Updated Aug. 28
So my boss has a request this week.
He knows what I wrote about sports fans in Philadelphia. He knows how the angriest readers respond to me. And he knows how I respond to that.
So he asked me: Please don't offer to fight anyone. Not this week.
I told him I'd try. I didn't tell him my fingers were crossed. Look, this ain't Love Mail.
From: Matt C.
I predict the largest, angriest and certainly most idiotic pile of Hate Mail you have ever received after your Rollins vs. Philly Fans article. I live 30 minutes outside of Philly and am a Phillies fan, but cannot stand Philly sports fans in general. They truly are the worst in sports.
I was looking forward to this week's Hate Mail, too, until my boss asked his favor. Now I'm not so excited, but I'm going to try to respect his wishes. Wish me luck.
From: The Captain
Soft? Come to Philly. We'll show you soft. I'll personally kick your a--.
You'll show me soft? Please don't. But I hear Viagra helps with that.
From: Stingodile
I'm gonna fight you, and then I'm gonna eat your middle child's left lung. Bad article.
Not sure your last two words were necessary.
From: Alex Fleisher
F--- you. I will kill your family, bitch!
Not gonna fight you, Alex. But I will look you up. Is this you? If it is, you don't scare me. Sorry. Let me rephrase that: Simon Says you don't scare me.
From: Bryan H.
Doyel, you're a jerk. You spell your last name like a jerk. You put an entire city on blast and you've probably never been here. If you ever are in Philly I'll give you a warm welcome with my foot.
First the Simon Says guy threatens my family, and now an "internet marketing expert" -- looked you up, too -- is threatening me? I don't know whether to laugh or cry.
From: Larry W.
Baby, I'm 60 and I'll kick your ass, anywhere, anytime. Rollins is stinking up the joint, and to top it off, he isn't hustling. If you want to take me up on my invitation, let me know.
You, I like.
From: Nick
I personally invite you to sit next to me at a Phillies game and call me soft for booing Carlos Ruiz for grounding into yet another inning-ending double play. You could then write a story about how soft the hospital beds are in Philly. Go back to Hawaii or Mississippi or wherever you're from.
Someone's been reading my bio
From: Peter R.
I'm from Philly ... and I'm booing your bad glasses and goatee. Boooooooo!
Glasses are gone. So is most of the hair. I really need to update that photo ... and shoot it topless. Show the guns and abs. Maybe then everyone would stop challenging me to fight.
From: Adam
Doyel, I got a feeling that you and your whole family are going down!
Billy Madison references always welcome. Unless you're serious about taking down my whole family. Then they're not welcome at all.
From: Will Vespe, Cherry Hill, N.J.
You are such a (deleted). Big boxer at 145-pound weight class. You are a (slur). I would beat you to a bloody pulp you (deleted). You have no idea about sports and passion. You hick mother (deleted) sister (deleted) (deleted) (slur). You should be fired and I am starting a "Gregg Doyel should be fired" petition that I will take as far as I need to. Mike Freeman, Ray Ratto, even Clark Judge should all be embarrassed to call you an associate. You are such a (deleted). If you have guts to e-mail me back I'll give you my name, number and even address as long as you promise to man up and face me like a man. But I know you won't because you are one big tough guy when it comes to talking (deleted) on a computer but the truth is you are a flat out (slur).
Are you this Will Vespe from Cherry Hill? The former college and minor-league pitcher? If it is, I'm guessing you're either 50 pounds overweight, or you're playing in an over-40 softball league. Either way, I'm unimpressed. Fairfield Boxing. Mondays and Wednesdays, 7-9 p.m. You want me? There I am.
From: Kyle
I went to the message boards below your article on the Phillies. Is there something in the water in Pennsylvania? Any time I try to reason with one of them, I end up getting challenged to a fist fight!
Hahahaha. Don't mess with the 60-year-old, Kyle. He sounds serious. My suggestion: Go for the Simon Says guy or the internet marketing expert.
From: Steve
In an age when corporate America is all too willing to kill the goose that lays the golden egg, Gene Upshaw's ability to see the big picture is to be praised, not mocked. And shame on you for doing so minutes after his death.
You think I hurt Upshaw's feelings? I doubt it. The man's dead.
From: John M.
I hope you live up to your promise of laying off Coach K now that the USA won gold. Will you address this pledge in an upcoming article?
Won't address it, other than here. But I am going to lay off Coach K, as promised.
From: Jack
The U.S. won. I hope you honor your promise. Your rants about Coach K have become tiresome and trite.
I'll give you "tiresome." Won't give you "trite."
From: Kool Earl
Aren't you the clown who said Ryan Howard was doing steroids?
From: Eric J.
I used to think it was slightly amusing when you would use Hate Mail to laud your athletic prowess and toughness. But with constant repetition, it has become nauseating. You really need to tone it down, tough guy. I've seen pictures of you, and you are a skinny little nerdy-looking guy. All that said, I need you to clear up some confusion for me. In recent hate mails you claimed to be a product of Mississippi public schools ... yet the link you post regarding your alleged status as an all-state athlete is to a high school in Georgia. Please explain this apparent inconsistency.
