Moose Johnston says Philly fans still give him the finger

AP

Some things in the NFL never change, and some NFL players know even after they’ve been retired for more than a decade that they’re going to get the same reception in certain cities where they played.

For former Cowboys fullback Daryl “Moose” Johnston, that means that when he goes to Philadelphia to call Eagles games in his role as a FOX analyst, he still gets the same one-finger salute they gave him when he played for the Cowboys from 1989 to 1999.

“They flip me the bird in Philly,” Johnston said on KTCK-AM 1310, via the Dallas Morning News.

But for the most part, Johnston says, his fame with the Cowboys gets him welcomed no matter where he goes.

“It’s good,” he said. “There are Cowboys fans everywhere. People recognize me as Moose. I think that’ll always be a part of who I am. It’s fun. We have Cowboy fans in Washington, New York, Philadephia, all over the country. When you talk about America’s Team, I think the moniker for the Dallas Cowboys really fits because we have a fan base that extends to every city.”

So the Cowboys do have fans in Philly. It’s just that those fans are outnumbered by the ones who give Johnston the finger.

51 responses to “Moose Johnston says Philly fans still give him the finger

  1. Im not a Cowboys fan but I still love this guy.. Class act and should be in the Hall!! Smith wouldn’t have got as many yards as he did had it not been for Johnstone!

  2. “Moose,” like Jerry Jones and most former Cowboy players are living in the past. The “America’s team” label has long since ceased in reference to the Dallas Cowboys. Why? Simple. When the Cowboys were consistently successful, people around the country jumped on board because everybody likes to be a fan of a winner. Today, the only moniker they’ve earned is “Most Overrated” or “Biggest Underachiever.”

  3. Since Johnson never played even one down for
    Pittsburgh just how important can he be?

    (Right, Steeler fans?)

  4. I’d be part of that group that flips him the big bird. The guy was an animal on the field, moving 300lb DL’s to the side, destroying LB’s and running through DB’s like they weren’t even there. Emmitt Smith had his running lanes paved for him, thats why he was at the top of the rushing list every year. I can’t count how many times he has given Smith an advantage against Buffalo. Damn Moose needed a tranquilizer.

  5. I wouldn’t let one of my kids go to college in Philly. I had an ooen mind about it, then I realized to just eat the application fee…

  6. As an Eagles fan, this pains me to say, but ex-Cowboys seems to make really good analysts. Aikman is the best in the game, and Moose is also really good. These guys call a lot my team’s games, and I always enjoy it. But yeah… my city’s not the best about being classy.

  7. Love that the only people who invoke “America’s Team” played in the early 90’s.

    Moose, not sure if you’ve been following the landscape of the league but the Cowboy’s have been more of a symbol of the downfalls of excess and greed than a shining beacon of America from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

    It’s been 20 years, (those outside of the backwards swamp that is Philadelphia) have moved on.

  8. Just another knock against “big bad Philly”. No other team flips players/ex-players the bird. I guess Green Bay doesn’t have a tradition of mooning the opposing teams bus after a game when it’s pulling out of the stadium then huh? I highly recommend people to google former Mayor and Governor Ed Rendel’s story defending Philly from about year ago. The fact that this is even a story is joke and shows the laziness of journalist throughout the country. And now you can follow this post with one about snowballs at Santa but if you did a little research you’d see what really happened, not what the media has made it into. But hey, I’ll take it, cuz it makes all other fans and players just a little more uneasy when they come into this great city and Lincoln Financial Field!

  9. I’ve always admired “Moose’s” work ethic as a player and I think he is one of the best in the broadcast booth but he implies that the Cowboys are the only team that has fans everywhere. I think all 32 teams have fans “everywhere” and that the self-proclaimed endorsements that some teams bestow on themselves, i.e. “America’s team, Titletown, etc.” only mean something to the fanbase of those particular teams. I am from a midwestern NFL city and have never seriously considered the cowboys to be “America’s Team”. I think those self-proclaimed monikers became outdated long ago and if anything, especially since Jerrah bought the Cowboys and they became “Jerrah’s Team”.

  10. can anyone say they are really surprised. philly fans are the worse. they may have some good ones, just never met em

  11. “We have Cowboy fans in Washington, New York, Philadephia, all over the country.”

