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Bryson Stott Takes a Shot at National Media for Fake News Philadelphia Fan Narrative
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Trea Turner got a standing ovation from fans on Friday at Citizens Bank Park, then Saturday hit a three-run home run that ended up being the game winner against the Kansas City Royals.
Responding to the crowd support, Turner walked out of the dugout for a curtain call, and he and his teammates were asked about the experience afterward. Bryson Stott, via Paul Casella and MLB.com:
“Outside of the playoffs, obviously, I think that was one of the coolest things I’ve seen,” Stott said of the past two days. “In the media and all that, all you hear is how this place is terrible, you don’t want to play here, they don’t like their players and blah, blah, blah.”
But watching the reception Turner got on Friday night and the reaction to his momentous homer?
“I was like, ‘There. This is Philadelphia. And this is why we love playing here,’” Stott said.
It’s true and it’s not new. Philadelphia fan perception has been changing over the course of a half-decade or more.
You had the standing O for Markelle Fultz after hitting a jump shot. A guy in the crowd trying to help Ben Simmons with his free throw shooting form. The fan backing of Brandon Brooks and Lane Johnson following their respective anxiety battles. Overwhelming gratitude for Alec Bohm after his show of accountability. Even the F Lot Crew, right? They were so embarrassed by the Mike Scott incident that they called the Sixers to apologize and decided to stop tailgating entirely.
Then you go ahead and look at all of the free agents who have signed here willingly, guys like Turner, Bryce Harper, Javon Hargrave, Malcolm Jenkins, etc. On top of that, there are plenty of players who sign second or third contracts, even if they first came to Philly via trade or draft. Think Darius Slay, Joel Embiid, Andre Blake, and myriad other guys.
The examples are numerous. Philly is not what the national media thinks it is, and quite frankly, it has not been that for some time now. Ironically, we’re now asking ourselves if we’ve gone soft. Booing still happens, but not as frequently as it used to. We don’t treat athletes any worse than they do in Boston, nor do we have violent fights and arrests like they do in California. Everything that everybody thinks Philly is actually is much worse in other sports markets. Every single athlete who comes here gets unconditional support until they lose it on their own terms. That’s been true going back 8-10 years now.
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com