Ryan Franklin Goes off on Cardinal Fans

[berniebrewer4life]

Best line by FAR:

 

"They're supposed to be the best fans in baseball. Yeah, right."

 

 

 

http://www.chicagotribune...-apology,0,6365531.story

[homer]

So does that mean the fans are classy and Ryan Franklin is NOT classy? Or are the fans not classy and Ryan Franklin IS classy. I need Tony Larussa to explain this.

[mothershipconnection]

But it was the classiest way of being unclassy.

[TooLiveBrew]

I need Tony Larussa to explain this.

http://blogs.riverfronttimes.com/dailyrft/tony%20la%20russa%20face.jpg

 

Homer... come closer, let me whisper the answer to you so no one else discovers my secrets...

[wisconsinfan47]

Everyone knows the Cardinals have the classiest, best fans in baseball! I mean, they humbly remind everyone of this point throughout the ribbon boards of their stadium, and the fans at Busch are gracious enough to go out of their way to point this out as well.

 

I'm sure Franklin did something totally unclassy like not pitch well or smile or drive sober or something equally un-Cardinals like. In fact, I'm sure the only classy thing Cardinals fans could do in response to such a transgression would be to boo.

[zzzmanwitz]

I think I just became a Ryan Franklin fan.

[razzzorsharp]

I haven't been to many other stadiums (Oakland, Pittsburgh, Chicago Cubs, Kansas City-A long time ago, and St. Louis) but my worst experience with other fans/stadiums came from my time in ST. Louis. Maybe it was because they swept a four game series later in the innings with Hall and Braun home runs but my lasting memory of time at classy Busch was an attendant telling my wife and I not to come back, with a serious look on his face.

 

Maybe I am just from an unclassy world and don't understand the sophistication that breeds in Missouri.

[owbc]

I'm a little biased because I was born in St. Louis (left at age 5), but...

 

St. Louis has many great fans. It's one of the true baseball towns in America, although Milwaukee is just as great of a baseball town before Packers season starts. I went to old Busch a few times. Everyone was very respectful. Lots of people scoring the games. They stay for the whole game more than other fan bases. Our overall experience with St. Louis is that the (suburban) people are very friendly, sort of a Midwestern/Southern mix.

 

I think there are a few factors that have caused the animosity (which is often well-warranted):

 

1) The Internet, which allowed the less-classy Cardinals fans to have their voice heard

2) ESPN, which shoves the "best fans in baseball" cliche down everyone's throat

3) The LaRussa era, especially the uniform police

4) The unnecessary self-promotion of the "best fans" garbage over the past several years

 

I personally think they are one of the better fan bases, but I think the Brewers, Twins, Giants, and Red Sox fans all can make a good case for being the best as well.

[sargennm]

I live in St. Louis. People here really support the Cardinals, but as a fan base they can be obnoxious. Not in the drunk Cubs fan way. But they think that just because there's this crazy support for the team, transplants should drop their allegiances to other teams. They brag about how they cheer for executed sac bunts so that tells you all you need to know in my opinion.

[1992casey]

I went to old Busch a few times.

 

This makes me wonder what we should call the Busch Stadium that preceded "old" Busch. Very old Busch?

 

Back on topic, I think obsessed is right on. I think the Internet — and talk radio, too — have a lot to do with the reputation of Cards fans. When we were at Busch a couple of years ago, people were very friendly and welcoming.

[berniebrewer4life]

This makes me wonder what we should call the Busch Stadium that preceded "old" Busch. Very old Busch?

Original Busch?

[owbc]

Their spring training home can be "Busch Light"

[hawing]

Busch I / Busch II / Busch III. I've also referred to the current facility as Latest Busch.

Also, nice, OWBC.

[RockCoCougars]

This makes me wonder what we should call the Busch Stadium that preceded "old" Busch. Very old Busch?

Original Busch?

I prefer Sportsman's Park. Back in the day, when anyone bought a team, they slapped their name right on there. At any rate, now that the Brewers are in the National League, I can see why the Cubs and Cardinal fans have hated each other for ever. Both fan bases are extremely annoying.

[gregmag]

I've been to a few Cardinals games now, in Brewers gear almost every time. The fans have never been anything but friendly, and nobody behaves in the jerkish way that I used to see all the time in Boston, Philly, and New York. Having lived here for a few years, St. Louis reminds me more of Milwaukee than anyplace I've ever lived, which is a big reason why I like living here so much. I think LaRussa and some of the announcers / reporters here (who really are quite bad) deserve most of the blame for the "classy" nonsense. But for Milwaukee fans to rip on St. Louis fans wholesale seems to me like spitting at the mirror.

[Patrick425]

Last year Franklin stated that he was going to retire after this season and then later (I think after the season ended) he changed his mind. I wonder if he's thinking about changing it back?