Hug a Philadelphia sports fan today. They’ve been through a lot

Philadelphia sports fans don't always have a reputation for being the most upstanding citizens.

If you wonder why, just ask the child who had a home run ball snatched from his glove and given to a woman not so affectionately known as “Phyllis Karen.”

You can also ask the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver. Michael Irwin.

Or some Pennsylvania State Police horses.

Or Santa Claus.

Still, despite all of this, it's hard not to feel a little bad for Philadelphia fans after what they went through on Thursday night.

Phyllis was defeated in the playoffs at the end of the season (pause here so LA fans can respectfully quiet down – you've had plenty of time to celebrate after The Dodgers won 2–1 in 11 innings. on Philadelphia's shocking relief pitcher's mistake Orion Kerkering).

Then to the NFL reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles Thursday Night Football was dominated by the NFC West rival New York Giants, 34–17. And in the NHL, the Flyers lost their season opener to the Florida Panthers with a score of 2:1.

For fans of any other city, this could be considered the worst day ever. But believe it or not, according to sports statistician Greg Harvey, Philadelphia fans had to endure a similar disheartening day nearly 42 years ago.

Harvey noted on X that October 16, 1983 was the only time in history that one city's MLB team suffered a season-ending loss in the postseason, while its NFL and NHL teams also lost. And that unlucky city was Philadelphia.

It was the day the Phillies, nicknamed the “Whistle Kids” that season for all the veteran players on the roster, lost 5-0 to the Baltimore Orioles and lost the World Series four games to one.

Meanwhile, the Eagles started the season 4–2 before losing that day to the Dallas Cowboys, 37–7. It was the start of a seven-game losing streak for the Eagles, who finished the season at 5–11.

The Flyers suffered their first loss that season, 5–4 to the New York Rangers, after starting the year with five straight wins. A few months later, they finished third in the Patrick Division before being eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Washington Capitals.

So maybe, just maybe, you might want to go easy on the Philly sports fans in your life—at least until the next time one or more of them does something that makes the rest of us cringe.

And we hope those fans will extend the same courtesy to Kerkering. He may end up being the only person who can tell Santa Claus and the rest that Philly fans aren't so bad after all.

Leave a Comment