    Sure Moose…..and there’s people all over the country that still think that OJ is innocent.

    As a Philly fan, I think Moose is dealing with an overwhelming minority that may be “flipping hime the bird”, or whatever else he’s dealing with……..I think he’s an above average analyst, actually. And would enjoy him more on broadcasts if they got rid of the goofball element with Siragusa on the sidelines.

  12. Another article that rips Philadelphia fans. Don’t you have anything better to do, Michael?

    This happens in cities all throughout the NFL. But you just had to write an article about it happening in Philadelphia, right?

    An as for you posters saying this is classless, etc. then you don’t know what it’s like to be a real fan. Philly fans give him the finger out of respect. He was on a team that dominated the Eagles and the NFC East for years. Philly fans remember that and lets “Moose” know that they do.

    Once again, this happens in every NFL city but just doesn’t get printed.

  13. Kudos to you for somehow creating an entire article based off a comment that was most likely a joke. If he does get flipped the bird, it’s from a small minority. However I doubt too many fans see him when he pulls up in preferred media parking lot when he goes to the linc..

  14. What else do you expect from the sports fans in Baghdad, USA?

    Moose is doing the city a Public Service by showing up to the games. If those fans weren’t busy giving you the finger, they wouldn’t have been distracted from their usual tasks of throwing batteries at some poor random innocent bystander who has the misfortune of wearing another team’s jersey.

  15. “skoz17 says: Feb 19, 2012 11:48 AM
    An as for you posters saying this is classless, etc. then you don’t know what it’s like to be a real fan. Philly fans give him the finger out of respect. ”
    =================================================

    If you think giving someone the finger is a “sign of respect” then you have just single-handedly reaffirmed the well-deserved Philly reputation as being the least classy people, not just fans, in the nation.

  16. I’m a Philly guy, and I didn’t give Moose the finger and disagree with the jerk who did. That fool did not represent real Eagles fans. We have a fringe element in this town led by some clown who had a morning drive sportstalk radio show.
    They boo-ed McNabb when he was drafted. They do not speak for us.

    I think this is one guy. I would be suprised if this was characteristic of the way Johnston is treated during his visits to Philadelphia.

  17. Don’t worry Moose. The have an inferiority complex over the fact that you have more Superbowl rings than the entire Philly organization will have in our lifetime.

  18. quittsburghstoolers says:
    Feb 19, 2012 11:07 AM
    “Since Johnson never played even one down for
    Pittsburgh just how important can he be?
    (Right, Steeler fans?)”

    OK we get it.
    The Steelers own you.

  19. Just as it’s Moose’s right to complain about getting the finger, it’s our right to send one his way. Annnnnnnnnnd speaking for myself, I’m gonna do it til the day I die! E-A-G-L-E-S!!!

  20. It’s an NFC East thing that the rest of you don’t get but I’m willing to bet fans in DC and NY relate to. HE PLAYED FOR THE COWBOYS! I REPEAT HE PLAYED FOR THE COWBOYS!!!!!! ENOUGH SAID. GO BIRDS!

  21. i agree with iggles. as a giants fan, i saw those early 90’s boys teams beat up on the giants more than i care to remember. i can definately understand eagle, giant, and skin fans showing animosity towards any member of those cowboys teams.

  22. Another article about Philly fans being mean to opponents. Cry me a river. I’ve traveled all over the country to attend Eagles’ games and it is pretty much the same everywhere. Even the out-of-the woodwork fans are the same. We Philly fans wear the criticism with pride because at least we care 365 days a year, every year, no matter what.

  23. eagles7to10 says:
    Feb 19, 2012 11:34 AM
    Just another knock against “big bad Philly”. No other team flips players/ex-players the bird. I guess Green Bay doesn’t have a tradition of mooning the opposing teams bus after a game when it’s pulling out of the stadium then huh? I highly recommend people to google former Mayor and Governor Ed Rendel’s story defending Philly from about year ago. The fact that this is even a story is joke and shows the laziness of journalist throughout the country. And now you can follow this post with one about snowballs at Santa but if you did a little research you’d see what really happened, not what the media has made it into. But hey, I’ll take it, cuz it makes all other fans and players just a little more uneasy when they come into this great city and Lincoln Financial Field!
    ===================================
    Really, it’s an ugly city with unattractive, surly people and it carries over to Philly sports. The one redeeming quality is the food (although definitely not Pat’s or Geno’s, which is pure garbage).

