Mets-Phillies Rivalry Already Turned Ugly

It took all of two games for the Mets-Phillies rivalry to turn ugly in the stands at Citizens Bank Park. I emailed with Nick, the photographer behind these photos of a bloodied up Mets fan to get the story.

Nick's report below:

I didn't see the incident occur, but the story that spread through our section was that he was hit on the head with a glass bottle. I don't know how you'd get a glass bottle into the stadium since they're doing full pat-downs this year, but I don't know what else could cause that kind of damage.

When the commotion started he was standing up, but he fell to the ground soon after I started watching. He was on the ground for a while and it took about 10-15 minutes for an EMT to arrive. They bandaged his head and helped him walk away. Apparently the perpetrator was immediately led away by the police.

Our area (section 143, in left field) and the outfield in general were pretty nuts throughout the game. A fan in the scoreboard porch area threw a bottle of beer on the field after Ibanez's home run, and I later saw police and security questioning him. Also, while the bloodied fan was waiting for the EMT to arrive, about 5-10 people in orange shirts were walked down from the scoreboard porch handcuffed by the police. I think they also were ejecting fans who threw Mets home runs back on the field. All in all a wild day. I wouldn't have wanted to have a family there. And it's only May. I can't imagine what the fall could be like.

Thanks to Nick for his report. This kind of behavior from either team's fans doesn't belong at the ball park. Why can't fans of both teams just enjoy some baseball and keep the trash talking to simply that: talking?

From the 2008 Archives: The only good Mets fan is one in cuffs [The700Level]

Comments

[Greg]

This really makes me embarrased to be a Phillies fan. We won the fucking World Series last year, we don't NEED to say or do anything to Mets fans. The Phillies did all the talking for us last year.

[theKrisheim]

terrible

stay home if you're gonna act like an idiot

sadly, with two more weekend mets series on the horizon, this will only get worse

[KG]

Any details, EVen tho we DID win the WS, Mets fans were the ones starting everying at the Friday game I was out. They were so desperate for material they tried arguing that Citizens Bank is worse off financially than Citi Bank. They just look for trouble, and many Phils fans responded after 8 innings of there harassing, not pillies harassing.

July 3rd and 4th weekend series will be utter fan chaos. My question is, why do CPB but a 100 pound 85 yr. old to control 2 of the 400 level sections. I felt so bad for her.

[Jason]

Ugh. It's these d-bags that give the whole fan base a bad name. Hope the guy isn't too hurt.

[RobG]

Theres already so much material to use to verbally get on a Mets fan, theres no need for this kind of crap. I was at the NLCS game 3 sitting in the outfield fearing for my life at Dodger Stadium, and all I could think was I'm proud that Phils fans would never do shit like this... this pisses me off.

[Kent]

How did they get in with a glass bottle? I can't even get a 6 oz plastic water bottle past security.

But yeah, this is fucked up. And makes me worry for the safety of our fans when we go to Queens.

[themajor]

I am all for good nature ribbings and all but I remember from my experiences the last couple of years at the mets games especially in left field that the people in the stands were nuts. this should be nothing new to the phillies organization so why don't they have any extra security on hand? Like the vet there are some pretty easy spots to predict where the problems are going to happen so be proactive not reactive. that being said this happens anywhere people have had a few too many and think they are tough.

[John]

I was at the game Friday sitting in section 208 (R field foul line, close to the RF wall). Things were on the tame side until the 8th when a Mets fan got tossed. Apparently a Phillies fan (in his 20's and slightly drunk) called security on the Mets guy because he "called his mom a skank." Then the Phils fan's friends led the @$$hole chant as he left. Meanwhile, the Mets fan was pretty well behaved the whole game (especially for a Mets fan) and didn't appear to run his mouth. It was pretty embarassing that a Phils fan would have such thin skin that he'd go out of his way to get this guy tossed for virtually nothing. I always thought we were a lot tougher than that.

[PhiPhan5648]

Fucking stupid. That's all there is to explain the douchetard that did this. I hate the METS, and a lot of their fans are Jaggovs with superficial tans, but I'd never hit one with a Beer Bottle.

[Upshaws Leash]

i am a Met fan from south jersey and i used to enjoy going to Phillies games, no matter who the Phillies were playing. this is no longer the case. it doesn't matter what you do, who you root for, or where you sit... it seems the increasing amount of drunken fans at the games will get you no matter what. a friend told me a story about a huge fight between two Phillies fans in the field boxes at Saturday's game...

