I have a hard time with the sports culture in the area. It's entirely possible to be emotionally invested in and passionate about your team without victimizing "the guy". It's a widespread case of people who can't healthily deal with anger, and it's often alienating.
- BulliesPhan87

Bolded, because it's true.

Eagles fans will bail as soon as they have two bad years in a row.
- Jsaquella

No......they won't.

Exactly my point. But at the same time, he's getting shredded by the media-including the ones at the practices every day and see him working-and there's "fans" who openly "pray" that he suffered a serious injury and get bought out.

I remember when I was a kid, I didn't like Doug Crossman. Never remember hoping he'd get hurt
- Jsaquella

Yup im in agreement...those who dont know the game obviously dont understand how goalies go through slumps...sometimes lasting a whole season...look at miller and fleury last year...glad bryz was able to get through it despite all the poop that was thrown at him...that to me shows he has a stronger character than people believe. I am also glad that laviolette stoped this goalie platoon and just let the guy play...i think that hes also partly to blame for that mini slump...as i have been screaming on here for months is that all they need to do fix bryz is to just play him.

Eagles fans will bail as soon as they have two bad years in a row.
- Jsaquella

Tell that to my Dad and his brothers who have been watching them religiously with season tickets and have never seen them win a thing.

Please stop.
- Flyers1218

Or What?

So the fanbase isnt allowed to be quiet? The fans get a bad wrap no matter what they do.
- stveshdy

It just stands in stark contrast to the image the Philadelphia fanbase likes to hold itself in: passionate about their teams, the toughest fans in sports. I don't know about you, but silence during a playoffs game sounds exactly dispassionate.

I don't mean to say that the fanbase is always in the wrong, certainly there are times when the fans impress. Hell, they're packing the house for Flyers practices, they make the trips to see baseball team in Florida for meaningless preseason practices and games, and Philadelphia fans seem to me one of the most traveled groups in American sports. When I see what Rollins said about that night, though, I know for fact he was absolutely right.

They don't have to be...but at the same time, calling yourself the most passionate and firey fanbase in the league means you have to live up to it. I remember that game. The entire fanbase-not just those at the game-seemed to simply be waiting for something bad to happen
- Jsaquella

I think the Philly fans get a bad wrap imo. These players travel all around during the course of a season. Im sure if you compare the fan base here to other cities they would find it much better to be here. People come out and support their Philly teams whether that is good or bad. I think in the perfect world you would have people always thinking positive but thats just not reality. You will always have bad fans in your fanbase but that doesnt mean your fanbase is bad.

Or What?
- RooNosHockey

sounded like a request; not a threat

Tell that to my Dad and his brothers who have been watching them religiously with season tickets and have never seen them win a thing.
- FrankDrebbin

Yeah, it's simply an un-educated statement. The Eagles are the most starved fanbase perhaps in the US, since the Sox won. Fans are loyal regardless of the result. They may jump off the bridges in droves and run people out of town, but come the next Sunday, every household is tuning in and hoping that this is the game that gets their run started.

Sorry, I think Eagles are more loyal. They may have a loud and ignorant vocal minority, but this team is an Eagles town and still loved the team even when they sucked. It's similar to the Flyers. Even during playoff runs where the Flyers are going to place in the top 4, the Flyers fanbase does not accept a flat performance. A loss is acceptable, but soft play is not. Philadelphia fans are some of the smartest in the US; and that goes for all 4 sports.
- steelydan

Lets see how loyal those fans are with a couple of 4-12 seasons...i still think a lot of people will go...but t

Yeah, it's simply an un-educated statement. The Eagles are the most starved fanbase perhaps in the US, since the Sox won. Fans are loyal regardless of the result. They may jump off the bridges in droves and run people out of town, but come the next Sunday, every household is tuning in and hoping that this is the game that gets their run started.
- steelydan

Cub fans FTW and Maple Leafs too

Sad. If they can get the support there like the Sharks do, I'm all for it.
- Flyskippy

Part of the problem with the A's also is that the stadium is in a horrible location of Oakland and public access to it is terrible, and the Oakland PD doesn't really monitor that access too well. The Sharks benefit tremendously from being next to a CalTrain station which runs at set intervals late into the night and allows people to have food and drink on it. The public system for Oakland doesn't have this, so it makes San Jose more appealing.

IMO, it's a no brainer to at least move the A's down there. There's also been talk of moving the Warriors and the Niners down there while the Raiders go back to LA.

Cub fans FTW and Maple Leafs too
- BingoLady

Sure, they're in the race as well. But even if you put them in the top 3 or top 5, it's still a testament that they're selling out games, gear, etc. with an ownership that doesn't respect the fan-base that respects the team.

It just stands in stark contrast to the image the Philadelphia fanbase likes to hold itself in: passionate about their teams, the toughest fans in sports. I don't know about you, but silence during a playoffs game sounds exactly dispassionate.

