Philadelphia Fans May Have Gotten Soft, But That Is Okay
After last Friday’s rousing standing ovation for Trea Turner, many are going out of their way to say that this doesn’t mean that the city of Philadelphia has gone soft….
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 06: Trea Turner #7 of the Philadelphia Phillies rounds bases during the first inning against the Kansas City Royals at Citizens Bank Park on August 06, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
(Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)After last Friday’s rousing standing ovation for Trea Turner, many are going out of their way to say that this doesn’t mean that the city of Philadelphia has gone soft. The city decided to give a $300 million dollar player who had underachieved a bigger ovation than Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay, Mike Schmidt, and Bryce Harper ever received. Turner’s teammates seem to love it, and the Phillies put up a billboard to thank the fans.
Some called it wonderful; some called it a beautiful display by the fans, but it was extremely soft based on previous Philadelphia sports standards. There is nothing wrong with being soft if the works. The Fultz & Simmons comparisons don’t hold up because neither had the track record or the contract that Turner has.
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Again, soft doesn’t have to equal bad. The new Phillies fanbase is different. They chose to try to lift a player up who has not been scrutinized unfairly by the city. They protected a guy who didn’t need protecting. This is new energy.
Philadelphia has prided itself on toughness forever and that hasn’t gotten us much. 1 Super Bowl title, 2 NBA titles, 2 World Series, and 2 Stanley Cups is not enough for a sports town as passionate as Philadelphia. It has always been you get cheered when you succeed. You get cheered when you come back from an injury for the 1st time. You get cheered when you return to the city if you played well here. That hasn’t led to much success. Maybe this new soft energy will pay off.
Even though I am uncomfortable with how Turner was treated because it removed all his accountability for his own poor play. I think that the fans who did it could possibly have the right idea. It was extremely soft, but if soft leads to titles, then we should all be extremely soft. The dynamic between fan and player may need to change. For 100 years the dynamic has been the fan reacts to what the players do on the field. Maybe in 2023 we must cheer guys no matter what the result is. This is radical when you see it on paper. But Friday that is exactly what happened, and fans felt GREAT about it.
Instead of worrying about being called soft, I think the fans who participated should embrace the softness and spread it out even more. I would rather be called soft at a parade then be called tough at home.
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Check out the list of Fanatic listeners/teachers below who have each submitted a Wish List filled with basic teaching necessities.
Aaryn Snyder
Schuylkill Valley Elementary
Amy Pekarchik
Leap Academy in Camden, NJ
6th Grade Math
Breanna Miller
James J. Sullivan Elementary School
Reading Specialist
Caitlin Bedesem
MaST Community Charter School III
Carla Drabik
Benjamin Franklin Middle School in Levittown, PA
7th Grade Math
Cayla Maratea
James R. Ludlow Elementary School in Phila, PA
Kindergarten
Christine O'Connor
Richey Elementary School in Newport, DE
Reading Specialist, Grades K-5
Connie McHugh
Neil Armstrong MS in Fairless Hills, PA
7th grade ELA teacher
Dina Hurwitz
Greenberg School in Phila, PA
1st Grade
Kathryn Eagle
E B Barth Elementary in Pottstown
1st Grade
Eileen Rafferty
Samuel Smith Elementary in Burlington City, NJ
Sally Foose