[Walklett]

Who had May 2nd in the Mets Fan Assault pool?

[JP]

10-15 minutes for EMT's to arrive? That's really fast for Philadelphia!

[Sid]

this can be resolved pretty easily, don't wear mets clothing to a phillies game. Would you wear a manning jersey into a birds game at the linc?

[Mike]

Unbelievable.

[Sundermania]

Damn. I live in Queens and I was pretty set on going to the game on Thursday but now I'm not so sure.

Is it morally wrong to go anyway and not openly support the Phils?

[JayDashDog]

THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! Next time, beer bottle wielder, make sure you KILL the Mets fan.

Just kidding...it's not cool for things like this to happen but we don't know the entire story so let's not be so quick to indict Phillies fans

[boova]

That's funny Walklett, but this kind of crap is so sad. It's why our city is such a joke to so many people around the country because it's just as much the Phillies fans as it is Mets.

At the HK game two Fridays ago wearing my Red Sox hat, so many different people were trying to start fights with me about it it was astounding. That's the same kind of bullshit that happened here except it was involving people who were too stupid to ignore whomever the instigator was.

Contrarily, I wore my Phillies hat for an entire fall weekend in Boston and all it resulted in was a lot of true baseball fans opening me up for good conversation about the past season. No blood or shared glass to note.

[Andy]

@JayDash I could give a shit less what colors you root for, if you can't go to a game without being civilized and letting everyone there enjoy themselves just as much as you intend to, you shouldn't be allowed in the park, and everyone with the power to, from district attorneys to other fans, should indict your ass. It's by no means exclusive to our fanbase, but rampant idiocy is rampant idiocy. I hope this asshole gets the book thrown at him for making me an even bigger target when I sit in the outfield bleachers at Citi Field Thursday.

[Zack]

they arrested people for throwing mets hrs back?

when did this start?

[al]

well, us phils fans have a fun trip to citi field on June 11th!!! who else is going??

[Cecilio's Scribe]

@ JP - that's the whole problem. i am a mets/jets fan and go on the road every year to watch my teams at least once in a visiting park/stadium. you should be able to wear your jersey. sure, there should be some trash talk and ribbing, i'd expect nothing less. it's sad, though, if taking a bottle to the head or getting cursed out the entire game becomes the price of admission for an out-of-towner to attend a game in philly.

[clark1]

Love TV, only way to go!

[JayDashDog]

@Andy you're absolutely correct, I'm sorry to make you so angry. I hope you have a safe and enjoyable experience at Citi field.

[ai]

if you don't like it you can geeeeeeeet outtttt.

[Jarod]

Am I the only one that realized that it doesn't say PHILLIES fan beat this guy up?.....

[dykstraw]

hey sid! another way this could be resolved is by not behaving like a savage rabid animal.

[philthadelphia philthies suck]

actually, this is pretty much par for the course in that city.

[Chris]

Not to sterotype, but these philly rats are sometimes worse than the new york guidos.

What a disgrace, like that douche who ran over those cardinals fans in the crosswalk last year.

[John]

This is horrible. Some people just take things too far, there is no reason to assault someone at a baseball game. I feel bad for Mets fans that want to come to CBP for a game. The majority of Phils fans are civil and the majority of Mets fans are civil, this just gives everyone a black eye.

[slowski]

im not going to jump to conclusions and believe 'heard it through the grapevine' reports of a glass bottle. lots of things can casue bleeding like seen in the pic, even a plain old fashioned fist or even one of those aluminum bottles.

nevertheless, im sure this met fan got what he was looking for, a fight. and im not surprised he found one in philly at a phillies/mets game.

[will.H]

my thoughts exactly slowski. people jump to conclusions and assume he was mugged by a mob of 20 phillies fans armed with chains and knives. hearsay is a tough way to draw conclusions considering this guy probably got into an altercation, and im sure he wasnt alone. Mets fans arent know for being very humble/shy. But, they hear about something like this and whine and pull the 'class' card. I dont like violence either, but most of the time the fans get what they ask for. If this guy was so tough he wouldnt be hunched over on the ground with a booboo on his head. he represents the mets very, very well.

