Best team – worst fans

They have called it too big to rig and with a 40-6 lead and only eight minutes left in Super Bowl LIX, it was a pretty big whooping. The Eagles were playing with a chip on their shoulder from being defeated by the KC Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII and against the stigma that somehow or other the Chiefs had gotten to the big dance by questionable circumstances in order to be a 3-peat headline and to appease Taylor Swift.

With the game over, the exuberance led to insanity that poured out of the bars and into the streets in Philadelphia in a shameful and lude act of destruction that was called “celebration.” It makes me wonder what would have occurred had the team lost?

My wife who was brought up in Philadelphia made the understatement of the year when she told me that their fans get a little carried away.

And it didn’t happen once after the victory, but twice. Once after the game ended the mobs in the streets tore down street signs and street lights, turned over and destroyed cars and trucks, started bon fires, fist fights and pretty much just tried to prove that we are not that different from the animal kingdom. Six felony arrests went forth for assaulting police officers, one felony reckless endangerment of another person with one arrest, one felony aggravated assault that led to an arrest and a misdemeanor disorderly conduct that led to an arrest to name a few. There were 38 arrests in total,

According to the Phillyvoice.com “Last Friday, Mayor Jim Kenney’s office announced the Eagles’ Super Bowl parade cost $2.27 million in total. So, it’s time to pay up. The tab includes $2 million in overtime for city officials — most notably police officers who worked overtime — and the rest will go to damages incurred during the festivities. The Eagles reportedly will cover the $273,000 in damages, leaving it up to taxpayers to cover $500,000. The city will pick up the $1.5 million difference.”

“We thank the Eagles for their contribution to cover property damages on top of everything else they did to make the parade and ceremony so special,” Mayor Kenney said. “We’d also like to thank the Commonwealth for helping defray the security costs to help ensure that this was a joyous day for residents throughout Philadelphia and the region.”

Am I missing something here? Have I grown so old that celebrations have taken us to DEFCON 3 in the world of sporting events? The “joyous day” turned to a disgraceful mob-scene.

And it isn’t the first time for Philly fans.

According to asisonline.org, “On 30 May 2020, the first in a series of large-scale protests began in Philadelphia. Civil unrest continued over the following week. Police responses to the mass protests included the deployment of CS gas (tear gas) and rubber bullets against protestors and civilians on 52nd Street in West Philadelphia and protestors on Interstate 676. By 2 June, 692 people were arrested, 72 police vehicles were vandalized, and 104 officers were injured or assaulted. The civil unrest in the Philadelphia cost more than $21 million.”

If it’s not as bad, is it acceptable behavior?

And, the Phillytrib.com wrote an article trying to explain why: “When the Philadelphia Eagles won the Super Bowl in 2018, one of the first remarks from the radio commentator Mike Quick was: “Grease up the poles!” The former Eagles receiver knew what he was talking about. After the game, fans took to the streets to celebrate, with some lighting fires, flipping over cars and, yes, climbing utility poles, greased or not. It happened again last month after the Eagles won the NFC championship game. There were more than 30 arrests, including several for assault on police officers, as fans celebrated. A teenager died after falling from a pole. It’s not just Philly. Angelenos set a bus on fire and threw fireworks at the police last fall after the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series.”

“After a big win, fans like to be together. Most just want to show support, but those who cross the line may be motivated by several factors. “It’s a sort of mob mentality,” said Brandon Podgorski, the program director of sports leadership at Abilene Christian University, who has studied fan violence in the United States. “You want to be around others who care like you do and feel the same about your team as you do,” Podgorski said. “This often happens in public places and, unfortunately, public property is damaged in the process.” They are “less likely to be identified in a big group, and then do things they would typically not do alone,” said Jason Lanter, a professor of psychology at Kutztown University who has studied fan violence. Others might be caught up in social contagion: The idea to cause damage or act violently spreads through a group, and others join just to fit in. “Part of it is showing off,” Lanter said, “part is getting caught up with the actions of the group and part is not thinking about what they are actually doing.”

Destructing a city that you are supposed to love doesn’t make you more of a fan. It doesn’t prove you have greater allegiance to a team

“’And sports violence is particularly associated with men. Podgorski said that close identification with a team and increased violence were more closely linked with men, and especially young men. “I don’t believe this is completely isolated to men,” he said, “but these emotions to physically act out do not seem as strong in women.’” Winners misbehave more than losers.”

That was the statement that is most disappointing in a society that is supposed to be moving forward. And it’s simply not true. Winners who misbehave ARE the losers. They hate their cities. They have no allegiance to their team. They are simply selfish morons with no sense of decency or decorum.

The Eagles were crowned the best in the world for this year. The fan base was crowned as the worst. Congratulations.