February 16, 2017
Despite the fact that he continues to alienate half of the state he serves by doing so, New Jersey governor and Jerry Jones lackey Chris Christie hasn’t been shy about offering sharp criticism for Philadelphia sports fans. And these aren’t exactly nuanced critiques either, as Christie said a few weeks ago that the Eagles suck (fair enough) and their fans “are generally angry, awful people.”
Well, perhaps in continuing a bid to replace legendary radio host Mike Francesa on WFAN, Christie is continuing to fire shots at the Philly sports fan. This time it was on SNY’s Baseball Night in New York, talking about the Phillies using Tug McGraw’s “Ya gotta believe” in their spring training facility:
“The Phillies suck. They are an awful team, they are an angry bitter fanbase” — @GovChristie
— SportsNet New York (@SNYtv) February 16, 2017
Full Video: https://t.co/yAopMXw7nm pic.twitter.com/6ovUPPkemF
.@ToddZolecki @Phillies Ya Gotta be Kidding. 🤔
— New York Mets (@Mets) February 14, 2017
“The Phillies suck,” Christie said. “Let’s just start with that. They’re from Philadelphia, they’re an awful team, they’re an angry, bitter fan base. And it’s not safe for civilized people to go to Citizens Bank Park if you want to root for the other team. Ya gotta believe what? Ya gotta believe we’re awful people, that’s what ya gotta believe.”
So, pretty much the exact same thing he said about the Eagles a few weeks ago. Truly riveting stuff.
Look, the Mets are within their rights to make fun at the Phillies for the McGraw quote. Heck, we did it two days ago! Yet if Christie is serious about a career in sports talk, he’s probably going to need another trick besides “Philadelphia is angry and awful.”
UPDATE: THE PHILLIES FIRED BACK:
We love our fans and appreciate their unwavering support as we "bridge" to a bright future!
— Phillies (@Phillies) February 16, 2017
It has been a rough couple of years for the governor, whose approval rating was down to 17 percent just a few weeks ago. With Christie continuing to go out of his way to bash Philly fans, it’s probably safe to say that approval rating is even lower in the Delaware Valley.
Oh yeah, this too:
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann