Hump Day Hot Button: Temple Students Give Philly Fans Bad Image

09/21/2011

14 Comments

 
As a student at one of the country's largest universities, I have had to defend Philly fans as a whole. Countless times I have been told that "Philly fans are the worst!" or "Philly fans are the most obnoxious" bunch of blah blah blah...

Yes Philly fans have a "bad" reputation. But defending it hasn't been hard. I usually respond with the "well that's just a select group of fans" or "well the guy (an away fan) was probably being just as obnoxious" or when people point out that we as philly fans threw snowballs at Santa< "well he was skinny and drunk. You would've thrown snowballs at him too." 

If you watch the Penn State vs. Temple game on TV, or were at the game, you saw that there was a very large amount of Penn State fans there. And for the Penn State fans that were not Philadelphia natives their eyes were opened to the "foulness" of the Philadelphia fan base. It was obnoxious and I have never seen anything like that at any kind of sporting event. 

Two events stuck with me, and probably many other visiting Penn State fans, the most:
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Photo courtesy of Carolyn Lasky
  1. Temple fans wore this gem of a shirt - on the front saying "We Are" and the back saying "F**K YOU."
    Ok? Cool? The Owl giving the finger adds a nice touch as well. 
  2. During the game, after Temple made a "big" play, the Temple student section started a "F**k Penn State" chant. Again, completely unnecessary. And I hope it felt even better after Penn State came back and won. Best of all, a few rows in front of me was a lone Temple fan sitting among a bunch of Penn State supporters. After several good Temple plays he would stand, yell, mock, and flip off all Penn State fans around him. Yet he was seen hands in his face crying after the game. Much to the delight of my friends and I.
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Photo courtesy of John Tecce
So basically, Temple fans (and I hate grouping everyone together - my dad and uncle went to Temple - but this was the majority of the fans I saw) thanks for helping open people's eyes to the horrors of going to a game as an away fan in Philadelphia. It was kind of embarrassing to see from an away fan point of view.  I can no longer defend Philadelphia fans to people who went to the game as Penn State fans, because I have no response for what I witnessed. And I've heard this is not the first time that Temple fans have crossed the line?

Have you seen other acts like this form any fan base? How over the line do you think these specific instances were? 

-Mike Higgins
 


Comments

McCabe
09/21/2011 5:06pm

My dad went to temple and growing up I always supported their basketball team, but seeing how temple studnets consistently cross the line with the Big 5 rollouts is terrible. Acceptable (St. Joe rollout): Giannini's only PhD is in losing." Unacceptable (Temple students at the Tom Gola): "Not even Tiger Woods would F@ck La Salle's Dance team." (there was no censorship either)

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wolp
09/21/2011 5:10pm

I aggree with your isolated incident point in your most recent blog, however, saying that temple fans validate the "foulness" of philadelphia fans is simply absurd. Temple University is just that, a University. not all of the 10,000 temple fans that showed their support at the Linc were necessarily Philadelphians. You did group these fans and came to the absurd conclusion that Temple students represent Philadelphia. The Eagles and Phillies are first class organizations in their respective leagues, and yes, the fans have made some questionable decisions (throwing batteries at JD Drew and booing as Michael Irvin lay motionless on the concrete Vet turf) however, "F Penn State" chants are not displays of Philadelphia fans brutallity. Penn State is not a rival of Philadelphia and you should not blame Philadelphians for 10,000 Temple students getting a little upset at a football game.
PS, close game, hope you guys get it together or else its going to be a loooong year. thats OK though, JoePa won't even remember.

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Mike Higgins
09/21/2011 9:33pm

Wolp,

I agree that the do not technically represent Philly fans, but as viewed, they were in PHilly and being vulgar. I as well as other Philly fans will agree that Temple do not represent "us" but that is not the view that I think people from Pittsburgh or other areas that came down for the game will view them. To me, they will see Temple as the generic Philadelphia Fan.

And yes we need to get ourselves together. Our D is nasty, offense sucks. Joe needs to go after this year. It's getting to the point where I personally think he is not good for the program anymore.

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Amanda
09/21/2011 10:44pm

"F**K You" is a phrase used commonly among friends these days. In fact, my roommate and I just said it to one another jokingly. It's almost as if this phrase replaced "shut up," and "screw you." Although "F**K You" probably should not have been printed on a shirt for hundreds of students to wear, it is a common word used among our generation.

