Being a fan of all the Philadelphia sports teams, I'm used to taking some criticism from the national media and other athletes. I'm even used to hearing some from players that wore Philadelphia uniforms. But I was pretty surprised to hear Jason Avant rip a little on Eagles fans. As an Eagles fan, I'm not particularly outraged at what Avant said and I don't want to take anything out of context. However, the veteran receiver should know better by now.
After the Eagles defeated the Dallas Cowboys 34-7 on October 30, Avant made some remarks about how the Eagles enjoy being booed by the home fans and how they treat home games like road games. Perhaps his worst comment had to do with him saying he doesn't want bandwagon fans. Obviously, Avant was referring to the criticism the team took during their recent four game losing streak.
First of all, I try not to read too much into what Avant said. Perhaps he is just trying to fuel whatever momentum the Eagles have gotten over the last couple of games. But still, his comments are pretty foolish. Avant has played in Philadelphia long enough to know that the fans are behind this team on a constant basis. Just because fans express displeasure over some performances in games doesn't mean they have abandoned the team. Avant should know that. It's also a little strange that he waited until after an impressive win in front of a loud crowd to make these remarks.
The Eagles looked awful during that four game slide. They deserved to take heat from fans. They deserved to get booed for the way they couldn't tackle or the way they turned the ball over. For the most part, those fans are booing because they know the Eagles are better than that. They aren't giving up on the team. Yes, there are some fans that said all hope is lost. But that is a part of sports. Avant and the Eagles aren't above criticism. If they play bad, they should and will hear it from the fans. But it's idiotic to think that means the Eagles fans only care about their team when they are winning.
I have always liked Avant and I hope these comments don't spoil his time in Philadelphia. On the surface, he looks like another athlete that simply doesn't get it. He should appreciate playing in a city where fans are passionate and turn out for every event. If he doesn't want to hear any criticism for fans, there are plenty of other cities where few people care about the football team.
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