[Will]

I was at this game, and there was tension in our section (132) between the Mets & Phils fans. We didn't see anything get ugly like that, but what is most upsetting to me in the report is the following, "I think they also were ejecting fans who threw Mets home runs back on the field". SERIOUSLY? Fights happen in every stadium, and this is a rivalry so that is no big deal to me. Kicking your own fans out because they threw the ball back is complete GARBAGE. Didn't they have the kid dropping the ball over the edge on the highlight reel a few season's back?!? WTF.
Great game, one of the best I've ever been too.

[EW]

I could see someone sneaking a bottle in. At one of the Padres games I was able to get 3 cans of beer in with a hoodie no problem. They definitely haven't given me a full pat down at any of the games I've been to this year

[buncha-animals]

Par for the course at Thugs Bank Park. Bottom line, don't take children to baseball games there, god forbid anyone exhibit self control.

[EastFallowfield]

One of the HR balls thrown back 'came close to the ump' they said on the broadcast. (Wasn't shown). Maybe that's the reason for the ejection.

The last game I went to at Shea there were some Phils fans who got the same treatment, and the Mets were winning. So it's not a unique feature of Philly.

[slowski]

throwing hr's back is fucking corny

[Estebomb]

This is terrible and should never happen. I don't understand why people have to chuck bottles at people and get out hand like this. However I can't agree with John, I don't feel bad for MOST Mets fans at CBP because most of them are really annoying and act like complete jackasses.

This should be an interesting 4th of July.

[Sean]

I was there for this game and sitting in 147 - it was pretty crazy. There was actually a section a level above us that had about 20 Mets fans kicked out in the 8th inning - not sure exactly what happened but plenty of guys were being led out in cuffs, and a couple had black eyes.

There was an obnoxious Mets fan in front of me who was riling people up and screaming something after every pitch (using foul language with his kid there, nonetheless), with the intention of eliciting a reaction. The guy across from him basically told him to shut up with it, and the Mets fan stepped towards him. A couple people in the section stopped it before it went anywhere and one of the employees came over and gave him a warning.

In this situation, I would not have felt bad for the Mets fan if he got clocked by a couple punches because he was actively looking for a fight. Not saying I would have done it or even condone it, but I wouldn't have felt bad. That being said...

It's one thing to root for your team, and another to instigate the home fans, but at no point would it ever cross my mind to throw a bottle at someone's head. This is totally out of control and there's just no justifying this type of behavior.

[will.H]

buncha-animals, thats a really sweet nickname you came up with: Thugs Bank Park. take a coffee break and rethink how silly you sound. If you want to take your kids somewhere, Flushing NY is where its at. One big chucky cheese up there in NY. thing is, mets fans condemn stupid behavior online then support it at their own park. how many mets fans would come to a philly blog and condemn this behavior if it were a phillies fan hunched over with a cut on his head? You'd beat your hairy chest and proclaim moral victory. When i was there friday night, 3 typical coward mets fans were talkin shit to me and only me because i was with a girl. if i was with 5 big dudes they would have been the pussies they were raised to be.

[Devon]

Class acts you got here in Philly, real class acts. Don't let all those years of success go to your heads, guys.

[chuck]

how could violence erupt during the least violent sport besides golf and bowling? Leave that up to philly.

[Bud]

Hey chuck and devon, you guys should come out to CBP for july 4th, you could probably share a seat.

[KG]

until someone dies this isnt big news, but glad to read it otherwise zi never have know. This happens on a dailt basis. Blue Jays banned alcohol sales for an entire game due to roudy fans. This is Si Kids News.

[Serena (Harpo42)]

I hate that people see us this way. I don't care how much the Mets fans suck and how obnoxious they are, there is NO REASON to resort to violence! And violence INCLUDES pouring your beer or throwing food on them. I wore a Red Sox shirt to the park last summer and had all sorts of stuff thrown at me and big, giant drunk guys screaming in my face as I just walked on the concourse. I wasn't doing anything but walking. I had to find a group of Sox fans to hang out with just to feel safe. And I am from the area and a Phillies fan! But now that I know how it feels to be on the other end of it, I am even more embarrassed by the way Phillies fans act and react to rival fans. Every big dumb drunk guy should be forced to wear another team's shirt to the park one day and see how it feels. I was worried about my safety that day and even though I was cheering for both teams, it didn't matter. They just saw the shirt and saw me as an easy target and went after me. If they were that nasty to a girl walking by herself, imagine how nasty they are to guys they see as actual threats. It's ridiculous. Leave your egos and violent tendencies at the gate. Just enjoy the game.

