Community Corner
Phillies Fans React 45,000-Plus Strong to bin Laden's Death
Fans from all over Philadelphia and beyond made national news with their unified chant of "USA USA' during a game against, of all teams, the New York Mets. One Patch freelancer was at the game to catch the reaction first-hand.
Ryan Madson was on the hill in the 9th inning of a 1-1 game on Sunday night, the Phillies hoping they could hold off the New York Mets for one more half-inning and finish them off in regulation.
Nationally televised on ESPN, with an 8 PM start time, it was already going to be a late Sunday for most of the 45,000 plus gathered in the snug confines of Citizen's Bank Park.
It was tense moment. Madson was facing the Mets' Daniel Murphy who'd just come in to pinch hit.
But barely a soul was watching the game.
Instead, everyone was staring down at their cell phone, checking text messages and social network feeds. It was the kind of scene you'd see in the fifth inning of a 10-0 blowout at Dodger's Stadium. Not what you'd expect from the die-hard fans that pack Philadelphia's ballpark every night, hanging on every single pitch.
And then the chanting started.
"USA, USA..."
It caught fire quick and soon everyone in the stands was screaming in jubilation.
The players appeared a little confused, unaware of the world event that had just transpired. Madson finished off the Mets and the Phillies went back to their dugout with the game still knotted at one run each.
Through the miracle of modern technology (how's that for cliche?) Nearly everyone in the park had received word of at the hands of U.S. Special Forces.
The soon-to-be sleep-deprived ballpark was ecstatic, despite their team's sluggish offensive support of Cliff Lee's seven strong innings.
The game would drag on into the wee hours of Monday morning and fans leaving the park after the bottom of the fourteenth would have nothing to show for their loyalty in sticking it out but a big L.
But instead of the usual grumblings you would hear from the Phillies faithful after a long, painful defeat, cheers could still be caught throughout the parking lot.
Nobody was complaining about Rollins getting caught stealing with two outs in the first. Not a word was said about Schneider choking with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh. Kyle Kendrick, who'd blown yet another game, escaped mass scrutiny.
Instead everyone was breathing a sigh of relief. After nearly 10 years, Osama Bin Laden, mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks, was no longer a threat to our nation's security.
