Oct 6, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA;Philadelphia Phillies fans reacts in the ninth inning against the New York Mets during game two of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images
Fine, we'll take the bait.
Evan Roberts, an NYC sports talk radio host for WFAN 660 AM, decided to bring his family to Citizens Bank Park for game two of the Phillies/Mets NLDS. Here's what he had to say about the experience in a halfhearted WFAN hit piece on Phillies fans ("Evan details experience with 'disgusting' Phillies fans while attending Mets game two loss.")
The headline is wildly misleading, because Roberts does not specify any "details" whatsoever regarding his experience. There are no specific claims in the article regarding anything Phillies fans did to make Roberts uncomfortable.
That pesky lack of facts didn't stop Roberts from tearing into the Philly Phaithful:
They were so disgusting, and such awful human beings. Imagining them celebrating a championship actually pains me. . . . If there is a Yankees/Phillies World Series, that would be weeks away. That's time to let the wounds heal. That's time to remind myself that I never have to go back into that disgusting city . . . but as of right now, did my experience make it more likely that I would root for the Yankees in a Yankees/Phillies World Series? Oh hell yeah.
Oh no! If the Phillies go to the World Series they may not have Evan the Mets fan in their corner!
"You've got a lot of scum in your city and I experienced it," Roberts told Hugh Douglas and Joe Giglio on 94WIP's Midday Show on Tuesday.
But here's where it gets really good. Roberts says he feared for his life at Citizens Bank Park. (Again, with no details whatsoever about what Phillies fans said or did to him.)
I'm thinking to myself, 'How are we gonna get out of here alive if the Mets win?' I actually thought that the Phillies winning was beneficial to us getting out of there in one piece.
Well, if Roberts does not want to discuss the details of his harrowing journey, maybe we can glean some information from his tweets about his trip to the Bank.
Invading pic.twitter.com/mTIiYXX9hf
Ok, Roberts is "invading." Interesting choice of words for a guy who just wants to spread love at an intense postseason game among two longtime rivals.
— Evan Roberts (@EvanRobertsWFAN) October 6, 2024
So far, so good? Roberts is snapping shots of beautiful Citizens Bank Park.
The sweet sound of silence followed by angry boos
The Mets are winning and Roberts is having a blast. Still no indication that his life is in danger.
Now it’s loud pic.twitter.com/K3jI4jd9Ei
Phillies fans came to life after Bryce Harper's electric home run.
This experience is aging me rapidly
And that's about it. Roberts sounds stressed in the last tweet, but it seems more about the Phillies' comeback on the field than anything going on in the stands.
Not once during the game, with his smartphone in hand, did Roberts document an instance of Phillies fans behaving poorly. Not once!
Roberts' bullshit is the lowest form of engagement-baiting. But it worked. He received the attention he was looking for. Here are some of the best responses from Phillies fans under WFAN's tweet of the hit piece:
Wow @ShaunMorash
It’s almost as if it’s a political debate…no facts, no actual incidents just a bunch of vitriol
Almost like it’s just for a good radio story
Embarrassing stuff from you, diaper genie
New Yorkers: We’re the toughest SOBs around! Nobody should mess with us!
Also New Yorkers: The Phillies fans said mean things to me at a baseball game and it made me feel bad.
I'm so sorry this is happening to Evan. I hope he finds the courage to fight on.
0 examples, nothing but trust me bro. Here’s a Mets fan’s pov from last night pic.twitter.com/PPIBn2ZEo8
Explain the “detail” you talk about here, because last I checked there isn’t a single one in this “article” at all.
— Howie Roseman’s Burner (@HowieBurner) October 7, 2024
On Pattison has reached out to Evan Roberts for comment.
