Asshole of the Week

Earlier, we mentioned that Mayor Nutter had a great quote about all the Phillies celebrations going on: "You can be joyous. You cannot be a jackass." We were at the parade earlier this afternoon, and there certainly were a whole lot of joyous people around, and not a lot of jackasses. It was refreshing, particularly after the absolute shitshow that was Wedensday night.

C'mon, you knew this had to be said. The overwhelming majority of the hundreds of thousands of revelers who took to the street after Brad Lidge's absolutely sick slider made Eric Hinske look like the last kid picked for a gym class game were appropriately rowdy. Key word being appropriately. We're all for the impromptu block party, within reason. We can even understand that some people were so riled up that they climbed stoplights, with the caveat that you do so at your own peril, and we won't feel bad for you in the least if you fall off. But you've got to admit that, for some people, Wednesday night—which largely united this city in a way that it hasn't been as long as this Phillyist can remember—was an excuse to do all the asshole bullshit stuff without little fear of repercussions because of the overwhelming crowds.

There's no reason to flip over a car, or smash in a windshield, or take out a piece of art. Just because there's a fire truck on Broad Street, that doesn't mean it's okay to set fires.

We don't think it's an understatement to say that Wednesday night was one of the most exciting nights in this city's long and storied history. For the people who have waited, suffered, for 25 long and often excruciating years, it was a night of redemption. And 99% of us were appropriately raucous. But Philly fans have a bad reputation, nationally, because of the all-too-vocal minority, and I couldn't help but be disappointed that the reputation of obnoxious, destructive, violent Philadelphians will live on because of that small minority who used Wednesday night to be complete and utter assholes. We're also a bit ticked about it, because these people saved Joe Buck and Tim McCarver, or Pat Burrell (as Miss Bee, completely understandably, called out for being a total prick), from being this week's dishonorees.

But alas, we're going to have to call the small but noticeable population of Philadelphia fans who made us all look bad (again) this week's Assholes of the Week.

Image Credit: Flickr user LuvataciousSkull