Group Of Rapids Fans Booed Sheanon Williams Because He Was "The Closest Player"

by Scott Kessler on Jun 5, 2011 11:43 AM EDT in News

COMMERCE CITY, CO - JUNE 04: Jamie Smith #20 of the Colorado Rapids takes a shot against Sheanon Williams #25 of the Philadelphia Union at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on June 4, 2011 in Commerce City, Colorado. The Colorado Rapids and the Philadelphia Union played to a 1-1 tie. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

During the Philadelphia Union's 1-1 draw against the Colorado Rapids, many Union fans noticed booing directed at Sheanon Williams, the Union's starting right back. Throughout the game a group of Rapids fans was indiscriminately booing Williams, especially when the second year player touched the ball.

Union fans and players alike were puzzled by the booing, with Williams himself taking some offense to it, responding to the booing with the following tweet:

Want to thank Colorado fans for there wonderful support last night really meant the world to me #HATERS

It turns out that Williams was just unlucky to be be where he was, when he was. Burgundy Wave, SB Nation's Rapids blog, talked to a member of the group booing Williams around half time and found out that they had decided to boo him because he was "the closest player" on the Union to the group. The group, Class VI (a reference to a type of white water rapids), had this to say, according to Burgundy Wave:

@brotherlygame Gal from Class VI just told me that they decided to boo the guy closest to them on the pitch today #coolstorybro #wat

Mystery solved.

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The next time I come across a Colorado fan, I think I’ll boo him. Just for fun.

Writer at SB Nation's Philadelphia Union blog, The Brotherly Game. Follow me on Twitter.

by Justin F. on Jun 5, 2011 11:50 AM EDT reply actions

Just make sure he (or she) is the closest one too you, though.

If I agreed with you, we’d both be wrong.

by PhiladelphiaEagles on Jun 5, 2011 12:04 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Better luck finding a four leaf clover

by DoopinMike on Jun 6, 2011 1:53 PM EDT up reply actions

Further investigation has told me that apparently they pick a player using the same in-depth selection process every game and get on their case as the game goes along, this was just one of the more successful campaigns.

I’d never heard it before, probably because I’m usually in the supporters terrace and it’s hard to hear the rest of the crowd when you’re in there. Weird.

The 2011 Colorado Rockies - Starring Johnny Herrera as THE ANSWER
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Burgundy Wave - SBnation's Colorado Rapids site
Crystal Palace FC - Eternally a point from relegation (._. )

by UZ on Jun 5, 2011 11:50 AM EDT reply actions

By successful, do they mean lame?

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 5, 2011 11:54 AM EDT up reply actions

I think they mean “People could actually hear them this time”. I find it hilarious that they have apparently been doing this for a while but nobody was aware until now.

by UZ on Jun 5, 2011 12:17 PM EDT up reply actions

Philly doesn’t just take this kind of stuff. Wrong team and fans to do it to, I guess.

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 5, 2011 12:27 PM EDT up reply actions

I think they were trying to emulate Philly fans, they were eating cheesesteaks at the tailgate as well.

by UZ on Jun 5, 2011 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions

For real?

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 5, 2011 2:16 PM EDT up reply actions

Good for them. Let’s just say, if I’m at the return leg of this, I will not partake in Rocky Mountain Oysters.

by earl_of_reed on Jun 5, 2011 3:56 PM EDT up reply actions

I actually think it’s a pretty cool idea. I mean, it might not have any impact, but it at least seems a fun way to determine where to direct some good natured hazing. I think it’s finny that some total scrub that no one has heard of or cared about might arbitrarily end up the target of relentless booing during a game.

by Laaaaazzz on Jun 5, 2011 5:02 PM EDT up reply actions

Watch out for those clever and creative Colorado fans! Who knows what insane thing they might do next . . .

/sarcasm (obviously)

@Mitchman88 on Twitter

by Mitchell Green on Jun 5, 2011 12:44 PM EDT reply actions

Remeber watching this live last night

and thought that it was very very strange. It still is.

I blog about overall sports here(thewholetake.tumblr.com) and Philly sports there(thebeststopontheacelaexpress.tumblr.com). Have at it.

by kofibiney on Jun 5, 2011 12:45 PM EDT reply actions

off-topic but…

I’ve been looking for a good blog that covers international soccer. something like puck worlds here on sbnation but I’m willing to go to more than one for gold cup/euro 12. BG is literally the only soccer blog i’ve ever been on for more than one post, so maybe something major like goal or whatever has that coverage.

by ColeStevens on Jun 5, 2011 1:37 PM EDT reply actions

SBNation.com has a great Soccer section.

The individual blogs make up for the rest.

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 5, 2011 2:15 PM EDT up reply actions

i meant more for

euro 12 coverage

by ColeStevens on Jun 6, 2011 1:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah, you got me there.

