Philly Fans Cheer Joakim Noah’s Sprained Ankle [VIDEO]
The Philadelphia home crowd cheered loudly when Chicago Bulls center Joaquim Noah sprained his ankle on Friday night. Stay classy, Philly.
The Philadelphia 76ers beat the Chicago Bulls in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference 1st Round on Friday night 79-74. The Sixers now lead the series 2-1. During the game, Bulls center Joakim Noah sprained his ankle after stepping on Andre Iguodala's foot. The Philadelphia home crowd cheered loudly while Noah was writhing in pain. Weak.
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It shouldn't surprise anybody that a Philadelphia crowd would cheer loudly when an opponent has just sustained an injury. The Philly home crowd was cheering loudly in 1999 when Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin sustained a serious injury. Irvin was hit while running a slant route and lost usage of his extremities. The home crowd was cheering loudly. (The video can be seen below. Irvin talks about the incident at the 4:50 mark).
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The Phildelphia fanbase is extremely passionate. Sometimes, that passion turns into classless cheering when an opponent is injured. There is no excuse for cheering when Michael Irvin was possibly paralyzed. There is no excuse for clapping when Joakim Noah is yelling in pain about his severely sprained ankle. Fans can be passionate while still being respectful. Most of the Philly fanbase hasn't learned this lesson though.
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Brian Noe is the Program Director at 104.5 The Team, ESPN Radio in Albany, NY. Brian also hosts “The Noe Show” each weekday from 1-3pm ET on WTMM.