Dan Le Batard Goes After ‘Mean’ Philly Sports Fan: ‘An Ugly Part of That City, Their Fandom is Cruel’

Philadelphia sports fans are demanding of their teams. As much as their known for being dedicated and passionate, Philly sports fans are also notoriously recognized as cruel and obnoxious.

“I think it’s an ugly part of that city,” prominent podcast host Dan Le Batard said of Philadelphia and its fans. “Their fandom is cruel. There’s a pride in how mean they can be. They file it under caring, but it can be very cruel.”

After the 76ers were knocked out of the NBA Playoffs Sunday night, and cornerstone point guard Ben Simmons performed atrociously, Philly fans have predictably criticized the former basketball prodigy. The love-hate relationship Philly fans have with local players can make it difficult for even the best athletes to recover from a downswing in their career.

Simmons struggled “in a way that was vulnerable in a city that isn’t going to be trusted with that vulnerability,” the Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz host said, citing the ability of fans to dehumanize their real-life heroes.

“The reason that reaches me…you make fun of me all the time when I extend compassion to people who make millions of dollars. Is like, oh my god, that must suck to be weak in front of that many people and for all of us to see it,” Le Batard continued.

“Consider your weakest moments,” Le Batard suggested. “Whatever you view them, whenever you’ve wept, whenever you’ve doubted, whenever it is you have felt self-loathing, whenever it is you couldn’t figure something out. And now put the pressure of a city, the pressure of a locker room, the pressure of a one-seed on it.”

Le Batard’s opinion of Philadelphia is not a revelation. Even President Joe Biden recently called out Philly’s fervent sports enthusiasts, considering them “the most informed, most obnoxious fans in the world.”