After Wednesday night’s 7-5 loss that sent the Phillies 6 games back in the NL East, Shane Victorino had some strong opinions, some about how lousy his team is playing, but mostly about the lack of support the fans are giving them after there were some measly boos spread out across the ballpark.

 

Are these the same fans that filled Citizens Bank Park for the 80^th straight time that night? Are these the same fans that sat there in 105 degree weather spending eight dollars for a beer? Or as my friend pointed out, are these the same fans that came together in the millions to vote him into the All-Star game last year during the Final Vote Campaign?

 

Victrorino complained about how we the fans may have a short memory and are forgetting what they did the last 4 years, maybe he has the same short memory also?

These past two years are the reasons the fans are restless now. They remember how fun it used to be to watch this team come out every night and know no matter what the deficit was, this team always had the chance to come back.

 

I am what you call a “homer.” That is, I defend my Phillies to no end, I make excuses for them, pick up for them when they do something stupid on or off the field, but bashing the fans is where I draw the line. Sure there are thousands of frontrunners as Shane’s teammate J-Roll would like to call them, but there are millions more loyal fans that have watched this team through its darkest days.

 

In the past, Phillies were often asked how they handle the “tough” city of Philadelphia to which a few replied “If we are playing lousy, then we deserve to be booed, if we are playing great, we deserve to be cheered.” Pat Burrell for instance, was booed terrible for ten years, and he never once came out and bashed the fans for doing so, according to him, they had a right.

 

So for Shane’s sake, I hope he takes the high road from now on. Hopefully the fans see this as a little mishap on his part, and spare him the taunts and boos over the rest of the homestand, but if the way they reacted to Jimmy Rollins comments, expect the “frontrunners” to take Chase’s opinion on this one, “Boo? F*** you!”