On Thursday’s “The Herd” on ESPNU and ESPN Radio, host Colin Cowherd discussed listening to local sports radio and compared Philadelphia fans to fans of other big cities, and then Alabama, where a professional sports team does not exist.
Cowherd said he feels that fans in Philadelphia and Alabama are so invested in their local sports teams because they have less going on in their lives, which makes them more invested and causes them to be angry when they do not win.
“Philadelphia is by far and away is the angriest,” Cowherd said. “Boston can be, but Boston is a highly educated city with 51 universities within the city scope and you get a lot of thoughtful, smart stuff as well. But Philadelphia teeters toward angry always, and overreaction and parochialism, if that’s a word. Philadelphia fans, sports is a bigger part of their life. They don’t have the broad life of somebody from New York or Los Angeles or D.C. and like sports owns their life. I think in — I think people in Los Angeles, maybe San Francisco, New York, Miami, have a broader life. “
He continued, saying, “I’m saying it seems like when you listen to people, sports is a bigger part of their life and that’s where the anger and venom comes from when you don’t win. People that you meet over time in life that like sports, but have kids and a job and a career and friendships and a big, broad life, sports doesn’t dominate their life. They’ve got a lot of things going on. People maybe don’t have that. Young guy, single guy, doesn’t have a career yet, doesn’t have any kids, sports becomes a huge part of his life.”
“We’ve said this in Alabama,” he added “the Crimson Tide runs people’s lives. It’s a huge part of their lives. There’s more anger. It’s not a coastal thing because Alabama can be angry and yet Athens, Georgia, is not. Why are Georgia fans not as angry? Because in Athens, there’s more to do. Again, ask yourself, people that get angry for sports, why do they get angry for sports? Why would you get angry — why would you get angry for sports? When it’s a huge part of your life and they don’t win as much as you want.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent