Sep 23, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Cal Stevenson (47) celebrate the National League East Division title in the locker room after defeating the Chicago Cubs at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
A team celebrating a division championship as it nears the end of a 162-game grind is nothing new. You can watch the 2008 Phillies team pouring beers on each other at the end of this video of their NL East-clinching game. Similarly, you can watch the 1980 Phils party at the end of this division-clinching victory over the Expos.
The 2024 Phillies were no exception. On Pattison has a roundup of the best videos from Monday's locker room celebration here. And countless videos on social media Monday night showed some of the Phils continue the party at Xfinity Live, the enormous multi-bar complex near Citizens Bank Park.
There's been some hand-wringing in the city, however, about whether the Phillies should have planned a more subdued celebration with five games left to play. Those final games may determine whether the Phillies lock up a first-round postseason bye or earn home field advantage through the NLCS and/or World Series.
That's the postion WIP radio's Spike Eskin, for example, took on Tuesday:
Here’s @SpikeEskin’s thoughts on Phillies celebrating last night.
“They should be happy about [winning the division], they should have a good night and go out for a steak dinner somewhere...I wasn't asking them to not be happy about it, I'm asking for them to not get black out… pic.twitter.com/w1FVva8Jla
— On Pattison (@OnPattison) September 24, 2024
It's a reasonable issue to think about. And Eskin told me via twitter that, when discussing the matter on air, he noted it was possible that the Phillies weren't actually drinking much in the locker room. If any Phillies players truly got "black out drunk" with a game the next day, it's fair to wonder whether that's appropriate.
But there's no evidence that any players took the celebration to that level. At Xfinity, after the locker room craziness, a number of cleaned-up Phils milled about on a private balcony high above the fans below. Many had their families there, including at least a few small babies.
We got a Lion King situation here pic.twitter.com/DgYHpYypi7
— John Foley (@2008Philz) September 24, 2024
Any debate about the dangers of a truly insane Phillies celebration remains squarely in the hypothetical realm.
We know the details of the celebration, of course, because Philly sports media saturated the internet with photos and videos from the party.
This, too, is nothing new. Legends like Harry Kalas and Richie Ashburn spent time in front of video cameras during boozy locker-room celebrations. Sports fans--and maybe Philadelphia sports fans especially--love to see what their guys are up to both on and off the field. If you don't believe me, check out the number of engagements/impressions garnered by some of the celebration videos posted online. Here's just one example:
The postgame playlist remix has a recording of Jose Alvarado saying, “I’m f****** fat” from spring training before the beat drops in Dancing on My Own.
H/T: @byalexcoffey pic.twitter.com/cdz1QMd9yD
Should Philly sports media figures bring the fans what they want to see? I would argue yes, they absolutely should. Seems like a reporter using their access to bring fans behind the scenes is a core aspect of the job.
That brings us to the other post-celebration criticism that made waves on Monday. Here's 97.5 The Fanatic's Mike Missanelli's thoughts on media members "joining" the locker room celebration:
Mike Missanelli talking about how some media members were celebrating in the Phillies locker room last night.
Mentions @ConnorThomas975 and @jelynchjr for "celebrating" on Twitter.
Video: @975TheFanatic pic.twitter.com/NbuHqIigUf
Lots to unpack here.
First and foremost, Jamie Lynch was not at the ballpark. He is also a total professional and would not be found taking selfies with guys in the locker room. (Full disclosure: Jamie is a good friend of mine from the time we spent together at PHLY.)
what the shit is this? I was at home doing a post game show for @PHLY_Phillies - follow us and subscribe while you're here!
last night's show: https://t.co/YIaDgHXkyu https://t.co/ZsewTWOTcN
Second, folks who were in the locker room disputed the idea that anyone in the media was taking the selfies that Missanelli mused about on his program.
Those important facts aside, it seems as if Missanelli's true gripe is the blurring of lines between fan-centered reporting and the work of Very Serious Objective Professionals. This line from the clip stood out to me: "There's some younger members of the press that haven't really broken through the fan thing. And when you get to be a member of the press, I think that you need to break through that, and that's how you preserve your objectivity. But fans, they come into the business, and that's the only thing they know . . . Let fans have their own kingdom. That's a fan thing. You've crossed over a bit, you can still root for the team to win, but I think you gotta have a line of demarcation."
As something of a hybrid fanboy/writer myself, I feel uniquely situated to speak on this concern. And I think it is entirely possible to report objectively on the Phillies while openly hoping the team does well. Even if a journalist didn't grow up a Phillies fan (like I did), it's human nature to grow close to the guys you cover and hope they succeed. Don't take selfies or ask for autographs, of course. That's beyond the pale. But I think it's fine to acknowledge that you have a rooting interest in the team's success. Any media member who tells you they don't care what happens is either a) lying, or b) engaging in a truly joyless endeavor.
I do understand some of the old-school concerns. There are writers who went to journalism school, grinded their way through gigs at small-time papers for years, and feel like they've mastered a craft that should not be accessible to folks who built platforms on twitter or YouTube. I get that.
But sports coverage has been democratized. The gates are coming down despite the best efforts of gatekeepers, and there's probably no reversing that trend. I think that's a good thing, and will lead to more diverse voices breaking into the business. Reasonable people can disagree over that, I suppose.
Anyway, here's more on Jamie, because this shit is hilarious:
https://t.co/LZwGWb5Ooj pic.twitter.com/tNCssbX5P3
