:: in.a.mirror.dimly ::

I know a guy from around these parts of Vermont, a New York Giants fan, who travelled down to Philadelphia for a football game between Philadelphia’s Eagles and the Giants. He was amazed at the way fans cheered the Eagles as they fan onto the field, complete with fire works, but soon thereafter booed their team when unable to gain a first down.

His consternation is shared by many in the sporting world. Philadelphia fans have this seemingly high standard for their teams that is rarely met. If left unsatisfied, they resort to booing their home team. The reaction of many is something like, “How could you boo your home town team?”

How could we? Let a life-long Philadelphia sports fan tell you, and perhaps I’ll even convince you to boo your own team in the process.

Remember, we’re talking about professional athletes here. If Philly fans booed their little league teams or even their high school and college teams the way they booed the pros, then we’d have a real problem. But keep in mind most Philly fans have no use for sentimental “home team” fluff. Sure we have a certain element of loyalty. During championship droughts and losing seasons every team in Philly has sustained a solid fan base.

However, Philly fans realize that professional sports is just another entertainment industry. If the product is bad, you don’t settle for it. So if you don’t like a restaurant, you never return. If you don’t like a movie, you walk out. If you don’t like a team’s play, you boo them.

We’re talking about millions of dollars changing hands here. And while professional athletes no doubt work hard and make tremendous sacrifices, fans are getting fleeced in paying for tickets, parking, and concessions. Going to a pro game is a major financial outlay, and as such, if the team gives a dispirited performance, the fans who paid exorbitant prices should be annoyed.

Owners and players are awash in huge pay checks while the fans are hit with high prices, endless advertising, and pleas for the use of public funds for stadiums that will produce private profits. While some players are loyal to particular teams and cities, we have to face the fact that much of professional sports is about money. Owners and the leagues fight over TV and online revenue, while players and owners joust for the edge in contract negotiations. Seasons have been cancelled over contract disputes in both baseball and hockey.

So we need to call a spade a spade here. Owners, league officials, and players want us to believe this is about loyalty and pride in a hometown team. They want us to focus on the one hand holding out the promise of entertainment and mutual accomplishment, while the other hand is firmly planted on our wallets.

Sports is a fun diversion that I have no problem enjoying. I try to keep it to minimum because it’s simply a matter of entertainment, not a source of meaning or fulfillment. And therefore, if my hometown team hits the field today and can’t manage to gain a first down, I have no reservations about booing them. I think pay day will help soften that blow.

And if you don’t buy this, choosing to believe in the sentimental home team fluff instead, I have one word for you, “Boooo!!!”