Oct 29, 2009 7:36 pm US/Eastern
Crazy Or Brave: 'Phillies' Fan Walks NYC Streets
CBS 2 HD's Josh Landis Thought It Would Just Be A Swell Idea To Dress Up In Philly Stuff And Skip Around Manhattan
By JOSH LANDIS, CBS 2 HD News
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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CBS 2 HD's Josh Landis took to New York City's streets on Oct. 29 dressed in Phillies gear. The reaction was, to put it mildly, interesting.
CBS
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Chase Utley #26 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a solo home run in the top of the third inning against the New York Yankees in Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009, in the Bronx borough of New York City
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
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Derek Jeter #2 and Alex Rodriguez #13 of the New York Yankees talk on the field against the Philadelphia Phillies in Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009 in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
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Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend Camila Alves look on during Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009, in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
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Nick Swisher #33 of the New York Yankees climbs the outfield wall as the home run ball hit by Chase Utley #26 of the Philadelphia Phillies flies into the bleechers in the top of the third inning of Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium.
Al Bello/Getty Images
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Cliff Lee #34 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009, in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
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Chase Utley #26 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a solo home run in the top of the third inning against the New York Yankees in Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009, in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
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Actress Kate Hudson attends Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009, in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
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Nick Swisher #33 of the New York Yankees hands on the outfield wall as the home run ball hit by Chase Utley #26 of the Philadelphia Phillies lands in the bleechers in the top of the third inning of Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
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Manager Charlie Manuel #41 of the Philadelphia Phillies greets manager Joe Girardi #27 of the New York Yankees during pregame festivities prior to Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009, in the Bronx borough of New York
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Chase Utley #26 (L) of the Philadelphia Phillies is congratulated by Jayson Werth #28 after Utley hit a solo home run in the top of the third inning against the New York Yankees in Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009
Nick Laham/Getty Images
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Shane Victorino #8 and Jimmy Rollins #11 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate after they scored on a 2-run single hit by Raul Ibanez #29 in the top of the eighth innning against the New York Yankees in Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
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David Robertson #30 of the New York Yankees reacts after he gave up a 2-run single to Raul Ibanez #29 (R) of the Philadelphia Phillies in the top of the eighth inning of Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
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Jimmy Rollins #11 (C) of the Philadelphia Phillies gestures after he scored past Jorge Posada #20 of the New York Yankees in Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009, in the Bronx borough of New York City.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images
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(L-R) Ryan Howard #6, Chase Utley #26, Ben Francisco #10 and Jayson Werth #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies celebrate their 6-1 win against the New York Yankees in Game One of the 2009 MLB World Series at Yankee Stadium on Oct. 28, 2009.
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
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The Phillies' Chase Utley connects on a solo home run -- his second of the game -- in the top of the sixth inning off the Yankees' CC Sabathia on Oct. 28, 2009.
Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images
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It was an undercover experiment from Yankee Stadium. I'm not a Phillies fan but I played one on TV to find out how New Yorkers would treat a phanatic from the "City of Brotherly Love."
A hat and t-shirt was all it took to get indifferent New Yorkers to snap to attention.
"You're a brave man! Is that a bet?" one man asked.
I got plenty of head shaking pity.
"That's a no-no. That's a no-no," another person said.
As if they felt bad someone could be so misguided as to root for the Phillies. One guy handing out fliers refused to give me one.
"Aw man, no …" he said with a laugh.
To which I responded, "You turn away good business, just because they won last night?"
"You know … you gotta respect us," he replied.
I got the feeling more than once that if it had been a dark alley instead of a crowded street, things could have been different.
I asked two guys why they were being friendly to a Philly fan.
"Well we're in the middle of Manhattan. You know what I mean? You're in a public place, right?" one said.
"But in a dark alley, a different story, definitely a different story," the other added.
My bravery continued in Times Square, where there was many a cross eye turned my way.
"I'm giving you a lot of credit for wearing Phillies stuff in Times Square in the heart of New York, tons of credit. I wouldn't do it," another New Yorker said.
Sweeny Murti knows what its like to be a Phillies fan in Yankees country. He was born a Phillies fan but now reports on the Yankees for WFAN, which means he has to be an impartial observer.
He said there's a reason the Phillies strike a nerve here.
"They for the most part have been a losing team throughout the course of their hundred-plus year history. For the last two years this has been the best teams the Phillies can say they've ever had. The Yankees have a history of winning. The roles are kind of reversed," Murti said.
But the most die-hard fans had the biggest heart. One family came all the way from Texas for the Series and when they saw me the wanted to bury the hatchet.
"Good sportsmanship. That's what we're showing," one member of the family said.
"You could wear whatever you want. The passion is in your heart. That's where you become a fan. There are Yankees fans in suits and ties, Phillies fans in coat sand ties. You don't have to wear the garb to show you're a fan," Murti said.
And if anyone doesn't believe that I was wearing Phillies red for this sports psychology experiment, I'll tell them it was an early Halloween costume.
For complete World Series coverage, be sure to check out WCBSTV.com's
World Series section.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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