6 Times Philadelphia Fans Were Out of Control
Philadelphia Eagles fans get into a fight outside Veterans Stadium after the Eagles lost the NFC Championship game to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, Jan. 19, 2003, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Douglas M. Bovitt)
Image Courtesy of Philadelphia Magazine
By Josephine and Noah Slayter
Anybody who knows anything about sports knows that fans can get unruly. While every team has fans who let their passions run away with them, Philadelphia fans are of a completely different breed.
While other fans’ intoxicated enthusiasm might result in some excessive face paint, the enthusiasm of Philadelphia fans has been known to lead to, well, jail time.
In fact, the Eagles built an actual courtroom into the stadium to handle the immense amount of misdemeanors and petty crimes committed on the property.
Seamus McCaffery, a judge at Eagles Court, said, “It went to rowdy, abusive behavior to the point where police were intervening just before blows occurred,”
Here are the top 6 incendiary moments from Philadelphia fans.
6. Eagles fan Arrested for Punching Police Horse.
In 2018, a man was arrested during an NFC divisional playoff game against the Falcons, for punching the horse of a Philadelphia police officer. According to a police report at the time, a man was ejected because “he was intoxicated and did not possess a ticket.” After his ejection from Lincoln stadium, the man walked toward a policeman mounted on a horse and “began punching the horse in the face, neck, and shoulder area.” Luckily neither the horse nor officer were injured.
5. Philly Fans Get Their Bracelet Privileges Revoked.
Philly sports fans are infamous beyond their football-related shenanigans. On one occasion in 2016, Philadelphia Hockey fans decided to partake in some bad behavior around the ice rink. As the Washington Capitals scored, strengthening their lead to 6-1 in the third period, the fans started to throw their wristbands, which were meant for a light show to honor Flyers owner Ed Snider, on the ice. The sheer amount of bands across the playing surface caused the game to be delayed for another day. In a statement, the team said, “Fans have the right to voice their displeasure vocally or by not watching or attending games, but when displeasure is expressed in a way that embarrasses or endangers others, it cannot be condoned or tolerated.”
4. Phillies Fan Arrested for Intentionally Projectile Vomiting.
In 2010, a fan at a Phillies baseball game was arrested for purposefully upchucking onto a fan and his 11-year-old daughter. Matthew Clemens was charged with three counts of harassment, disorderly conduct, and simple assault for his loss of lunch. The father of the 11-year-old said,, “It was the most vile, disgusting thing I’ve ever seen. He has two fingers down his throat, he lunges forward and vomits on myself and my 11-year-old.”
3. Phillies Fans Threw Batteries at Cardinals Outfielder.
In 1999, fans were displaying their adamant displeasure with J.D. Drew who had decided against the Phillies to sign with the St. Louis Cardinals. Their preferred form of displeasure was chucking batteries. This was likely because a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer had suggested to “get your D-cells ready.” The joke was taken far too literally.
2. Eagles Fans Chucked Hoagies at Santa Claus.
Perhaps the most infamous of all of the Philly fan antics was the year Philadelphia fans booed Santa Claus. The year was 1968, and the Eagles were, “an absolute dumpster fire” – tensions were on the rise, as Philly fans were even more aggravated than usual. The fact that they were freezing in snow-covered stands did not help get them into the “holiday mood”. So, when Santa Claus (Frank Olivo) walked out onto the field, Philadelphia fans didn’t see a jolly, fat, old elf. What they saw was a big, fat, red target. With so much snow, just right there, the catharsis of pitching a snowball at the big man was too much for fans to resist. It started with just the snow, but soon fans began throwing whatever they had available. This included (but was not limited to) beer cans, bottles– and yes–hoagies.
1. Philly Fans Just Kept Peeing. EVERYWHERE.
It’s no surprise to anyone that most of the Philly fan’s infamous antics have a certain substance at their core. Yes, drinking to excess seems to be a sport of its own for Philly fans, and it’s a largely attributed cause for many of their outlandish actions. But the thing about drinking a lot of alcohol is that it has to go somewhere. And, apparently, so do drunk fans. Reports claim that fans could be found “urinating in the sinks, urinating on the sidewalls.”Some fans got so desperate, that they pulled the paper towels straight out of the dispensers to piddle in there too.
Philadelphia, known as the city of brotherly love, has an unusual way of showing it. This city, infamous for its rowdy fans, has caused citizens to fear for their lives, during the sports season. In recent years, thankfully, there seems to be a decline in some more extreme displays of sports fanaticism. Now, with a bit of time behind us, we can look back, and poke a little fun at the crazy history of these passionate fans.
…Although, perhaps outside of throwing distance.