    It’s not just about the fans booing Santa Claus. It’s about a guy at a Phillies game puking on a guy and his daughter; fans harassing Justin Morneau as he gets in a car outside of his hotel; a 17-year old girl throwing beer on Blackhawks fans while her father laughs and the usher watches 10 feet away and does nothing; Flyer fans beating up guys in Ranger jerseys outside of Geno’s and continuing the assault while they are on the ground; criminal court established in Veteran’s Stadium because of excessive violence; cheering while Michael Irvin lay on the field with a career ending neck injury, and scads of other incidents.
    Yeah, some of these things happen at other stadiums; just not with the frequency that they occur in Philly.
    It’s not an accident. Philly fans have earned their reputations through their actions, not lazy journalism. Quit blaming it on the media- blame it on yourselves, Philly fans.

  24. Maybe Eagles fans don’t like the suit, shirt and tie combos he wears, or the pedestal Johnston has built for himself the last few years on Fox.

    Used to enjoy him and that team on the broadcasts when they were a little bit lower on the ranking, but he’s become far too preachy and condescending in the past years as that broadcast team have moved up, as if him and his Cowboys team’s were perfect every down, every game.

  25. As a philadelphia fan I couldn’t care less what any other sports city thinks about us…just because nbc and espn enjoy bringing us up when ever something happens doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen in other cities (more so in CA)…but no one could ever argue with the fact that we are the best fans in america

  26. I know this is a little long but for all of you uninformed fans who bash Philadelphia, including you Frank Booth, please read this article before you try to measure up to this great sports city…

    So, here we go again. Another national publication resorting to tired clichés and jumping on the “throwing snowballs at Santa” bandwagon to describe Philadelphia sports fans. In the current issue of GQ magazine, you ranked the 15 worst sports fans in America, and in a tie for the title of worst in the nation you selected the fans of the Eagles and Phillies. Your magazine described them as the “meanest fans in America.” The “worst fans”? “Meanest fans”? I’ve been following sports in this town for years, since I came to Penn. Jim, you and your magazine took the easy way out. And you have it all wrong. … [C]onsider the following incidents committed by other cities’ fans:
    * Jets fans boo their team’s draft selection not only 1 year, but every year. The national and New York press never mention that.
    * In 1986, a Yankees fan threw a knife at the Angels’ Wally Joyner, grazing his arm.
    * In 2010, some Yankees fans in the stands harassed the wife of then-Ranger Cliff Lee.
    * In 2002, two White Sox fans jumped out of the stands and attacked Kansas City Royals first-base coach Tom Gamboa.
    * A year later at a White Sox game, a fan ran onto the field and tried to tackle an umpire. Later that year, Cubs fans threw a cellphone that hit San Diego third baseman Sean Burroughs.
    * In 1999, Denver fans threw snowballs with batteries in them at Raiders players.
    * In 2003, Oakland fans hit the Rangers’ Carl Everett in the head with a cellphone. Later that year in Oakland, another Athletics fan threw a cherry bomb from the upper deck and burned an 8-year-old boy.
    * In 2003, a Giants fan was fatally shot by a Dodgers fan in an argument in a Dodger Stadium parking lot.
    * In 2001, Browns fans threw beer bottles onto the field to protest a referee’s call. Police had to escort the refs from the stadium.
    * In 2009, Dallas Mavericks fans poured beer on Kenyon Martin’s mother and Carmelo Anthony’s fiancée.
    Booing an emaciated Santa, even booing your own players pales in significance compared with these acts of physical violence. The key fact you’re clearly missing is that one can point to isolated incidents of poor fan behavior in almost every city. Unfortunately, again, you chose the easy way out. First, Eagles and Phillies fans are incredibly loyal. When the Birds suffered through several four-win seasons, they still sold out. The Phillies have played before 123 straight sellout crowds at Citizens Bank Park. The fans’ support is intense and electric. It inspires and motivates players. It literally lifts our teams. Ask Brian Dawkins, the ex-Eagle now with the Broncos, who are the best fans in the NFL and he will tell you there are good fans in many places, but none like ours. And, Jim, did anyone at GQ listen to star pitcher Cliff Lee when he turned down an offer of more money from the beloved New York Yankees to sign with the Phillies? This is what Cliff had to say about the “worst fans in America”: “You can feel the volume. Every game has got an elevated feel to it compared to everywhere else. It’s completely different. I don’t know what the fans do to create that much more volume and excitement in the stadium, but it’s definitely something extra here. I don’t know what it is, but it’s something they’re doing. They get excited. They’re passionate fans. They understand what’s going on. They don’t need a teleprompter to tell them to get up and cheer, to do that. No, it’s exciting.” Lastly, let’s talk about the good our fans do. In the last 6 years, Eagles fans have helped raise more than $1.5 million to fight breast cancer and have donated more than 21,000 pounds of food to hunger relief organizations. Not to be outdone, in the last two decades Phillies fans have donated $11 million to help fight ALS, $800,000 last year alone. And incredibly – in what has to be an unprecedented gesture – the fans funded the creation of a 7 1/2-foot bronze statue of the Phils’ beloved, now-deceased announcer Harry Kalas and presented it as a gift to the club in Harry’s memory. “Worst fans”? Hardly. “Best fans”? Probably. Jim, I understand you come to Philadelphia often to dine at Vetri, one of our great gourmet restaurants. Perhaps the next time you come into town you should head down to Pat’s Steaks at 12th and Passyunk and give the people of South Philly a chance to talk with you about the article. Better yet, come with me to the Phillies’ Opening Day, and you will feel that passion – that love – that the “best” fans in America have for their teams.
    Sincerely Yours,

