in going to big games because they know that for too high a percentage, the event is a drinkfest interrupted by the game. An HBO boss, Dave Harmon, won't go to the Giants-Bears on Nov. 12 now that it's been moved to a night game on NBC; he doesn't want to share his section with drunks who've spent five or six hours getting lubed up.

"A--hole'' is a word I'm sure most parents still urge their children not to say, but at Shea Stadium for a Mets-Cards playoff game, that was the sing-songy chant, in huge decibel levels, a couple of weeks ago when Albert Pujols, who'd been critical of Mets pitcher Tom Glavine, came up to bat. Games at Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park are no better.

Notice he didn't make any mention of Philly. He only says Shea and Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park. You wonder why I like reading this guy, huh?

So, there you go, Nick. It's a conspiracy on the part of writers from rival cities like New York, D.C., and Boston trying to make us look bad. I say: Power to the Phans! Don't let the Man hold us down! NEXT QUESTION!

Finally, from the infamous Johnny Gold: Did you buy your balls back from your wife with your football pool winnings?

PSP: Yes, smart ass. I keep them in a jar of formaldehyde on my mantle right next to the Fantasy Football trophies I've whupped your ass to attain.

Hope to see guys next week!