You've seen pictures of me? Was I naked? Anyway ... I lived in Oxford, Miss., until eighth grade. Freshman year in Wisconsin. Sophomore through senior in Macon, Ga., where I was (ahem) all-state in two sports.
From: Bren
Not sure where you're from but I'm guessing it's from some soft part of the country. You are probably from Wisconsin!
Coldest year of my life.
From: Brian
I will file a lawsuit against you for defamation of character against Philly fans. You should be fired.
You're going after me ... in court? I have more respect for the Simon Says guy.
From: Kevin M.
I assume you will be calling New York Yankee fans boo-babies and frontrunners next. After all they were booing A-Rod last night. He is probably the best player on the planet, and they have made the playoffs every year. I guess the Yankees aren't winning this year because of their fans. No, you'll just say that about Philadelphia. Your logic baffles.
Did I just lose an argument without saying a word? Actually, no. But you did.
From: Bob S.
I'm 59, born and raised in Philadelphia, and I couldn't agree with you more. But there's a darker side: racism. I saw the vicious booing of Dick Allen in the 1960's. Today it's not quite as bad, but elements of racism live on. A black man who speaks his mind in this town will always get the worst of it. Guaranteed. And I'm white.
Interesting. And, in some cases, probably true.
From: Jimmy J.
We never booed Pat Burrell.
Like in your case, for example.
From: Chris M.
Before you start griping at Philly fans, why don't you spend some time around us? You would see we're the most passionate fans in the world and we love our sports figures as long as they give 100 percent. You will NEVER hear us fan talk bad about Chase Utley or Pete Rose.
Interesting choice of players.
From: Greg K.
What teams do you root for? Who is your football team? And your baseball team? I have a gut feeling there is a bit of bias in your mind.
Only thing in your gut is fat, Greg. Here's my other team. It doesn't exist.
From: Brian
Mike Freeman is a respected columnist and he would never write something like this. He is way too good of a writer and professional to write this garbage. He would be so ashamed of himself if he had to stoop this low.
You have no idea how much your e-mail hurt me.
From: Brad
Get your facts straight, a--hole. McNabb was booed? It was 20 guys from a radio station that had a promotion of who could boo the loudest when the Eagles made their first pick. Booing Santa Claus? He was a fat drunk Eagles fan who was screaming and cursing at all of the fans and begging them to try to hit him with snowballs. Michael Irvin was cheered when he got hurt? He was hit hard and people cheered until they realized he was seriously hurt. A--hole.
Be honest, Brad. You didn't read the article. You couldn't have. Because I didn't mention McNabb, Santa or Michael Irvin.
From: Justin
Listen, pencil pusher, you wouldn't last 30 minutes at any Philly sporting event.
First time anyone ever called me a pencil pusher. That's so archaic, it's cool.
From: Brett
I just lost respect for you. Thought you were a guy who knew some things about sports. While there is a vocal minority that can front-run, as in any town, the majority still support Rollins, and Howard, and others. All we ask is that you play hard.
So let me get this straight: You liked me and my brutal ways as long as they were never aimed in your team's direction. Got it. My goodness you ARE soft.
From: Mike M.
You were the topic of a sports talk radio show in Philadelphia.
Shame they didn't call me. I'd have been their best guest all week.
From: Jonathan C.
Just read your article on the Olympics as the W.O.E. There's a lot of truth in what you wrote, but you also missed out on a fundamental issue that must be discussed in evaluating the number of gold medals won by China: China cared. China was willing to do whatever it took to win the gold medal count. China spent BILLIONS developing athletes in every sport. This might be the first time I've read one of your more serious columns that had this large of a gaping hole. The dedication of resources to Olympic sports is not an easy topic, but you shouldn't have matadored it.
Good point. Seriously. China's obsession was a major reason why it was the Worst Olympics Ever for Americans. I should have mentioned that.
From: Jonathan C.
Back on track. Nice article on the Jamaicans. No big holes. I still wish that you'd have stayed with college basketball. I always thought it was better when you were peeling away at the inner part of the onion, as opposed to glancing off the outside like you do now. This flipping from topic to topic doesn't emphasize your best quality, which is the stamina to stick with something until you fully understand it.
You make me sound so earnest. I don't want to be earnest. I want to be flamboyant!
From: Joe Boland
As a journalist myself, I take a great deal of pride in a thought-out, well-constructed article. What you wrote about Phillies fans was none of the above. Fans boo in every city in every sport, save Cardinals fans in St. Louis. Ever been to New York? Or Boston? How about a Bears game? Probably not. But up on your high horse, you don't make logical arguments. Next time you write a column, why don't you try using some facts to back up your claims. That's what true writers do.
Well done, Joe. Always pick a fight with someone above you.