[will.H]

@ Chuck and Devon.

you smart-asses must have missed

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkOoWCpmZiI&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXENnYqKKnI&feature=related

fights happen in NY too? garsh

[will]

@serena:

if you're a phillies fan at a phillies game why are you wearing a red sox shirt?

[Steve]

This kind of shit just pisses me off. It's part of the reason football has become less appealing to me over the years, just stupid meat head fans who want to prove they're tough shit. The Phillies are the World Fucking Champions. If a Mets fan wants to talk shit to you just laugh at him, he's insecure about a fucking pro sports team.

No need to crack a guy in the head.

[Speederice]

@ EastFallowfield

I was in right field (Sec 105) when the guy threw back the first Mets HR ball a few sections down, and he one-hopped it to the second-base umpire.

The umpire glared back and started pointing toward him, and security came to kick him out.

I felt bad for the guy cuz everyone in the stands was chanting for him to throw it back and booing him. After security came, everyone chanted to let him stay, but because the next HR ball was hit in the very next AB, everyone's attention span kind of left the guy getting ejected.

Next time, I'd give the ball to someone else to throw back. Geez.

[Bob]

Not in our house! Yea! Bring the doom.

[Gaze]

I'm heading to Citi Field this Wednesday for a game... Here's hoping me and my buddies don't suffer the same treatment!

[Mike]

that guys head was making it rain all over CBP pavement lol

in all seriousness you hate to see this happen. but before anyone jumps to conclusions this guy probably didnt shy away from the situation so im not mad. he probably got what he deserved, although i dont agree with it...do you see the 4 mets fans around him in the picture ? that tells me it wasnt just phillies fans starting shit, so before people get all angry an talk shit..we should PROBABLY get the whole story first

[themajor]

I think alot has to do with the phillies great tailgate scene. I know I have partaken myself. I mean yeah I get drunk but I am smart drunk who is small and would lose any fight. that being said add secruity put a little courtroom in the stadium and the problem will shrink. It will never go away. Also compared to the rest of the world american sport fans are probably the most civil out there. philadelphia is just the most notorious since we have a reputation for antics but clearly we aren't alone and for those to think otherwise and just being stupid and niave.

[Manny]

I think the girl wearing the Red Sox jersey was a Red Sox fan last season after they won in 2007. She then switched to being a Phils fan after we won last year and jumped on the bandwagon. I think that was her justification for being a Phils fan from Philadelphia, but wearing a Red Sox jersey last year.

[vicky]

Reading these comments is just sad.

This story should have absolutely nothing to do with which teams were playing and which fan threw what...this should be about the fact that as HUMAN BEINGS we should all know better. Baseball is a game, entertainment for us all and we should all be allowed to feel safe and have fun at the games. Sure there are rivalries and sure there is fun to be had at other team's fans expense but JESUS CHRIST harming others should NOT be involved no matter which team you root for or where the game is played. There is no excuse for this. This act, not to mention the hateful nature of the comments here, make me sad for the state of baseball and its fans. Grow up.

[Alan Smithee]

Wow, people are actually defending someone who whacked another guy with a glass bottle because the victim was a Mets fan? Stay classy, Philadelphia.

[themajor]

@alan smithee: out of the 50 comments so far like 3 people did. so those 3 people represent all of philly? A majority of the posts on here are people outraged by it. the guy shouldn't have thrown the bottle period. so don't go helping the problem by assuming we are all a bunch of assholes. people like you are just as bad as the people that throw the bottles. you add fuel to the fire.

[poorsports]

@ speederice

i was there at the game and the scene in "rookie of the year" where the kid throws the ball all the way back to the catcher came to mind.

i've never seen a fan throw back a HR ball so far. this dude had an arm on him and the ump stared him down and pointed, but i had no idea they started booting people for throwing the ball back.

did the ump really think he was trying to hit him? it was a HR, not a blown call or missed ball/strike, why would he think the fan was targeting him? so stupid.

[will.H]

vicky, i bet the guy hunched over on the ground was reading his rosary just before he handed out bagged lunches to the homeless. Come back from lala land. Its not a 21st century quality to hate your rival enough to pop a pimple on the back of his neck (see all the blood). This has been happening between human beings with differences since the beginning of time. Everyone needs to stop with the grand-standing shocked attitutde.

[clark1]

Sorry, don't understand this "in yer face" 'tude of throwing the (HR) ball back on the field. Thought that's why you went to the game and were lucky to get one. Sorry, idiots, but don't git it! You have some problems. That's why, save your money and watch on TV, don't need that mentality loose on the streets or in the park. That just contributes to what this thread is all about.

