“If you don’t understand Philadelphia, come here in October,” Philadelphia Philly Garret Stubbs said. Better yet, you can just learn from the biggest Phillies fan at Villanova.
The atmosphere of Philadelphia during any given sports season is something that needs to be studied, and while I do not have the scientific research to do such a thing, I can do my best to educate you on it and hopefully bring you over to our side.
Over the past few years, Philly sports fans have gained a bit of a reputation. Most people believe that Philly sports fans are crazy people who flip cars, climb traffic poles and yell atrocious chants at their opponents. I mean, we are, but we are also much more than that. There is nothing quite like the comradery of fans in the City of Brotherly Love.
Here is a quick crash course for you: the Phillies, also sometimes affectionately called the Phils, the Fightin Phillies or the Fightins, are Philadelphia’s Major League Baseball team, and they play at Citizens Bank Park, which is just a hop, skip and jump away from where we are right now.
As much as it physically pains me to say it, the Phillies have historically not had a lot of success in the postseason. However, things took a major turn last season when they entered the postseason as a Wild Card team and made it all the way through to the World Series, where they ultimately lost to the Astros.
Despite the loss, this was exactly what Phillies fans needed. After years and years, the hard work and dedication of both the players and fans paid off. Let’s be honest: Phillies fans are always going to support their team, but it is a lot more fun when they actually win.
As for the players, there are definitely some standouts who every fan should know about. Obviously, there is the most well-known player: Bryce Harper. My personal favorite player is Kyle Schwarber, the team’s designated hitter who hits the ball so hard that the fans have a special name for it: the Schwarbomb.
Bryson Stott is also a fan favorite, and there is nothing like the feeling when the whole stadium sings along to his walkup song, A-O-K by Tai Verdes.
I know that some people might be a little intimidated by Phillies fans.
They’re definitely loud, and I can understand why an outsider might find them to be a lot. However, I can assure you that they are nothing to be afraid of. Phillies fans are only scary to anyone who goes against the Phillies. They do not turn their backs on their own people.
A famous example of this from this season is when star player Trea Turner had a rough string of games. After games and games of him having no connection with the ball, Turner was officially in a slump.
It was clear that he was trying his hardest, staying hours after the games to practice, so Phillies fans met him halfway. Instead of booing him, the fans scheduled a standing ovation for Trea’s first at-bat at Citizens Bank Park after an away series.
Once Turner felt the love of the fans, he turned his season around, and now he is hitting extremely well in the postseason. Phillies fans might be crazy, but they are crazy in a good way.
As for being a Phillies fan at Villanova specifically, I can confidently say that my fandom of the Phillies has only gotten stronger since I started going here. First, going to games has never been easier since my hometown is two hours away from Citizens Bank Park, and this wonderful campus is only thirteen miles away.
Additionally, going to school here proved to me that the closer the proximity to Philly, the more magical the fan experience.
The past few weeks of playoff games came with a sea of fans wearing their gear around campus. Seeing ten people wearing red and white striped jerseys as I’m walking from a difficult biology lecture truly makes my day every time.
On Friday, when the Phillies were scheduled to play the Diamondbacks after an upsetting loss on Thursday night, I was greeted by the on-campus shuttle’s destination sign’s glowing cheer of “Go Phillies!”
This is the same shuttle that will constantly play WIP, Philly’s sports radio station (which I highly recommend listening to for your Philly sports news now that you’re a fan).
I hope this very brief lesson on the best baseball in the universe has been enough to convince you to join the Phillies family, and that you’ll be singing “High Hopes” and “Dancing on My Own” with us next season. If not, well, I think Garret Stubbs might have something to say about that.
