City of Brotherly Love? Not!

It's been three days now and I am still shocked at what occurred at the NBA All-Star game. Did this really happen or was I just hearing things? Was this the "City of Brotherly Love" or the house that Satan built?

Everybody that booed Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant during Sunday's All-Star game should be ashamed of themselves. It's one thing to boo a guy when his team is playing yours, but to boo someone during the All-Star game is unacceptable and juvenile.

After all, this guy was voted on to the team by the fans, some of which were probably booing him Sunday. I would hope not, but something tells me that some fans voted for him just so they could boo and taunt him. Kobe, like the rest of the All-Stars, was there to put on a show for the fans, which makes their actions that much sillier. To his credit though, he did just that despite the fans unappreciative behavior.

If the fans were really smart, they would have kept their mouths shut. It seems that Kobe feeds off of negative energy. It just goes to show you that not only are the Philly fans simple, their memories aren't that good either. In last year's finals, they repeatedly booed Bryant and he repeatedly torched them leading to the Lakers 4-1 destruction of the 76ers. Throughout his young career, he's played with somewhat of a negative spotlight on him and he's done nothing but shined.

Sunday was no different, as he poured in 31 points, snatched five rebounds, and dished out five assists on his way to earning the game's MVP award. While he admitted he was hurt by the booing, you couldn't tell by his performance, and I for one can't think of any better response to the fans than his performance.

In my opinion, Philadelphia doesn't deserve another All-Star game -- period. With all of the press these games attract, it's an embarrassment for the entire league when fans act the way they did. The Philly fans showed how classless and clueless they truly are. After all, these are the same fans that booed the drafting of Donovan McNabb, cheered when Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending injury, and booed Santa Claus during an Eagles game. Pretty impressive, huh?

Furthermore, they were booing Kobe out of pure jealousy. They act like he owes them something. It's not like he played for the 76ers and demand a trade or left them via free agency. If that was the case, you might be able to begin to understand the fans' behavior. He entered the draft and ended up with the Lakers. Are they mad at him because he plays for the hated Lakers or are they just mad he doesn't play for Philly? I think it's the latter. For those people who don't know the meaning of the word "haters," look no further than the Philly fans. They are mad at Kobe just because he isn't on their side.

The more you think about it, the sillier it seems. Kobe played his heart out in the game, which most players don't do. He didn't coast through. He played as if it were a regular season game. Instead of showing love for him though, the fans booed him, showing their lack of respect for the game itself. How can you boo someone that plays the game so well, especially during an All-Star game? That is the one setting of the year where all the stars should be cheered.

All this being said, at least one Philly fan has some class. Kudos to Mayor John Street for calling and apologizing to Kobe Monday morning. He assured Kobe that he was "highly regarded and loved in the city" and invited him back in the offseason to have an event in his honor. A class act in a city full of classless fans.