What's Next At The Old Ballpark?
So let's take a quick inventory, shall we? We've had the lathered-up knucklehead puking on an off-duty police officer and his kids, and now we get this, a teenager romping through the outfield at Citizens Bank Park and getting Tasered by a cop who couldn't catch him. I don't know, but it seems to me that unruly Phillies' fans and their inane acts at Citizens Bank Park have drawn more national glare than a special team many envisioned of reaching the World Series for a third-straight year.
Isn't there something wrong with this picture? Has Citizens Bank Park turned into hooliganville like they have in England, where fans go crazy running out of the stands during soccer matches?
The puker drew national headlines, and the national response that you knew would accompany it. Expect more of the same today, tomorrow and maybe a few days later about this dumb move--which includes both the kid running onto the field and the reaction by the police.
If I'm Phillies President David Montgomery, I'm pretty steamed.
He has to be thinking about what is going on at Citizens Bank Park. I hate to say it, but I have a good idea. One of the finest ballparks in the country, in my opinion The Best, that houses one of the greatest teams in Phillies' history, is being populated by a few imbeciles who don't know how to behave. It's happening more often. Looks like Eagles' fans no longer have the market cornered for stupid behavior.
Out of the four major sports franchises in Philadelphia, going to a Phillies game seemed to be the most fan-friendly experience of the four. Can we say that now? Granted, the kid running onto to the field was a victimless crime, and there is no excuse for his stupidity. But his jocular act did take a terrible spin when the huffing-puffing Philly police officer couldn't drag the kid down and had to resort to an extreme measure with the Taser gun--after two failed attempts to Taser the kid.
Personally, I don't know how to feel about that. I have many relatives and friends who are police officers and they say getting Tasered could have been the best thing for the kid. He, and everyone else watching, learned a valuable lesson to never run onto a playing field during a game for any reason. Not even after calling dad and telling him, as this kid supposedly did.
The flip side of that is Phillies management can't like it. I'm sure they'll suggest to the Philadelphia Police other less caustic measures be taken the next time (hopefully there isn't a next time) some rambunctious buck thinks about running on to the field. Still, it's another blot of embarrassment not only to the Phillies, but to the many, many, many fans who are actually there to enjoy themselves with their families watching one of the best teams in baseball. Somehow, under this next national snafu, those true fans are the ones who get lost in all of this.
Something has to be done to curtail some of these behaviors. The Phillies don't need it. Mr. Familyman-with-the-kids-in-the-stands doesn't need it either.