Rupert Elementary School & Franklin Elementary School in Pottstown, PA
PreK-4th Grade, General Music & Choir
Gina Terefenko
Holbein Middle School in Mount Holly, NJ
5th & 6th Grade Math and Reading to Special Ed
Laurie Gresko
Rupert Elementary School in Pottstown, PA
Hannah Hubbs
Gilbert Spruance Elementary School in Phila, PA
Kindergarten
Brooke Hughes
Hanby Elementary School in Wilmington, DE
1st grade
Jennifer LaMantia
Mother of Divine Grace in Phila, PA
3rd Grade
Josetta LaFaver
Northeast Middle School (Reading School District)
Kerri Garrity
Saint Mary Magdalen in Media, PA
6th-8th Grade Math
Kerri Ward
MaST Community Charter School III in Phila, PA
Kristie Dappolone
Maude Wilkins Elementary in Maple Shade, NJ
2nd Grade
Luke Dougan
G.W. Childs in Phila, PA
Maria Resinski
Good Shepherd Catholic Regional in Glenside, PA
Megan Jones
Watson Comly Elementary in Phila, PA
Michael McHugh
Harry S Truman High School in Levittown, PA
Patricia Bogda
Battle Hill Elementary in Union, NJ
3rd Grade
Rachel Peixoto
Antonia Pantoja Charter School in Phila, PA
Sherry Stockmal
Spring-Ford Area School District
Taylor Butler
Winslow Twp School District
2nd-3rd Grade Special Ed
Thomas Negron
Multicultural Academy Charter School in Phila, PA
Algebra 1
Timothy Smallwood
Hill Top Preparatory School in Bryn Mawr, PA
Phys Ed
William Kerr
Gertrude C. Folwell Elementary in Mt. Holly, NJ
Michelle Carter
St. James Regional Catholic School in Ridley Park, PA
Maria Shadle
St. Andrew School in Newtown, PA
Colleen Corcoran
Jefferson Elementary
Lauren Buckley
Lakeview Elementary School in Ridley Park, PA
Kelsey Hultz
Rupert Elementary in Pottstown, PA
Katharine Webb
Freire Charter Middle School in Phila, PA
Taylor Honert
Montgomery County Intermediate Unit in Norristown, PA
Reynalda Campbell
Mastery Charter Mann Elementary in Phila, PA
Lizzy Hoenigke
John Wister Elementary in Germantown
Keri Cooper
Billingsport School in Paulsboro, NJ
Elizabeth Hagmayer
Southampton Township School #2 in Southampton Township, NJ
Hope Weiner
Chester A. Arthur Elementary School in Phila, PA
Melissa Dugan
Elwyn Davidson School in Media, PA
Melanie Hansley
Tyson Schoener Elementary School in Reading, PA
Tara Johnson
Voorhees Middle School
Kayla Murray
Rupert Elementary School in Pottstown, PA
Kristyn Yost
Francis Willard Elementary School in Phila, PA
Jennifer Bolling
Glenwood Avenue Elementary School in Wildwood, NJ
Amanda Haney
Emlen Elementary, School District of Philadelphia
Sandy McHugh
Early Learning Academy
Samantha Miller
Riverton Elementary School in Riverton, NJ
Chrissy Griffoni
Dr. Henry H. Davis Family School, Camden City, NJ
8th Grade ELA Teacher
Candy Marchant
Franklin Towne High School
Math
Marlena Ruser
Coatesville Area School District at Rainbow Elementary
2nd Grade
Bo Shappell
Daniel Boone Area High School
Health & PE Teacher
Ashley Bellevou
Rupert Elementary in Pottstown, PA
Helen Lam
Greenberg Elementary, The School District of Philadelphia
1st Grade Teacher
Jacinda Bartolucci
Rupert Elementary School
Kindergarten Teacher, Pottstown, PA
Tiffany Cunningham
John H. Webster, Phila, PA
MaryEllen Gresko
St. Jude School in Chalfont, PA
5th Grade
Mollie Taylor
Potter Thomas Elementary School, Phila, PA
Jenna Winchenbach
Tracy Elementary School in Raston, PA
Angela Cianchetta
Northeast Middle School in Reading, PA
Chelsea Williams
J.P McCaskey High School, Lancaster School District
Brian Morris
Samuel S. Fels High School in the Philadelphia School District, Music Director
Nichole Brown
Arthur P. Schalick High School in Pittsgrove, NJ, Grades 9-12 Multiple Disabilities
Stephanie McDonald
John S. Clarke Elementary Center in Pottsville, PA, Special Education
Lynn Mills
Charles Street School in Palmyra, NJ, Kindergarten
Raichl Davenport
William Penn Charter, Phila PA, 5th Grade
Renay Langley
Willow Hill, 6th grade teacher
Jessica Nicholls
Phila, PA