I don't mean to say that the fanbase is always in the wrong, certainly there are times when the fans impress. Hell, they're packing the house for Flyers practices, they make the trips to see baseball team in Florida for meaningless preseason practices and games, and Philadelphia fans seem to me one of the most traveled groups in American sports. When I see what Rollins said about that night, though, I know for fact he was absolutely right.
- BulliesPhan87

So when Jimmy doesnt perform or his teammates do absolutely nothing to get the fans excited about what do you expect them to do? Its hard to keep cheering during a baseball game bc of how slow it is. Get some hits, walks, steal a base, bunt to get on and give them something to get excited about. When you cant get a hit off of the pitcher its hard for them to get excited imo.

yep. just didn't have it last night, and bob was clearly their best player. get some rest, and get ready for tomorrow night.

i'm putting an APB out on briere.
- hammarby31

When one goes in he will get hot. And when he gets hot, he's that type of player that is scary good.

For the record, I'm one of those people that said we should use the amnesty on Bryz (first time I had ever bashed him) after his abomination of a first period in Calgary. Am I please with the way he is playing now? Of course, what Flyers fan wouldn't and for that I'll gladly eat crow. With that said, I'm not about to bet my car he is going to keep it up. I'm happy for the guy and want him to succeed, but the sample size of him being mediocre to bad is double the sample size of good. But again, I'll gladly eat crow right now and hopefully will continue to for the next 8 years or so.

Lets see how loyal those fans are with a couple of 4-12 seasons...i still think a lot of people will go...but t
- Philly1980

Its like that with every sport. I have full season tickets to the Flyers and sell arounnd 25-30 of the games usually easily. In 2006 I couldnt give the tickets away. Literally nobody would take 2 tickets and a parking pass for free. if I couldnt go they would just go to waste.

When one goes in he will get hot. And when he gets hot, he's that type of player that is scary good.

For the record, I'm one of those people that said we should use the amnesty on Bryz (first time I had ever bashed him) after his abomination of a first period in Calgary. Am I please with the way he is playing now? Of course, what Flyers fan wouldn't and for that I'll gladly eat crow. With that said, I'm not about to bet my car he is going to keep it up. I'm happy for the guy and want him to succeed, but the sample size of him being mediocre to bad is double the sample size of good. But again, I'll gladly eat crow right now and hopefully will continue to for the next 8 years or so.
- Flyers1218

Just curious. He was historically a top goaltender in PHX, and came to Philly, played a bad first half, and is now playing up to snuff again. Why are you assuming that the first half Bryz is the norm; as opposed to the PHX/2nd half Bryz? I get that it's only been a handful of games, but he's shown before that he's a top-flight goalie.

So when Jimmy doesnt perform or his teammates do absolutely nothing to get the fans excited about what do you expect them to do? Its hard to keep cheering during a baseball game bc of how slow it is. Get some hits, walks, steal a base, bunt to get on and give them something to get excited about. When you cant get a hit off of the pitcher its hard for them to get excited imo.
- stveshdy

It wasn't just that it was quiet for stretches, though. For the majority of the game, the ballpark was silent. At the end of the day, the players are the ones who win and lose the game, there's no denying that. If the fans can't generate any excitement for a team trying to find their spark in a rough playoffs match up against a hot team, though, don't call ourselves the tenth man on the field.

(Tenth, right? )

No......they won't.
- steelydan

Yeah, they will. Ray Rhodes era, 1997-98 saw the bandwagon's gas mileage increase due to a lighter load.

More like it has to do with often poorly conceived notions of work ethic. I can't appreciate the way players are singled out and crucified around here, not for one second.
- BulliesPhan87

Like the ripping of briere currently? And how he should be bought out if his deal if the amnesty clause is added if he doesn't turn it around in the playoffs, despite his past success and contributions to the team?

Tell that to my Dad and his brothers who have been watching them religiously with season tickets and have never seen them win a thing.
- FrankDrebbin

Small sample size.

Cub fans FTW and Maple Leafs too
- BingoLady

Pfft. Facts...

Meszaros is still limping pretty badly and is off limits to the media, says Panaccio
- Jsaquella

I still don't even know how he was injured.
Last thing I remember he was playing one of his best games of the year against the Islanders. Maybe he got hurt in practice?

Yeah, they will. Ray Rhodes era, 1997-98 saw the bandwagon's gas mileage increase due to a lighter load.
- Flyskippy

Doesn't speak to the fan's loyalty. Not going to a game is sending management a signal, that you aren't going to fund the lack of a product they're putting on the field. They're still going to tune in (as long as the game isn't blacked out) at home like they always do.

It wasn't just that it was quiet for stretches, though. For the majority of the game, the ballpark was silent. At the end of the day, the players are the ones who win and lose the game, there's no denying that. If the fans can't generate any excitement for a team trying to find their spark in a rough playoffs match up against a hot team, though, don't call ourselves the tenth man on the field.

(Tenth, right? )
- BulliesPhan87

I didnt know people were calling themselves the tenth man on the field. If that was being said then I agree with you. During the playoffs the fans get nervous and started to stand still. The fan base didnt see anything that could change what was going on in the field.