NOTE: Team to Beat is a very objective, non-controversial site. Though we express our opinions, they don’t go to the extremes you would see on most other sites. But there comes a time where stepping out of our shell and ignoring our policy is necessary. This is one instance. This post is in no disrespect to Kyle Scott or his website, Crossing Broad. But his latest blog post warrants this post and trip back to reality is needed for Philadelphia’s most controversial blogger.
The image is still burned in our minds: two straight years of the Phillies season ending in sudden disappointment with Ryan Howard taking the team’s final hacks (or lack thereof in one of those isntances).
But the image that sickens me isn’t Howard making the final out, rupturing his Achilles and seemingly being out for the first couple months of next season. It’s the gutless complaining and accusations directed at three of the Phillies on Twitter.
Why gutless? Because the same people who throw Shane Victorino under a bus over the computer would be kissing his ass, asking for an autograph and picture while continually telling him he’s “the man.” The same people who tell Jimmy Rollins he should have manned up in the post season would kiss his feet and thank him for 12 years in Philly if they saw him on the streets. They would also tell Hunter Pence to enjoy his meal if they saw him at a Philly restaurant instead of hoping he chokes on his steak while mentioning @HunterPence3.
So Mr. Scott aka CB aka the most hated blogger on Twitter, who in the blue hell are you to call these guys out? Who do you think you are to say Rollins can’t enjoy the weather, or Pence can’t try food in Philly or Victorino can’t tweet about the remaining teams in the post season?
Do you expect Rollins to sit in a cold dark room while his agent finds him a West Coast contract? Do you expect Pence to live off of Ramen Noodles? I guess Shane should watch nothing but replays of Ryan Howard falling over in agony.
These athletes are humans. And like us, they are using their American rights to tweet about what they want. They are allowed to enjoy an off season. Just because Victorino is playing 18 holes in some lavish country club doesn’t mean he’s still not thinking about another disappointing end to a dominant season.
Some of them have finally had enough of his crap and responded. Earlier this year, Phils reliever Michael Schwimer called out CB for blogging about his girlfriend… and spelling his name wrong! Now Victorino finally had something to say with CB’s constant crying last night.
And rightfully so. This is Shane’s off season, enjoy it. I say watch as much baseball as he can because for the next four months, he won’t have much of it in his life. And as someone whose life revolves around something, not having it for four months is rough, regardless of how many millions of dollars Victorino gets to play a boy’s game.
But back to CB. Look, you can blog about whatever you want. And you have the right to be angry. But there is a fine line between angry and whiny and you have entered the “I’m a whiny little baby” zone.
Except no one really did.
Some excerpts from Scott’s post, which included a handful of different Phillies tweets that seemed to get his panties in a knot:
To us fans – even if this sentiment is unfair – we interpret that as: “They don’t care that they squandered a golden opportunity.”
What Shane, Jimmy, and Hunter don’t understand is that their loss to the Cardinals is painful for us. Any Philadelphian under 30 has experienced a lifetime of losing, save for the 2008 World Championship. This year, the city fielded the greatest baseball team in its history, and we watched it fall short of even making the semifinals. That hurts, stings.
We don’t want to see J-Roll™ talking about what a beautiful day it was two days after the season ended. We don’t want Pence to tell us the positives of offseason surgery (because it’s not supposed to be the offseason, in our minds). We don’t want to see Victorino talk about his golf game, and we certainly don’t want to see him openly rooting for the Brewers when most of us can’t even stomach watching baseball right now (!!!).
And then comes this doozy:
Nearly all of their fans and followers are interested in what they have to say because they play baseball… for the Phillies. That’s their audience. I love the fact that we get to learn more about these guys through social media, but they’re not doing themselves any favors (especially you, Shane) Tweeting about how much enjoyment they’re getting out of some extra time off and watching postseason baseball from afar.
Do whatever, guys. By all means, you’ve earned it. But right now, your audience hurts and is a bit pissed off. Everything will be fine come spring training, we just need some time. We spend our hard-earned money to watch you play and invest more time in being fans than is probably socially acceptable. So just keep that in mind the next time you broadcast a message to your fans. And please, please stop Tweeting about how great the postseason has been. It’s killing us.
Umm, my timeline has been filled with a lot of people still watching the post season, enjoying the Rangers’ offense from Nelson Cruz, David Freese’s heroics for the Cardinals and just enjoying some damn good baseball from the four remaining teams – now two.
Just because everyone’s favorite team isn’t still in the hunt doesn’t mean they overall don’t care about baseball anymore. And just because the actual athletes aren’t involved anymore doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be allowed to enjoy the entertaining baseball that has still be bestowed upon us.
Grow a pair, Kyle, and get over it. The people who matter the most in this situation already have. You’re no better than them.
PS: In reference to this tweet:
This is one of the biggest jokes I have ever read. A lot of people don’t like a majority of your content is because you’re full of crap, an pompous blogger and you try to be the TMZ of Philadelphia sports.
This site sees 70-100 vies a day on average. I’m not jealous of you nor will I ever be.
TTB 
Well said. The sad thing is, quite a few people actually agree with that moron. I imagine that the majority of them are the same people that call into WIP.