Penn State takes offense to it because, A) They are an isolated school that has to travel at least an hour to get anywhere, and B) They are secluded from the real world, and C) They have no idea what it's like attend a school in a city such as Philadelphia. Philadelphia is a competitive city and their fans are 100% dedicated. Maybe this is where us Temple Students get our dedication from, but by posting a blog dissing all Temple University students as a whole is uncalled for. There are many instances I could "blog" about, dissing Penn State students, and I'm sure people would have a different opinion on the students as a whole.

So to those who go to Penn State, don't take offense to our shirts; we come to root on our team whether we win or lose, and you just happen to be the rival team. Our generation is changing so you need to accept it or get lost because you're going to get left behind. The shirts were harmless and we're still young so embrace it, don't get your panties in a bunch.

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Mike Higgins
09/21/2011 11:50pm

First of all... what? You were saying "F**k You" because you think of us as your friend? Also, none of your three points relates to anything I wrote about. I know people say "F you" as a greeting and personally I think its stupid. How is that a greeting? Yes our generation says it a lot, but that doesn't make it ok. What about all the parents who root for either team that may have brought their young children.
I am not dissing Temple students as a whole. I am a Philly fan. The only point in your argument I agree with is that we are competitive and dedicated. That doesn't validate the fact that these shirts and actions were necessary.
I did not take offense to the shirt. I just thought it was uncalled for. And I am simply pointing out the fact that I have tried to defend Philadelphia fans numerous times, and this specific incident happened to Portray Philly fans in a bad way.

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Josh
09/22/2011 1:57pm

Mike, The Philadelphia FAN is a prideful one. Not always vulgar but sometimes when the need arises. I was not at the game as i am currently in Virginia. I am a Penn St fan and stick up for Penn St and PHILADELPHIA FANDOME being away for 3 years some philly fandome may have left you. what you need to do is October 16th join me in Washington for an eagles away game and again get back to your roots of being a PHILADELPHIA FAN and become the vulgar self you once were. All in all Good article though.

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Tim
09/26/2011 11:17am

I don't think this says something bout Philadelphia fans, I think it is a perfect depiction of what kind of students go to Temple (I'd put money on the fact that the ones wearing the shirts maybe just missed out on that penn state acceptance)...jus sayin

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Mike Higgins
09/28/2011 7:05pm

Yes. Love that comment. @Tim

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Jessica
11/09/2011 2:48pm

@Tim, I think your comment is extremely rude and uncalled for. I had no interest to go to Penn State and never applied. How dare you generalize all Temple students?

Oh wait, I forgot. Penn State students are saints.

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Victoria
11/09/2011 2:49pm

I am a Temple student. No, I do not agree with the shirts that were made because yes, they were offensive and should not have been made. However, to say that this represents the type of people that go to Temple is completely absurd and THAT is what is uncalled for. Yes, you were at a college football game where things got taken too far, I agree. But this particular instance has also happened at UMD and other universities in the area where stupid college kids say stupid stuff. But this DOES NOT represent Temple University as a whole. It is a highly competitive university and happens to be one of the few schools in the nation that has a program for my major. So DO NOT judge a school by a something a few students did wrong. Or else we could judge PSU off of something else too.

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Derp
11/09/2011 3:39pm

So basically your saying "I don't mean to make broad generalizations about Philly fans, but here is a broad generalization about Philly fans".

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Kristie
11/10/2011 1:20am

Stop being so self righteous. I have no doubt in my mind that you have taken part in yelling some sort of a "fuck you" chant at one of Penn State's games. I've heard some awful chants come from the student section and other sections at Penn State games against Ohio State and Purdue. Penn State fans in Beaver Stadium are just as bad.

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Kristie
11/10/2011 2:40pm

And by the way Tim, I chose Temple over Penn State Main.

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illari
11/10/2011 7:05pm

I've been a season ticket holder to the eagles since i was in kindergarten and have heard some terrible chants, seen some terrible things, and feel that the 700 level at the vet dwarfs anything temple, penn state, or anyone can imagine. But the thing is, I LOVE IT! to me it shows a ton of passion and raw emotion that eagles (philadelphia) phans have. we live and die with each play! were the shirts stupid? yes. i didnt get 1. did I yell fuck penn state? yes. im not jealous of psu in anyway shape or form, but we are technically the underdogs against you guys in football so this stuff comes out. but what kindof person bashes the city hes from? come on higgins!

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