Phillies

Video: Olbermann Names Phillies Worst Persons in the Sports World for Firing Wheels

By Kyle Scott

Published: Jan 9th, 2014 · 9:51 AM EST

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http://youtu.be/jcKLiTHaEN0

Hey, the Phillies are the worst persons in the sports world! Oddly, it’s for doing something that most fans applauded.

I love Olbermann, but I think he’s wrong here. First of all, Wheels (and to a lesser extent, Sarge) weren’t particularly “popular.” Wheels wasn’t beloved and certainly wasn’t some nostalgic link to Harry, who hated him. That’s wrong. Not that Olbermann has any real ties to the Phillies, but there’s a huge disconnect between how the (local) media talks about Wheels and how the fans feel. Media folks love Wheels, because he’s a hard worker and a good guy. No dispute there. The fans, however – the people who watch the games – largely dislike him as a broadcaster. It may have been a rough move, and somewhat unprecedented, but it was the right one. Plus, it was Comcast’s decision, not the Phillies’.

That said, the Phillies deserve some finger-wagging here. Not because Wheels and Sarge got canned, but because they rolled over and played dead to Comcast in these negotiations. They got less guaranteed money than comparable teams (Angels, Rangers, Mariners, in particular), gave away some editorial control of their own broadcast, and will allow their on-air color guy to be a Comcast employee… all at the sake of one of their all-time employees and company men– Wheels.

So, you can hold opposing views here: You can be happy that Wheels is gone, while also feeling that this was a shitty, weak, corporate-mandated move. Go ahead, be a little dichotomous, you sexy intellectual beast you.