[bigmyc]

To answer your poignant question, Rico; because mankind, with all that is bestowed upon him including self awareness, is still an ignorant sort without wholesale concern for fair play or simple courtesy as a manner of course. I have been considered a misanthrope in the past, yet am continually reminded by life in general why that critique is actually a badge of honor to those who know better.

Please refer to, "the Day the Earth Stood Still" for further clarity on this subject.

Until the day, as we know it, is wiped away by the events unfolding up to December 21, 2012;....."Whaaahooo! Everybody hits! Go Fightins!"

[will.H]

bigmyc, do you write books or encyclopedias

to refine your profound definition, i think what you meant is: because mankind is full of wangers

[ai]

@ Gaze,

you're fucked.

[Jimbo]

Anyone lose a shoe?

[mike b]

you suck serena. please don't ever try to speak as a phillies fan...

[bigmyc]

Indeed, Will H. Indeed.

Although, there are a great many of those of our society, who, through natural disposition or else, self augmentation, have advanced the human condition admirably whether it be on a grand scale or simply in every day occurences, the fact remains that there are far too many fucking assholes for our own good.

The formality aside, I can almost see how this shit went down. An Ahole here, an ahole there, aholes everywhere and somebody got fucked up....what a surprise....over a baseball game. WTF? You are right about human beings partaking in this since the dawn of man's existence. The unfortunate part is that with all the credits to humankind that I had mentioned existed, it doesn't do enough to offset the scourge that the better half of mankind is slowly succumbing to.

There is still a chance though.

[mattTHEBat]

I was at Friday's game and I'll admit trying to get a Mets fan kicked out. The dude was smoking the whole game and it was blowing in my face. There are areas for that. Several people asked him to stop during the game - he eventually did. As a Phillies fan, the staff at CBP has to do something about the behavior, esp. the drunk meat head Phillies fans who all go crazy on the Flex Cam and use profanity every 2 minutes. Sooner or later, they could start people starting to blow for BAC and it has to be below .08 to enter or something

[David]

I'm a born and bread Philadelphian who, for reasons that I don't remember, has also been a Mets fan since he was a little. Even as a Mets fan who hated the very idea of a Phillies championship, I was proud of the way this city came together to celebrate and root for the Phils. And yes, I was goddamn jealous.

That said, the situation at Mets-Phillies games is deplorable. Most Phillies fans are great: a few ribbings, some joking hatred, and it's all good. The way baseball should be. But there's a sizable contingent who really embarass our city with their loutish, frequently violent and threatnening, behavior. I've been to Phillies-Mets games in NY, and though Mets fans are no saints, it's nowhere near as bed. I love this city, but sometimes a few idiots can make it very, very hard.

[AnotherMetFan]

Bleeding from the back of the head... something tells me that this guy wasn't asking for what happened to him. You would think if your going to attack someone with 40,000 people on your side you would atleast have the decency to let him see it coming. What a coward.

[NM]

this is what happens when the phillies cant sell our their stadium with PHILLIES fans vs the Mets.

[Scott B]

@serena.

How can you wear a Red Sox shirt to a Phils game and then say how you are a Phillies fan and from the area? Please explain and it better be good.

[mattTHEBat]

@NM

Selling out with Phillies fans has nothing to do with violence. Out of 43,000 seats, I'd say at least 4-5,000 are Mets fans, if that, probably less. A lot of Mets fans buy tickets early and in large group packages.

If you want to talk selling out, I love how your organization read the struggling economy well and priced premium seats that most average middle class citizens couldn't afford anyway. Now that both our stadiums have about the same number of seats, we'll see who shows up more this season.

[Liam]

@ NM:

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/attendance?sort=home_pct&year=2009&seasonType=2

Simply go there, look who is #2 in percentage of tickets sold and then realize you look like an idiot. It makes sense that lots of Mets fans come here, and vice versa when the games are in NY, due to the close proximity of the teams and fanbases. Not only that the Phils draw 4,000 more fans a game total.

I think its great being able to watch your team at another stadium in any other sport, but you have to be very careful of making sure you don't cross the line. The mets fan who got hurt may very well have been at fault for instigating, but maybe it was the fault of a Phils fan, nobody here knows. Regardless I agree with the overall message that there is absolutely NO place for this at a baseball game no matter what the reasons are as there are other ways to deal with it by going to security.

