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Philly Fans At The Bottom Of Their Game During Series

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By JOE O'NEILL Tribune Correspondent

The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 5, 2008

When the World Series began, there were several "givens" most observers could agree upon:

• That the Rays were one of the best feel-good sports stories in years.

• That Rays Manager Joe Maddon would charm the media.

• That Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels would be outstanding.

• That Phillies closer Brad Lidge might be impossible to score on.

• That Philadelphia fans would discredit themselves yet again.

Sure enough.

By all accounts, Phillies fans lowered their minimal standards for civility by abusing, intimidating and threatening Rays' family members and employees in Game 3. Including children. As Rays' owner Stuart Sternberg pointed out, "We're talking about behavior more suitable for a prison yard than a family ballpark."

Alas, that quote was likely taken as a compliment.

There's a rowdy, obnoxious element anywhere there are games, testosterone and beer. But only in Philadelphia - my hometown, I admit - is such behavior not just condoned - but celebrated.

"Yo, Philly's a tough town," would be the rejoinder, once cleaned up. And having besotted, paunchy, mutant vulgarians as fans is simply part of a "home-field advantage."

Rays officials had to ask Major League Baseball and Phillies management to intercede and do, well, something. Assuming that a culture of crude-and-lewd fandom wouldn't change overnight, many in the Rays' traveling party didn't even bother to attend the next game.

That's a disgrace - only exceeded in its ignominy by the perverse pride the Philly fan base takes in its barbarian-driven, home-field advantage. Citizens Bank Park as Tora Bora.

A number of the Phillies players, a consensus classy lot, were at the top of their game for the Series. Too many Phillies fans were at the bottom of theirs.

Would that they only cared about clinging to guns and religion in that part of Pennsylvania.

Lightning Jolt

Timing, of course, is everything. But could the much-anticipated, high-profile rollout of the largely overhauled Tampa Bay Lightning have gone worse? Worst to cursed?

Of the four teams that began the season in Europe, the Lightning, which lost twice to the New York Rangers in the Czech Republic, is the only one that came back winless and pointless. The offense was a no-show.

Presumably the team did do some bonding, but even that was overshadowed by reports from Canadian media - vigorously denied by the Bolts - that Lightning co-owner (and former NHL player) Len Barrie was in the Tampa Bay locker room in Prague diagramming plays. Even if not true, it's the sort of distraction no team trying to find its identity with new ownership, coaches and key personnel can afford. Plus, to a lot of people, it seemed like the sort of thing - however unfair - that Barrie just might do.

Upon returning to Tampa, the Lightning haven't played appreciably better. Including, most ignobly, the effort-challenged loss to San Jose - Dan Boyle's new team. And that chorus of boos at game's end had nothing to do with Halloween.

In addition, the Lightning didn't sell out the home opener and attendance - officially - is off about 3,000 a game.

Moreover, the Bolts, who always battle football for media priority at this time of the year, dropped farther under that radar by virtue of the Tampa Bay Rays' amazing run to the World Series.

Prague Upshot

There had been talk that the Lightning-Rangers games in Prague - as well as the Pittsburgh-Ottawa games in Stockholm - might be some sort of precursor to NHL international expansion plans. Especially after Los Angeles and Anaheim did it last year - and since more such regular-season games in Europe are in the offing.

Not.

Sources say the NHL, which will target Germany for its next games, only wants to increase league exposure - in order to boost product sales and viewership on cable and the Internet.

The problem with European franchises is several-fold. Major European capitals such as Paris and London could not care less about hockey, and cities that do have a passion for it, such as Prague, have limited financial resources. Unwieldy logistics and taxing travel schedules are a significant issue.

And while Russia loves hockey - and some of its cities have expressed an interest in hosting NHL games - working out player-contract details would be problematic. At best. It's still Russia.

Clichegate

The relationship between Lowry Park Zoo, its president Lex Salisbury, and Salisbury's private Safari Wild obviously has been getting the scrutiny it deserves. And has deserved for some time. The transfer of those three zoo rhinos to Safari Wild symbolized and illustrated the intermingling-of-assets and conflict-of-interest issues.

On balance, Salisbury has done a good job, and the Lowry Park Zoo is a credit to this community - but this is serious enough to have warranted Salisbury's leave-of-absence pending audits.

But "Rhinogate?"

The "gate" affix ("Troopergate" most recently) is a trite media staple that over-dramatizes, over-hypes and over-states whatever it references. It was a surprise that communications savvy Mayor Pam Iorio, who dubbed the Zoo-Safari controversy "Rhinogate," would traffic in it.

Joe O'Neill is a South Tampa writer who can be contacted at moesez@aol.com.

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