Wayne Simmonds Gets It, Says He'll Be Pissed If Flyers Fans Don't Boo Him When He Returns To Philly
You know how different words and different gestures mean different things to different cultures? Well I feel like that’s the biggest disconnect from the rest of the world when they talk about Philly fans booing. Most fanbases couldn’t even fathom the idea of booing players from your own team. They automatically think that booing makes you a bad fanbase to play for. But what they don’t realize is that the boo in Philly is just a much easier way for us to say “hey, we care a whole lot about this and it’s nothing personal but we really need you to figure it the fuck out real quick. Because again, we care and we love you and everything. But you’re just not reciprocating”. That’s a mouthful, ya know? But that’s what we mean every time we boo our own team. It’s not that we hate the guys. It’s not that we’re rooting for them to fail. It’s just that we care a shit ton. That’s all. Nothing more, nothing less.
For some athletes playing in Philly like Sean Rodriguez, they just don’t understand that. They take the boos personally. They think that the fanbase is turning against them. But for people who have given their heart and soul to Philly? For guys like Wayne Simmonds who gave Philly absolutely everything he had to offer to us? He knows that there’s nothing personal when it comes to Philly fans booing. He knows that the only reason why you’d get boo’d in Philly is if you’re on the opposing team or if you’re not out there giving it everything you have. And considering Wayne Simmonds will be playing with the New Jersey Devils the next time he touches the ice at the Wells Fargo Center, he wants to get boo’d because he demands that same greatness out of Philly fans that we demanded out of him.
So yes, Wayne, I will boo you just as you asked. But only after I smooch ya, you sick beautiful bastard.