Also don't take the select few comments people making saying that this type of violence is being accepted here, the majority of people aren't, and anybody who thinks these actions are acceptable I want nowhere near me at any time, especially at a baseball game.

[KG]

NM your retarded. Stub hub, ebay, phillies.com, craigslist. Mets fans resorted to these sites b\c the game was sold out, been sold out since March. Phils fans are profiting from the mets fans. and if we accepted Pesos as curency we would prolly have more mets fans there.

[John B]

The problem is the alcohol. People get so emotionally worked-up about Mets-Phillies and for good reason. They're huge rivals and every game means so much. When you throw alcohol on it, it just takes rabid fans to a new level, and you get crap like this. I have no problem, as a Met fan, with seeing Phillies fans at Citi Field. You have as much a right as I do to come to the ballpark and cheer your team. I believe most Phillies fans feel the same way. Root for your teams, folks. Leave all that garbage elsewhere. Your fights are meaningless. Enjoy each others' company and remember that the real fight is going on on the field - and none of us has any control over it. That's why we love it so much.

[jim]

I've been to 7 games so far this season, and the same amount all year last year and i have NEVER been properly patted down....easy as hell to get a glass bottle in, if that's what hurt that guy. Also, in that same amount of time, i've also NEVER seen someone get thrown out for throwing back HRs let alone get arrested...at least not in the time i glanced over to the section for the duration of the inning the HR was hit. Anyway...despite being biased, the mets fans do suck, and bring out the worst in everyone...so screw 'em

[BHoles24]

Listen - if you didn't attend either of the games this weekend, then PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE shut your mouths. Their fans start it, and WE finish it. That's the way it goes. They come to our city, our stadium to enjoy a REASONABLY PRICED baseball game, and they come in numbers. And they make their presence known. With everyone boozing, something as small as going "BOO" to a walking Mets fan, can cause a break out. That's what happened here. Two guys were booing Mets fan. The dumby pictured happened to swing first, and often. He lost his balance and then got his ass kicked. Get your facts straight - and stop blaming all the chaos on Out of control Phillies fans

[Dewyane]

Phillies and Mets have the same exact type of fans, loyal, passionate and not spoiled. Mets fans are a bit more passionate because baseball is the top sport in New York. Just like the Eagles are bigger here than the Giants. I really cant understand the hypocrisy of saying who is a bad bunch of fans. Mets fans travel like the Flyer fans do. You hear Lets Go Flyers in Pittsburgh and New Jersey yet Phillies fans get bent over the Mets chant. Why? We like to travel too.
It's a great rivalry and I hope that the ones who overstep their bounds get policed by their own fans going forward.

[nycphillyphan]

I was there on Saturday with my two kids (14 yrs old) - down from NYC - but absolute Phillies' phans! Sat in Sec 140 and saw some of the tumult in left field bleachers.

When Ibanez connected I saw the bottle fly out of the stands. Couldn't tell if it was from a frustrated Mets fan or an elated Phillies fan. It was an exciting, jarring moment - and I could see someone having a knee-jerk reaction - but I can't condone throwing s--t on the field.

Going to Citi to see the Phils - not planning to wear too much red/white.

[John]

Assholes are asshole regardless of which team they root for. There is no shortage in Philly or New York. I was at a Mets-Phils Sunday night game last year at Shea. I saw a Phillies fans rip up a kids sign then proceed to get into a fight with the security guards. The security guards, won by the way.

There's nothing wrong with some good natured ribbing, but the minute you start throwing punches or bottles you're out of line. You're going to fight over a game. Thats just sad.

Same goes for taking more of an interest in taunting other fans than watching the game. Sit down and watch the game, or at least have the courtesy to not obstruct everyone else's view,

[Section112]

As a season ticket holder I have seen just about every team come to CBP wearing their jerseys and rooting for their team. The only time there are problems like this is when the Mets are in town. No one should ever be assaulted at a game, but quite frankly, I see this as a reflection on the behavior of visiting Met fans

[BunchOfSavagesInThisTown]

I'm a Mets Fan who will openly admit I LOATHE CitiField. I am humiliated that piece of garbage is what we ended up with, a place with awful sitelines and designed to think of the fans enjoyment of the on-field action 5th or 6th on the priority list.

