Phillies great Chase Utley one of the good guys
Baseball fans of the area did everything short of laying rose petals in his path and carrying him around the stadium on a covered golden litter. Chase Utley is idolized in the Philadelphia area because of the way he played on the field – hard, smart, team-oriented. And the way he comported himself off the field.
Aside from his one major misstep – dropping an fbomb during his speech, in front of thousands of kids during the Phillies World Series celebration parade – his record is pretty clean.
He was usually classy and genuinely down-to-earth. He was extremely appreciative of the way he was treated by the fans – especially in the latter years of his career. The devotion he and his wife displayed for animal and pet adoption causes won the hearts of millions.
Bottom line: he was one of the all-time good guys in Philadelphia sports history.
There have been others through the years – the ones who avoided scandal, conducted themselves in a civil manner, did not have any run-ins with the law.
Some who come to mind immediately include Brian Dawkins, Brian Westbrook and Ron Jaworski of the Eagles; Bobby Jones, Billy Cunningham and Julius Erving of the 76ers, Brian Propp and Paul Holmgren of the Flyers and from the Phillies, Mike Schmidt and Utley’s keystone combination mate Jimmy Rollins.
They were all great players in uniform … but even classier once they made the transition into public life.
That cannot always be said about the sports stars in Philadelphia.
Certainly, every city has had its share of nefarious characters. They make a constant procession across the police blotters of America. Currently, football is the leader in producing bad guys. Conversely, hockey has always been the team sport with the fewest black eyes.
Of course, golf is the sport with the ultimate squeaky clean image but – for now, let’s put that in a separate category.
Philadelphia teams have had their share of athletes who have generated unwanted headlines.
One of the earliest was Ed Bouchee, a first baseman who finished second in the Rookie of the Year balloting in 1957. It looked as if he had a promising career until later that year when he was arrested for exposing himself to young girls. He pleaded guilty to a number of charges and sentenced to three years of probation.
Another great Phillie rookie, who was embroiled in trouble, was Dick Allen. From 1964 to 1969, when he was known as Richie, he drove his managers crazy. The two biggest issues were getting to the ballpark on time … and getting to the ballpark sober.
Other Phillies just had nasty dispositions. Two Cy Young Award winners – Steve Carlton and John Denny – were also two of the most unfriendly people ever to don the pinstripes. It is no coincidence that they are not a big part of Phillies alumni celebrations.
And then there was Lenny Dyksta. Another Phillie All-Star, he almost ruined the team by crashing his car on Darby-Paoli Road in Radnor Township, while driving drunk, and causing injury to himself and star catcher Darren Daulton. Since his retirement, he has had frequent brushes with the law – including a bankruptcy fraud indictment and a prison term for grand theft auto and filing a false financial report. Eagles bad guys? Nobody comes close to New England Patriot tight end Aaron Hernandez, who was convicted of murder and died after hanging himself in his prison cell. But Eagles defensive lineman Jerome Brown was directly responsible for two deaths.
In 1992 the All-Pro lineman had his 12-year-old nephew in his ZR1 Chevrolet Corvette when he decided to show off by driving at more than 100 mph. He lost control of the car and both died in the fiery crash.
The 76ers have managed a fairly clean reputation throughout their history – with the notable exception of one of their most famous players. Allen Iverson came out of Hampton, Virginia and Georgetown University with a reputation as a punk and a thug. Rather than dispel it, he reveled in it.
Iverson was arrested as a youth after a melee at a bowling alley – served time, then had the sentence commuted – but controversy followed him throughout his 76er career. Even his mid-season departure, for the last time, from the 76ers in 2010 was shrouded in mystery and accusations.
Going through that list of sports reprobates is enough to turn even the most devoted jock against the world of professional athletes. There are bad people in every walk of life … but the spotlight shines brightest on those who can’t walk the straight line in the sports world.
That’s why players like Utley capture so much adulation from the passionate fans in a city like Philadelphia. The same goes for Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and Phillies pitcher Aaron Nola.
They are the good guys of their sport. They are the ones who keep the fans in the stadium seats. They are the ones who help erase the memories of the bad guys of the sports world.