myerstownherald.com

By MOLLY DAVIS
And so it begins.
The Phillies are World Series contenders again.
If they win, the city will swell with pride.
Along with thousands of miscreants that will turn the city upside down.
Raging Phillie “Phans” will riot — win or lose.
Which I don’t understand.
If your team wins the World Series, wouldn’t you be happy?
Why would that drive you to destruction?
Last year, rioting residents took over a fire truck, which I’m sure needed to be somewhere — oh, say, a fire — and flipped over cars.
A true expression of happiness in Philadelphia.
An upside-down happiness, just like the cars that encounter the “happy” phans.
That’s not a fan – that’s called a criminal.
Look, Philadelphia, you have no control over the game.
When they’re playing well, you’re all about cheering them on and screaming their praises.
But one inning of errors, poor pitching or “lack of effort” on the players part and you turn on them faster than a mean girl tears down a wannabe.
I’d like to see you get out there and do what those players do.
And deal with your “fans” when they regress into foaming-at-the-mouth, insult spewing lunatics.
What you do have control of, dear fans, is your reactions to winning or losing.
That’s it.
Well see what this year brings.
Hopefully some classier fans.
Dubbed the “turnpike series” — which is weird, because the turnpike is nowhere near the Phillies stadium
— the games against NY’s Yankees are sure to be interesting.
Interesting to me, because of the drama unfolding in the stands.
Fights between New Yorkers and Pennsylvanians will undoubtedly break out.
I hope they show more of those than the game.
Maybe the outcome will be decided in N.Y. and they can try to tear up that city.
I doubt that would be taken kindly, and maybe they’d be taught a lesson about sportsmanship.
Dare to dream, I say.
The bottom line is that in a crowd of thousands, there are bound to be hoodlums, goons and idiots.
There are most certainly true fans that love their team and celebrate wins with high fives, smiles, and good cheer.
The bad apples in the celebration ruin it for the rest of the city.
I’m hoping the PA fans don’t live up to their image this year.
I’m not optimistic.