That said I live in Central Jersey and the 2 stadiums are equal distance, so I decided to take in a game at CBP this Friday. Can I just say this is architectually my favorite place I have ever seen a ball game. Yes I was wearing an old school Mets hat and my wife had on a Danny Murphy T-Shirt. However I am always respectful of being in someone else's house. When I see a fellow Mets fan being a douche, I want to be the one to bitch slap him. When the Mets do something good I will applaud , but not jump up and act like we just won the WS while Jessica Beil does a strip tease on the field. You gotta respect being in the other people's house. Hell I was booing my own guy as Ollie left the game.
That being said a few guys were making some comments behind us under their breath and as the beers flowed more the comments got louder. By the 5th inning a few peanuts were flung my way, which I tried to turn into a laughing matter by thanking the guy and eating two. In the 7th my wife had to use the head and when she stood up (No action going on at the time, she knows better than that) one of the Phine Pans screamed "Sit the fuck down, cunt"
I jumped up out of instinct and 6 meatheads stood up with me staring me down. Now I am far too intelligent to know 6 chromosome-challenged assholes vs. me is a losing proposition, so we jetted out to the standing area by the pens. As we were leaving the game we saw three of these guys and one guy made it a point to cross over the concourse and do the tough guy shoulder bump to me. Luckily there was a cop right there who screamed at him other wise a fight was going to be unavoidable.
Its too damn bad, because like I said you guys are blessed with an amazing stadium, and I would happily go to a half dozen games there annually (Gave up my ticket plan at Bankrupt Field), but shouldn't have to fear my safety.
And for the record at Phils-Mets games the incidents are generally not too bad in Flushing. It is the Mets-Yanks games that are Vito the Greaser's amateur hour at the ballpark.

[Mike B]

I was at Saturdays game in sec 141 and I will never set foot in CBP again. For 7 innings, my son and I were subjected to F### Mets fan, F### ass####, F### the Mets, non-stop. Ushers ignored it, security was nowhere to be seen. For what? Because I wore a Pedro Martinez shirt? Is CBP that bad that you can't supprt your team by wearing a shirt?

[Mike]

I will say that I've been to Phillies games in DC (annoying), San Diego (tame), Arizona (even tamer) and LA (including the playoffs last year). DC was just a bunch of blowhards and while I've heard the stories about the LA games, I had infield loge box seats and didn't have to deal with the outfield crowd. That said, I've only had two instances in hundreds of games I've ever been to where I felt that violence may have been imminent. One was a Red Sox preseason game where a Sox fan wanted to start a fight with my 60+ year old father and a Mets game last year, where some of their fans in my area made a point to stand as close as possible to me, yell as loud as they could, and try to intimidate my qife and I. All in all uncalled for behavior. I am not a trash talker on other team's fans, other than an occassional playful boo or thumbs down, and I refuse to act in any negative way towards a father/son combo just going to catch a game. I've read the report, but honestly, it doesn't really say anything as far as what happened. I won't place blame on either fan base. Shit happens though, as unfortunate as it may have been in this case.

[chip]

I was at the game on Saturday and there was a lot of crap going on between the Phils and mets fans. The problem with the mets fans is that they wear their horrible uniforms and then don't expect to get any crap for it. If you are going to wear the visiting team's jersey, EXPECT to get some crap for doing it. I know I expect it when I do it. In fact in the past, when I didn't get crap, I was disappointed. When I say "crap" I mean some pointed digs about being a met fan, not anything physical. Having said that, I can only hope that that met fan was hit in self defense, as that kind of stuff should never happen.

[darsh]

I'm not condoning violence in any way but I think everyone is too quick to judge what happened here. Also, I don't think this guy would be bleeding if he didn't do some type of provoking. I've been to a lot of Phils-Mets games and never seen anyone on either side get fucked up unless they deserved it.

[Marc]

I was at the game Saturday wearing a Met jersey and hat and had to face the idiotics of most phila fans. It's not enough that you're defending champions, because thats not whats important to you. It's the inferiority complex that you suffer from because you know that philadelphia will never ever be NY. Resorting to violence is your best reaction. I've been in stadiums with heated rivalries like Mets/Yanks and never have I seen this type of bullshit. MOST phillie fans don't deserve to be in that ballpark. It's way too nice for you!

[mattthebat]

@ Marc.

Yeah, Philly wants to be NY. The Mets really have contributed to winning a lot of titles in NY. Keep in mind, you do have 8 major sports teams compared to our 4 and the Yankees have won about 3/4 of your championships.

We don't deserve to be in our own ballpark? Half of the NY fans don't deserve to be in theirs. Most Mets fans are rich pricks from North Jersey who envy New York anyway.