    Ed Rendell

  27. I want to make a few comments:

    Ed Rendell is a class act and I wish he would run for President in 2016.

    Unfortunately, I am a die-hard Redskin fan even through the Redskin’s misfortunes.

    Lastly, Moose Johnston’s comments about the Cowboys being America’s team is ridiculous. His assertions that the Cowboys are America’s team due to him seeing Cowboy fans all over the US is refutable. I have friends that live in Sweden and Switzerland that are Redskin fans. I wonder if the are any Cowboy fans in those countries. If any team should be listed as “America’s Team”, it should be the Redskins, since they do hail from the “Nation’s Capital”.

  28. I agree with Eddie.

    Moose took a cheap shot at an entire city. As an NFL analyst, I expect better of him than that.

    Moose has a bit of the meglomania typical of many cowboys and their “fans.” America’s team was a phrase first used by NFL Films (based outside of Philadelphia) in the ’70s as one of numerous promotional nicknames (“Steel Curtain,” “Purple People Eaters” etc.) for some of the better teams in the league at that time. Guess they couldn’t think of anything special for the cowboys, so they got a generic nick. Forty years on, some cowboys and “fans” still swallow it. Get a grip, boys.

  29. Really, it’s an ugly city with unattractive, surly people and it carries over to Philly sports. The one redeeming quality is the food (although definitely not Pat’s or Geno’s, which is pure garbage).

    It’s not just about the fans booing Santa Claus. It’s about a guy at a Phillies game puking on a guy and his daughter; fans harassing Justin Morneau as he gets in a car outside of his hotel; a 17-year old girl throwing beer on Blackhawks fans while her father laughs and the usher watches 10 feet away and does nothing; Flyer fans beating up guys in Ranger jerseys outside of Geno’s and continuing the assault while they are on the ground; criminal court established in Veteran’s Stadium because of excessive violence; cheering while Michael Irvin lay on the field with a career ending neck injury, and scads of other incidents.
    Yeah, some of these things happen at other stadiums; just not with the frequency that they occur in Philly.
    It’s not an accident. Philly fans have earned their reputations through their actions, not lazy journalism. Quit blaming it on the media- blame it on yourselves, Philly fans.

    ================================================

    Very creative Frank Booth. You took the same 6 incidents spread out over 50 years. Nice work by you. Next time, let us know where your from and we’ll judge you. But you’ll hide like most of the tools on here.

