It’s Always Bloody In Philadelphia

Oh Philadelphia Flyers fans, you crazy, bloodthirsty miscreants.

You know you have a pretty surly fanbase when they start going after each other after a bus ride back from another arena. But that is precisely what happened Saturday night when a group of fans returning from watching a game against the New Jersey Devils in Newark had a bit of a dustup – including a couple of stabbings – when they returned to Philly. And this comes after they brawled with Devils fans outside the arena before they left Jersey.

Here is what transpired before the bus trip back to Philly, according to a person who was there (via The700Level)

There were about thirty Flyers fans waiting for one of the busses to take us back to Philly. This dude walks up with a Broduer jersey that he had on backwards for some reason. He just stood there staring us all down, not saying a word. It was really weird. But then he takes a swing at my buddy. Those two started wrestling a little, a few shots connected but then the security came to break it up. They broke it up for about two seconds and another fight broke out. After that the cops showed up and that was it. My buddy (who looks like he is about to be arrested at the end of the video) somehow managed to escape and met us on the bus!

And then here is what transpired after the bus departed Newark:

On the way back from the game in Newark, in which the Flyers defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-2, one of the men on the bus called his brother, an off-duty police officer from the 18th District, and told him that there might be trouble when the bus got back in the city, according to Northeast Detectives.

And that’s when things got even uglier.

It is unclear why some of the occupants of the fan bus expected trouble upon their return, but according to police, when the off-duty cop showed up at the bus’ final destination, at the Arena Bowling Alley on Roosevelt Boulevard near Rhawn Street, he saw a group of 10 to 15 men waiting for it to arrive.

When the bus pulled up shortly after midnight, three to four of the men who were waiting attempted to board the bus, police said.

The off-duty officer got out of his vehicle and, as he did so, the men trying to get on the bus instead ran towards him and began kicking and punching the officer, Northeast Detectives said.

After verbally identifying himself as a police officer, the off-duty cop grabbed a hold of one of the men and held him against his car while the others continued to beat the officer, police said.

Meanwhile, the cop’s brother and the other fans got off the bus and engaged in a verbal dispute with the opposing group, according to police.

During the course of the argument, the cop’s 28-year-old brother was stabbed once in the chest and once in the back by a man in a Flyers’ jersey, Northeast Detectives said.

Another occupant of the bus, a 26-year-old man, was stabbed once in the back by a different assailant who also wore a Flyers jersey, this one with ripped sleeves, police said.

Now, there is no reason to get all stabby over a simple disagreement. Both stabbing victims are at a hospital in Philadelphia in critical condition.

Hopefully, the two men injured make it out okay, but thanks for helping to reaffirm the stereotypes regarding typical Philly sports fans.

Here’s an account from a bystander, once again via The700Level:

When we got back to the The Arena bowling alley in the Northeast, there were cop cars everywhere and a big brawl taking place. These were all Flyers fans fighting. I don’t know why. I guess drinking all day had something to do with it? Anyway, some guy comes walking by with his buddy screaming, “Call an ambulance!” He had been stabbed and his intestines were literally hanging out! There was blood everywhere. We were just a little freaked out and didn’t want to be stabbed so we left.

Good call on leaving. Fat, drunk and stabby is no way to go through life, kids.

Fans in knife fight after Flyers bus trip [The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Flyers Bus Trips to Jersey End in Violence, Then Later, a Possible Stabbing [The700Level]