You're right though, Philly will never be NY and we don't want to be. Let's get one thing straight. Doesn't matter what sport you play, you walk into a stadium or arena with an opposing team's jersey, you are going to get shit. This could be in Dallas, Boston, New York, Philly or a UNC-Duke game. That is the price you pay.

New York fans do just as much shit as Philly fans do, but because the media sucks your city's left nut, nothing is ever reported.

Mind you that last year, Minnesota Twins fans threw hats and baseballs at White Sox players last year and ESPN loved it. If that was done in Philly, it'd be the total opposite and everyone knows it.

[Mike]

The whole inferiority complex argument is ridiculous and grasping at straws. Has anyone spewing this been a part of any other meaningful sports rivalry? I was a part of the Duke-UNC rivalry and Duke fans still talked smack on UNC when they won the title in '01, and UNC fans have done the same when they have won titles since then. Red Sox fans snickered at the Yankees when they won their titles, and I'm sure the Yankees fans did the same during their recent glory years. Living in LA, Celtics-Lakers is very much alive, regardless of who is on top. In the years that I lived in Philadelphia, I never remember anyone indicating that they wished that the city was New York. It's just completely preposterous and an insecure argument. Get over it.

[peeterpoon]

As a Philadelphia native who now lives in Queens, it was always fun to see Mets fans at the Vet (and now CBP) and Phillies fans at Shea (and now Citi Field). God knows that both cities coan use the tourism dollars.
There was good-natured fun that went along with this Turnpike rivalry. Violence was for the Red Sox-Yankees idiotic diehards. Mets and Phillies fans generally have a sense of humor about things.
From what I saw on Saturday that happily was the case. I feel badly about the fan who got smashed in the head by a jerk. I hope that the Philadelphia DA (Lynn Abraham) prosecutes this moron to the fullest extent of the law.

[will.H]

Marc, spare us the WFAN speak and start thinking for yourself. We know mimmicing a radio personality is pretty sweet while youre drinkin miller lite with your broskies, but its unoriginal. Come up with something more interesting than: Phillies fans want what the mets have. In reality, who on earth wants what the mets have? haha, you're the laughing stock of sports. Only currently though, until even new yorkers realize how useless theyve become after several years of proving it, hardcore.

[J.P.]

I watched the fight happen the drunk Met fan was shooting his mouth off and took a swing at a rather large Philly fan. He missed got caught clean with a right hook and his head bounced off the ground opening it up. There was no weapons just a Met fan who couldn't take a punch.

[Tommy]

Shocking that something like this would happen in the same sports city that installed a courtroom and jail at the old Vet. Some things never change.

[erik b]

i was at this game and me and my g.f saw these orange shirt gang lol. every1 was staring down from that section and i was wandering what happened cause i saw these ppl getting taking away in handcuffs. the shit is nuts. we were wandering what exactly happened now we know

[Bridget]

I like a rivalry, but hitting someone like that? That's just mean.
Stay at home if you are going to act like that.
Most of us want to go see a ball game, not people acting complete fools.

[How do you spell retard?]

Not enough blood.

[Mike]

If somehow it was a glass bottle that's terrible. That whole fan base now has a bad rep. At least at Wrigley we go toe to toe with sox and cardinal fans (refer to Michael Barrett).

[nymets13]

see you in queens :)

[Rich Roberts]

and this is why I would NOT go to game in Philly although I am dying to see their ballpark. It is because of the Philly fans it IS because of some of the jerk off Mets fans that I would associated with because I would hafta go and represent my team....

[ron]

i don't even understand the mets hate.

the braves and fish are significantly better and the mets are the same if not worse.

new york hate is futile. they are smug and arrogant, but they have a lot to be proud of. they have as many world series rings as we do in 80 years less time, and as many playoff appearances. if you want to hate reyes, i get it. he's an assclown.

if you want to hate boston... well, that i understand. between espn hype (the majority of employees are new englanders) and the transient academic population that passes through for four years at a clip they have a "nation" of fans with no character.

[Cliff]

Exactly why I can't take my daughter to a pro-sports game. This isn't just a Philly thing, though, it's in all professional sports cities.

I go to the Eagles @ Redskins every year and there's ALWAYS some stupid (read: drunk) Skins fans throwing up, yelling belligerent things, etc. Same thing at Virginia Tech football games when I was a student.

I'm not saint, but I'd like for sports to be family-friendly.