Over the years, Philly sports fans have gained a reputation for being—let’s call it rough around the edges. From ruthlessly heckling Ben Simmons at Wells Fargo Center to letting fists fly at Lincoln Financial Field (you may recall a savage brawl broke out when the Chiefs visited last fall), the Philly faithful is not to be trifled with. Throw in a few Coors Light tall boys and a calm, relaxing day at the ballpark can quickly become a Will Smith Oscars situation.
In keeping with tradition, things got decidedly feisty during Friday’s season opener at Citizens Bank Park, proving once again that when it comes to its sports teams, the City of Brotherly Love is anything but. How’s that for a paradox? Lucky for us, Sean Loomis—who may or may not have cut class to see Kyle Schwarber’s debut—recorded the entire chaotic scene as it was unfolding.
Not to advocate for this kind of unhinged lunacy, but seeing fans get after it with a little knuckle-dust action in the right-field cheap seats—probably after downing a beer tower or two at Xfinity Live! next door—is the surest sign yet that nature is healing after an exhausting two-year pandemic that, at its height, turned Citizens Bank Park into a ghost town. For better or worse, Philly’s love language will always be haymakers and four-letter obscenities. Just ask Saint Nick.
While these particular fans likely weren’t around for the ninth inning (presumably, they were escorted out of the park by stadium security), Friday’s opener still produced the desired result, with Philadelphia claiming a 9-5 win in its first game of the 2022 regular season.
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