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7/11/2006 |
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Giles has no Clue | |
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On a day when Ryan Howard give the Phillies fans a reason to cheer by winning the Home Run Derby, Bill Giles give the fans a reason to sulk. Bill Giles, among the stronger more vocal owners of the Philadelphia Phillies, has absolutely no clue when it comes to the fans of this city. In a recent interview that can be found on Philly.com Giles sounds off on the fans of the city and Brett Myers, the wife beating coward. Q: What did you hear (about the Brett Myers incident)? A: I don't know that I'm privileged to say. I'm not the spokesman for the Phillies. I do know what really happened was a lot less than what the public thinks happened and that's the sad part because some bystander saw something that really didn't happen. Brett was trying to help his wife. Q: What do you mean? A: "I can't say. I just don't know what Dave wants me to say." Q: But witnesses saw it. A: One of our employees [marketing manager Debbie Nocito] saw the whole thing. She said, "He did not hit her at all, and he didn't grab her hair or anything." So all the reports were untrue, from what I understand. So the police reports, 10 calls to 911, and accounts from two men who felt they needed to intervene, a letter from Myers being sorry that he got caught, and he believes one person who works for the organization. What a load of crap. If Myers is so innocent, then why is he attending sensitivity training and on a 2 week hiatus from the team. Q: Larry Bowa and Billy Wagner spoke out recently saying the nucleus needs to be broken up after not winning under three managers. A: "Despite what people think, our ownership group, particularly me, is in this business to win games. We're not doing very well this year and we haven't gotten to the postseason since 1993, so there's going to be a lot that's going to be tried to be done and there's going to be a lot of effort being made by Gillick and his team of people to get us back to where we want to be, and we're not there now. That's pretty obvious." Q: Are you troubled by the accusations that the ownership group doesn't care about winning? A: I've been concerned about it forever, because all they [owners] care about is winning. Our ownership group is not in the game to make money. They're in it not to lose money, but we put an awful lot of money in the last few years - $200 million for the ballpark, $95 million the last two or three years in the payroll. Hey Giles, in the 23 years your ownership group has owned the team, you have gotten to the Post Season twice. Once in '83 on the coat tails of the Carpenter Family, and the year lightning struck in '93. 24 years of crap. Let's look at the amazing players that has passed through our city in those 26 years: Billy Brewer Kim Battiste Alex Arias Jose Dejesus Tony Longmire Steve Jeltz Omar Daal & Travis Lee - Pieces of the Curt Schilling trade. Curt goes on to win a World Series with Arizona and became SI's Sportsman of the year. We get a stiff pitcher and a heartless 1st baseman. What else could possibly make fans think this ownership group is in it to win. Certainly not the sub .500 record in 20 out of the last 25 seasons. Certainly would not be letting fan choice Larry Bowa go and bowing to the wants of heartless crybabies in the dugout, and then hiring Charlie Manuel instead of Jim Leyland (the Tigers are currently in 1st place in their division, 30 games over .500). Giles has no clue about the fans, if he did he would not have said: Q: Does it matter to you that the public is so down on this team? A: I don't know that that's true. Too many people believe the talk shows are the pulse of the public, and I don't happen to believe that at all. There are crazy people that call in and the announcers create a perception, but I don't believe it. I just don't think the public... I know so many people that are dyed-in-the-wool Phillies fans who love the team - win, lose or draw. We don't have to listen to talk radio, we know for a fact this team sucks. 12 games out of 1st, 7 games under .500, at the halfway point in the season, the manager is talking about the Wild Card, not about winning the division. If there is one think Phillies fans know about it is losing considering they are the lossingest franchise in sports history. My grandfather is 85 years old and as my friends will tell you, he loves baseball. Which is why right now can't watch the Phillies. I want nothing more than to take him down to the park and see a game, but what's the point, they'll lose and we'll leave pissed off and I'll have blown $100 between tickets and food. I hope the Phils turn it around, I want to cheer and rout and have an interest in watching October Baseball. I want the thrill of a World Series victory and the outpouring of emotion at a parade. I want to like the team that is on the field, and they have a chance with the likes of Utley, Howard, Rowand and Hamels. But there are players on this team that suck the life out you like parasites. Giles is right about one thing, there are dyed-in-the-wool Phillies fans, and we love our team, and can not stand, nor ever forgive what the ownership has done to this team. |
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