Sorry man.

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 6, 2011 3:43 PM EDT up reply actions

fans boo opposing player.

is that really a story? if there’s no-one obvious to boo on the opposition, then why not pick the one who’s closest and thus most likely to hear, makes perfect sense to me.

Isn’t booing/heckling the opposition to try and wind them up and put them off their game a fairly regular thing in any sport?

Managing editor of SBNation's Toronto FC blog,Waking the Red .

by Duncan Fletcher on Jun 5, 2011 2:31 PM EDT reply actions

It just doesn't happen unless there's a history between the team, player and fans.

Danny Briere in Montreal, Scott Rolen and JD Drew in Philly, etc. Situations like that warrant a boo whenever they do something. Williams didn’t do anything to the Rapids or their fans to warrant the booing. It’s just dumb.

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 5, 2011 3:33 PM EDT up reply actions

Not true.

Go sit in right field for a Phillies game. As a season ticket holder in section 106, I can tell you that there is a pocket of fans that will boo the opposing team’s right fielder indiscriminately. If the opponent shows that it’s getting to him, the boos will increase as the game/series continues.

by alessandro2016 on Jun 5, 2011 4:57 PM EDT up reply actions

It's all situational though.

I remember booing left fielders indiscriminately, but typically they were players like Cliff Floyd or other players I thought very little of. You’d have to tell me the RFs, then it’d be fair to say yes or no. A lot of RFs nowadays are a team’s best player.

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 5, 2011 6:06 PM EDT up reply actions

Sometimes

Guys that I can recall were booed include Jay Bruce (Reds), Corey Hart (Brewers), Hunter Pence (Astros), and Jayson Werth. Obviously Werth is a given. I could buy the argument that Pence is a good player and was targeted because of that. But Hart and Bruce are hardly the best players on their respective teams. That was clearly a case of booing because of proximity.

by alessandro2016 on Jun 6, 2011 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions

Jay Bruce is the second best offensive player on the Reds of late, though Phillips is a bigger name. Dunno about Corey Hart, he’s a nothing, which makes him a fair point for you.

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 6, 2011 1:16 AM EDT up reply actions

Different type of game

Yea, it makes sense when you’re at a sporting event where the players are basically stationary and there the whole entire game. Soccer though often has a flow of play, and various times will have players switching positions constantly. If you were on one of the goal sides and were heckling the keeper, that makes more sense than just booing a player who didn’t make an impact in the game.

by Dan KW on Jun 5, 2011 7:06 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

I’ll bet Wells Thompson wishes they hadn’t booed Sheanon. It seemed to me the boos fueled his rage, and it took it out on Thompson several times throughout the match. Pretty funny stuff.

by earl_of_reed on Jun 5, 2011 3:59 PM EDT reply actions

Williams did seem riled up the entire game.

And Thompson was being himself, a prick, which didn’t help.

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 5, 2011 4:23 PM EDT up reply actions

hahahaha.

I was wondering about this myself. Do they just boo every right back they play?

by Buzzkill_Ed on Jun 6, 2011 8:37 AM EDT reply actions

In other news..

The home fans cheered on the home team.

by Bulldog Ben on Jun 7, 2011 4:15 PM EDT reply actions

Pot meet Kettle

Philly fans complaining about booing!? You boo your own teams!?

I sit in the offending section and am part of that group. We boo indiscriminately. Whoever is on that side of field gets it. Doesn’t matter who it is. Even former Rapids players who were fan favorites get it. Its part of that section of the stadium. I am quite surprised to actually see any press or reaction to this. In the 5 years since DSG opened we have done that in every game. The boos have grown louder as more people join in and sit regularly in the section.

We boo. We heckle. We get in their heads. Sometimes it works. Usually it doesn’t. Obviously it worked if it generated a Tweet from him.

While you may think this is stupid or dumb, look at his performance throughout the night. Did it get it better or worse? Did he commit more fouls than he usually would have? Did miss more passes? Worse, Yes & Yes. Isn’t that the whole point of heckling? To get the player off their game?

Nothing personal against Philly, Williams or anyone else (except Ruiz).
We’ll stay classy if you classy.

by Hibbie on Jun 7, 2011 8:53 PM EDT reply actions

I've been confused by pretty much every reaction from Rapids fans.

Where is there “crying” or “complaining” here? The article was written to explain to people why they heard booing directed specifically towards Williams to the point where on the telecast it could be heard over the rest of the crowd during runs of play.

Managing Editor for Brotherly Game, SBNation's Philadelphia Union blog and contributor for SBN Philly. // @scottdkessler
"College is only 4 years, but the Eagles are for life." - Ironhank

by Scott Kessler on Jun 8, 2011 10:18 AM EDT up reply actions