  30. What a shock that a politician would write something defensing his city. Like I said, those kind of things happen in any city, but happen in Philly with more frequency.

    People from opposing cities should expect to heckled if they are wearing their gear, but they shouldn’t have to fear for their safety, as they do in Philly and Oakland.

    Additionally, fans making donations are hardly limited to Philly. It happens in pretty much every sports city. Donating funds doesn’t excuse Philly fans, or any other fans, for their behavior. Rendell likes to make it sound like all of the negative crap happens in other cities, and then singles out Philly fans for their good deeds, ignoring the fact that donating occurs in every other sports city in America.

    By the way, is Rendell inviting the writer of the article that he responded to down to Pat’s for a beatdown by the South Philly fans, just like the Rangers fans got outside of Geno’s? Was

    Where there’s smoke there’s fire. I don’t think that there is much doubt that the Philly fanbase is the most intense, and that intensity doesn’t necessarily manifest itself in positive ways.

  31. dallassux says:

    Very creative Frank Booth. You took the same 6 incidents spread out over 50 years. Nice work by you. Next time, let us know where your from and we’ll judge you. But you’ll hide like most of the tools on here.
    ===================================
    Not really: The puking incident was in 2010, as was the Morneau thing and the Hawks/Philly Stanley Cup. The Flyer fans beating on Rangers fans outside of Geno’s just happened a couple of weeks ago. The criminal court was stopped in 2003, and the Irvin incident occurred in 1999.

    Instead of trying to deny it, why doesn’t Philly try to deal with the issues instead?

  32. All these comments about Phily fans being the worst is just garbage. Its BECAUSE the national media spotlights stories in Philly that you all know about it. In the last few months alone, 4 people were shot at San Francisco 49ers games. When has that ever happened in Philly? At a pre-season game between the 49ers and Raiders, there were 2 shootings in the parking lot, a fan was beaten unconscious in a bathroom and there was a huge brawl in the stands. But Philly fans are the worst?

    At a Dodgers-Giants game last summer, a fan was beaten so badly he got brain damage.

    At a Chargers-Raiders game this past season a fan was stabbed.

    A Packers mother choked her OWN daughter because the Packers lost and ruined their perfect season.

    There’s plenty more examples examples out there and I started a website about it and those stories will be heard. How do the above incidents even compare to 99% of the things you hear about in Philly?

  33. Philly fans got it right this time. Relax, Moose. They were only showing you how good an analyst you are on a scale of 1-10.

  34. Moose has relatives in the Philly area, he was probably talking about his wife’s family giving him the finger at Thanksgiving dinner.

  35. Curious as to what the person thinks who gave my previous comment a thumbs down, do you think I made those stories up? Or are you just being obstinate? Go search those stories if you don’t believe me.

  36. Mr. Booth, Philly fans the most intense? Been to San Fran lately? Why do those fans get a pass? They F@#$ing KILL PEOPLE!!! While I admit a fraction of the Philly fan base is out of control it stands to reason you are just as critical to San Fran Fans? The LAZY media runs with it because they know they will get hits on the websites because people like to hate Philly and the fans will defend it.

    Fitting that a man named Booth is spreading BS on President’s Day! Proud of that Uncle of yours?

  37. Hmmmmmmm……Let’s all pretend that fans from all different teams, all over the country don’t flip the bird…..or yell expletives at former adversaries…nooooo….it only happens in Philly…..never anywhere else….sure.

    Anyhow, bring on the haters. Doesn’t bother me. We may never win the Superbowl. We might always be miserable pr**ks. But at least we have the bird to flip. I am doing it right now.

  38. I guess if I were in Philly I’d flip Moose ‘the bird’ too…..considering the Iggles have never had anyone since Chuck Bednarik compete with the same kind of determination, heart and selflessness that Johnston did.

    And Lorcaric can talk about all of these other incidences, but we’re talking about a group of fans that cheered when Michael Irvin was on the turf wondering if he’d walk again.

    Maybe not as violent as some of those incidences, but Philly fans of every stripe (Iggles, Phils, 76ers, Flyers) will always lead every league they’re in in classlessness.

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