Boo Revenge! Top 5 Episodes Of Coaches, Players Getting Back At Fans - Evan Neal, You're In The Minors Compared To These
New York Giants rookie offensive tackle Evan Neal has made a nice, remorseful apology for referring to booing Giants fans. He had referred to them as people who "flip hot dogs and hamburgers."
It has been a bit of a bologna season so for for the Giants, who are 1-3 with the losses by an average of 26 points.
Evan Neal, a rookie offensive tackle with the New York Giants, does not like being booed by Giants fans amid a 1-3 start. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
But Evan, don't feel so bad. Your comments do not deserve any lost sleep. You're in the minors, pal, compared to these five before you exacting revenge from fans. You didn't even cuss.
5. Philadelphia Phillies 3B Mike Schmidt
In 1985, the Phillies' future Hall of Famer already had had a superior career, including leading Philly to the 1980 World Series title. He was a nine-time all-star at this point and had two National League MVP awards along with the World Series MVP. Seven times, he had led the National League in home runs. But he was 35 and hitting .237 that June, and he was getting sick of the boos at home in Philadelphia.
"Whatever I've got in my career now, I would have had a great deal more if I played in Los Angeles or Chicago," he shot back in an interview. "You name a town, somewhere where they were just grateful to have me around. I drive in (expletive deleted) 100 runs a year, hit 40 home runs, probably have been on more winning teams over the course of my career than most guys. It's a damn shame to have negative fan reaction tied to it."
He played until early 1989 with the Phillies, but Philly never really forgave him.
4. New Orleans Saints Coach Mike Ditka
Oh, you forgot Ditka coached in New Orleans. Yes, he fooled then-Saints owner Tom Benson to hire him in 1997 - 12 years after his masterpiece Super Bowl title with the Chicago Bears. Ditka went 6-10 in his first season, 6-10 again in 1998 and started off 1-4 in 1999 after a 24-21 loss at home to Tennessee to fall to 1-4.
But it was while Ditka led Tennessee 10-0 at halftime of that game when he got in trouble. Ditka and his sideline had just ridiculously let the final seconds run off the clock in the first half and failed to attempt a gimme field goal. As Ditka exited the field, fans cascaded him with boos. So, he grabbed his crotch in the direction of the fans. He was fined $20,000 by the NFL. Ditka would lose three more in a row and finish 3-13 before getting fired.
3. New Orleans Saints Coach Jim Mora
Ditka replaced Mora and was not nearly as good as him on the field or with sound bites. After Mora took the Saints to their first four playoff appearances ever in the 1987, '90, '91 and '92 seasons, he fell on hard times.
In 1993, the season got off to a 5-0 start. But on Dec. 20 in the Superdome, the Saints lost their third straight to fall to 7-7 on Monday Night Football as quarterback Wade Wilson continued to play poorly. Wilson had to leave the game with a knee injury, and Saints fans cheered this. Mora lost it after the game.
"I've been coaching for 34 years, and tonight I saw and heard one of the most disgusting, rudest, sick demonstrations in my entire career," he said. "Probably the worst. Those are some sick, sick, sick people - mentally sick. I thought it was horrible, disgusting, embarrassing, shameful. It stunk. People are sick when they do that. Absolutely friggin' sick. Those are sick people. Sick in the head. They ought to get their ass thrown right out of the stadium."
The Saints finished 8-8, then went 7-9 in 1994 and '95 before Mora quit during a 3-13 season in 1996.
No Nebraska coach since Bo Pelini has been as successful as him. (Getty Images).
2. Nebraska Coach Bo Pelini
Pelini's anger came after the greatest comeback win in Nebraska history at the time. After trailing Ohio State, 27-6, at the half at home in the 2011 season, the Cornhuskers came back to win 34-27. Pelini noticed most of the Nebraska fans had left at halftime and let them have it.
"Our crowd - what a bunch of f-ing fair-weather f-ing fans," he said privately to other coaches. The tape was leaked two years later to Deadspin, which published the comments. "They can all kiss my ass out the f-ing door because the day is coming now. We'll see what the they can do when I'm f-ing gone."
Pelini apologized profusely after the tape came out, but the fans never came back to him. He was fired after the 2014 season mainly because of a stormy relationship with athletic director Shawn Eichorst. But Pelini's words continue to ring true nearly a decade later. He continues to have the last laugh.
Nebraska has done little since Pelini left. He averaged nine wins a season over seven years and won 10 games three times. Since Pelini's exit, Nebraska has had six losing seasons out of seven and is on its third coach. Mike Riley had the only winning season since Pelini at 9-4 in 2016. First-year coach Matt Rhule is 2-3 this season. Pelini had two winning seasons in five years at Youngstown State before bolting for the defensive coordinator position at LSU in 2020. He has been out of coaching since getting fired after a disastrous defense led to a 5-5 season with the Tigers.
1. Chicago Cubs Manager Lee Elia
The Godfather of tumultuous tirades against fans comes from Elia, who managed the Cubs in 1982 and through most of 1983. Much was expected of the Cubs in 1983 after a 73-89 season in 1982, which was great for this franchise at the time.
LEE ELIA TIRADE REACHES 40-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
But the Cubs started off 5-14 after a 4-3 loss at home to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Elia heard his home fans booing and cussing his team throughout the afternoon as the Cubs blew a 3-1 lead.
After the game in a postgame interview, he let it all hang out and used "f-ing" more than 10 times.
"If they're the real Chicago f-ing fans, they can kiss my f-in ass right downtown," Elia said. "And print it. What am I supposed to do? Let my f-ing players go out there and get destroyed every day by the fans and be quiet about it? For the f-ing nickel-and-dime people that show up? The MFs don't even work."
At the time, the Cubs played only day games in Wrigley Field as lights were not installed until 1988l
"That's why they're out at the f-ing game," he said. "They ought to go out and get a f-ing job and find out what it's like to go out and earn a f-ing living. Eighty-five percent of the world's working. The other 15 come out here."
By that August, Lee Elia was fired.