Being the Dallas Cowboys fan that I am, I have a deep-seeded hatred for the Philadelphia Eagles. The rivalry between the two teams is pretty intense, so naturally I should be expected to harbor at least a passing dislike for the Iggles (as their fans lovingly call them). But my experience with Philly fans suggests that they may very well be the most annoying fans around. Take, for instance, the time they threw batteries at Santa Claus. Or, even worse, the time they cheered the injury of Michael Irvin – as he was being carted off on a stretcher following an on-field collision. Plus, they routinely boo their team when they deem their performance unsatisfactory. Yeah, not so sweet.
I visited Philly once with a friend of mine, who himself was a homer. He showed me the sights and I must admit that I quite enjoyed the city itself. And the cheesesteaks were, well, heavenly is a word that comes to mind. However, the main event of our trip was the Barcelona-Manchester United friendly that was to be played at the brand new Lincoln Financial Field. The game turned out to be a fun one, but I found myself surrounded by hordes of Eagles fans who insisted on wearing their team garb and constantly yelling the lamest team chant in sports. “E-A-G-L-E-S…Eagles!” Over and over again. Congrats, morons. You can spell. Hooray for that. (By the way, a close second for the lamest team chant has got to be the Jets: J-E-T-S…Jets, Jets, Jets!). The fact that most of those in attendance were so only because they wanted to help christen their new field did not sit well with the soccer purist in me.
And so today I awoke to the news that the Eagles had signed Michael Vick to a two-year contract. This provides yet another reason for me to despise Philly. I’m all about second chances and all. Everyone screws up in life, and sometimes majorly so. In most circumstances, I can find reason to forgive and forget. But Vick’s crimes didn’t simply arise from a case or two of bad judgment. The dude was torturing and killing innocent animals for sport. That is evil, no matter which way you spin it. And it says to me that this is one sick, twisted person who doesn’t deserve the second chance he’s been given. It’s not like he suddenly rehabilitated himself and doesn’t, deep down, still enjoy the idea of betting on the outcome of a dogfight. That’s something that sticks with you, a character trait that emanates from one’s very core being. Eighteen months in the lockup doesn’t quench that thirst. It just teaches you that society frowns on it, so you shouldn’t do it. The taste for blood will likely persist.
And so I, for one, will not cheer for Vick when he steps back onto the field. And I will wince when I see the standing ovation that he’ll no doubt receive once he does return. The willingness of sports fans to forgive cheating and, in this case, killing, confuses me. Manny Ramirez sits out 50 games because he cheated and he’s greeted like the second-coming by Dodgers fans when his suspension ends. What the?
All I know is Vick’s second act simply illustrates the fact that there really is no justice in this world. But at least I can rest comfortable in the knowledge that he found the perfect place – and the perfect fans – for his comeback.
