Yes, we do

From the Inky this morning:

The roars from the crowd started to burn out of control.

"They were very hard balls, but I don't want to make any excuses," said (Bobby) Abreu. "I screwed up there and probably cost us the game."

Asked if the reaction from the crowd, which included derisive cheers and one standing ovation on subsequent Abreu catches, was the worst he'd ever heard or felt, Abreu said, "Could be, could be."

"I'm human," said the longtime Phillies star, who won a National League Gold Glove last year. "I can handle [the fans], but it's a tough city to play in, sometimes. They want me to catch every single ball hit to me in right field."

Here's the thing about Philly: it's become too cool to boo these days.

So the players are up against horrid angst when they play at home. Six losses in their first seven games attest to that. Plus they play 17 out of their next 22 at the Ciggity Biggity (which, we admit, has never really caught on as a nickname, but it still gets our vote).

So players are automatically f*cked as soon as they come home, because the fans, now both disgusted and trying to be cool, boo their li'l hearts out at every turn. It used to be, we think, booing was a sign of respect that a player wasn't playing to his abilities. Now it's so one can be all Phillyboo or whatever.

"DUUUUUUUDE! I totally booed Abreu tonight, man. It was frigging awesome! Now let's gOH hOHme and do stuff!"

From the outside, everyone looks like a dbag, from the fan booing a groundout in the second inning, to the player b*tching that the fan wants him to "catch every single ball."

You, as a professional athlete, get paid to do just that, Bobby. It's the mentality. Yes, go after every ball. You might be surprised at the result. Hustle and talent = fewer and fewer boos.

You, as a beleagured poor-me fan without a championship in 23 years in any of your four major franchises, need to recognize that the boorish booing behavior is starting to really, really, kill these guys. And it's not just the Phillies.

So the next game OMS attends, there will be a change. We will stand and cheer when it is appropriate to stand and cheer. We'll even leave the sarcasm at home. When it's time to boo, we're going to sit on our hands and not yell bad things.

Maybe the sound of crickets will do everyone a li'l good. Sh*t. We could even rename the team. The Fightin' Crickets has a nice ring, right? It sure beats Fightin' Crybabies or Fightin'? Sh*t, We're Just Longing for the Roads or Please Stop, Fans, You Hurt Us Sos.

Last point: the lead item on the Phillies Web site this morning? Burrell goes deep. Nevermind the real story, ya'll. Nevermind, because Hey! Red Means Go, b*tches!