Rays find fault with Philly fans

Despite residing in the City of Brotherly Love, Philadelphia sports fans have earned a reputation for being rude and rowdy.

They've booed Santa Claus and cheered for former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin -- as he was being taken off the field on a stretcher.

A column that ran Monday in the St. Petersburg Times reported Rays family members and employees said they were harassed by Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park to an unacceptable degree during World Series Game 3.

Children were cursed at and one 9-year-old boy had beer poured on him. A Rays family member also stayed locked in a bathroom stall because, he said, Phillies fans were banging on the walls and threatening him.

But it could've been worse. He could have been trapped in a port-a-potty and in danger of getting tipped over.

Rays manager Joe Maddon didn't have much of a problem with Phillies fans -- except, of course, for the ones who threw things at his granddaughter.

"Down by the dugout I had a good time with a bunch of guys sitting in the stands," he said. "I was actually giving a guy a hard time for drinking Coors Light in Philadelphia. I said, 'Where's the Schmidt's? At least some Rolling Rock. Don't be going with Coors Light.' It's so unfashionable for a Philly dude. I was all over him about that, so we had a good time.

"Really, the biggest part is the families, if we could do something about that. Throwing mustard packs at my granddaughter is not very cool. The other part, I'm good with."

• BILL WALSH LIVES -- Fired by ESPN in 2006 for using profanity during a live broadcast -- when, thinking she was off the air, she blurted "What the (expletive) was that?" -- Fox Sports sideline reporter Danyelle Sargent made another major gaffe Sunday during an interview with new San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Singletary.

According to the San Jose Mercury News, Sargent asked Singletary "I heard that your mentor Bill Walsh was one of the first phone calls that you made when you found out that you had the job. What does it mean to you to be the head coach of the 49ers?"

Singletary appeared stunned by the question -- understandably so since Walsh died more than a year ago, on July 30, 2007.

Without realizing her mistake, Sargent interrupted Singletary and said into her earpiece, "I'm sorry. Oh. I'm sorry. What, what did I, what was wrong?"

The clip never aired on Fox and it was taken down from YouTube at Fox's request.

• LOSS FOR WORDS -- Sargent wasn't the only Fox sideline reporter who had a rough NFL Sunday. While relaying comments made by Giants coach Tom Coughlin during New York's win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pam Oliver lost her train of thought and, to her credit, admitted as much, saying "I forgot. I have to get back with you. Good Lord."

Up in the booth, analyst Troy Aikman poked fun at her, saying she had "what is called a senior moment," to which play-by-play man Dick Stockton replied "she's not old enough to have a senior moment."

Aikman, 41, then said of the 47-year-old Oliver, "Well, she's well on her way."

COMPILED BY TODD DEWEY REVIEW-JOURNAL