In recent days, due to the treatment of Rod Barajas and Ryan Howard, the manner in which Philadelphia sports fans boo sports figures has come under scrutiny. Again. To be fair, Philly fans probably boo too early and too often, but also to be fair, it is an institution severely misunderstood outside of the region.
So as a public service, I present the Five Stages of Booing, to help educate the nation and understand Philadelphians better.
A little bit of background: any psychology 101 student can recite the Kübler-Ross model, otherwise known as the Five Stages of Grief and we tip our old ballcaps to those stages as a template for the following model. And, just like grief, remember that the need to boo is a human condition, and like any human condition, not all cases of booing fit neatly into these stages. Perhaps a continuum would be a more appropriate designation...
At any rate, without further ado, the Five Stages of Booing...
Stage 1 -- "Immunity to Boos" -- At this level, a sports figure's eardrums will never have to vibrate to the low-pitched, high intensity-drone of thousands vocalizing their displeasure. The only person enjoying this stage is Richie Ashburn and unless you plan on going out on top the way he did, you won't be joining him in this stage. If the Mets found a way to cryogenically freeze Chase Utley, he might be at Stage 1.
Stage 2 -- "Tough Love" -- Contrary to popular opinion, Philly fans do not randomly boo a sports figure without some cause [not to be confused with "just cause", although as we will see later, there is a "just because"]. Typically it comes for a reason and even hometown stars can receive this treatment. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, Brian Westbrook, and Ryan Howard are often universally cheered, but if a strikeout, fumble, or fielding miscue comes at an inopportune time, boos can and will rain down, but usually only temporarily. It's as if
the crowd is saying, "we love you man, but that sucked" and as long as consistently good efforts are put forth, rarely will things advance to Stage 3.
Stage 3 -- "The Love/Hate Relationship" -- Over time, if a player or coach can defy what the fans consider to be good efforts or sensible decisions that there can be no holding back the vocal displeasure. Think of Pat Burrell in 2006 sucking his gut in and striking out looking on inside fastballs in clutch situations, or, think of the poorly executed pass play Andy Reid calls on third and short. Stage 3 is a chronic condition but is curable [see Pat Burrell, circa 2008], though Donovan McNabb and Mike Schmidt are perpetually trapped in this stage.
Stage 4 -- Only Hate Remains -- T.O., Michael Irvin, Drunk Santa. Stage 4 is reserved for those who have wronged a Philly sports team, either by disappointing or turning on their team or by dealing a crushing blow to one of the Philly teams. This is the pinnacle of booing and only a few are lucky enough to ever advance out of this stage once they are in it to the more benign Stage 5.
Stage 5 -- "Booing as Tradition" or "Just Because" -- In the final stage, fans boo a player because that is what they have done for years and it's just what you do. At this point, there's not a lot of animosity or malice left in the booing, it's just tradition, almost like going downashore in August. It's just what's done. Scott Rolen is an example of this type of booing. Most fans smile knowingly as they deliver this boo, similar to the way family members bond over a Thanksgiving turkey. It's perfectly acceptable for toddlers and grandmothers to participate in Stage 5.
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