Much has been made of Philly sports fans in the past month, particularly after former ESPN personality Dan Le Batard accused the city of being “cruel” to its athletes. Le Batard was specifically referring to how Sixers fans have treated Ben Simmons, who collapsed in this year’s postseason, seeing his confidence evaporate in Philadelphia’s second-round loss to Atlanta, where he shot just 32.7 percent from the free-throw line and didn’t attempt a fourth-quarter field goal over his final four games. Those in Philadelphia have largely dismissed that narrative, arguing that any fan base would have responded the same way to Simmons’ struggles. However, Simmons’ teammate Danny Green, disagrees.
“I think that's something that needs to change in the city. I love our fans, but when things aren't going well, they can't turn on you. That's the one thing I would disagree with or dislike,” Green told John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “Some guys use it as motivation, some guys have a chip on their shoulder, but I think that needs to change. They need to be riding with us, regardless of how things are going.”
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Predictably, that sentiment wasn’t well-received on social media with many quick to point out that Green hasn’t been in town long enough to know what Philadelphia fans are really like.
In arguing Philly fans are more demanding than most, Le Batard remarked, “They file it under caring but it can be very cruel.” Green, who averaged 9.5 points per game in his debut season with the Sixers, knows the line between passionate and cruel can be difficult to navigate at times.
“We're the No. 1 team in the East, still playing well, and in some games they'll boo us—that's part of the culture here, part of their way of showing they love us—but with a guy like Ben, and other guys, I think they need to stick behind them and stick by them as long as they can, until the horn blows,” said Green, as transcribed by Adam Hermann of NBC Sports Philadelphia. “He's given so much to the organization and the city, on and off the court, that he deserves that respect and that support.”
Expectations are understandably higher for a player of Simmons’ caliber and salary and you can understand fan’s frustration at the 24-year-old’s lack of development, particularly on the offensive end. But often we forget that Simmons, for all his athletic gifts, is still a human being with real feelings of doubt, embarrassment and disappointment. Can a middle ground exist in sports where fans acknowledge that Simmons played poorly throughout the playoffs while still feeling empathy for his struggles? The bitter rivalry between the rational and emotional mind rages on.
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