Faux Fans

So I don't know why, but I kind of have a problem with fair-weather fans of the Rockies.

I'm not a big sports guy, but I do watch, and even go to the random Rockie's game, and up until they started winning, Coors Field has been pretty much a ghost town all season.

Now everyone's all abuzz [who knew that was a real word] about the Rocks.

You fair-weather fans can suck it.

You're all a bunch of phony-jump on the bandwagon-meathead types.

Which in all actuality, is one reason I don't religiously follow team sports.

[Sidenote: I actually, was at the final game last time they were in the playoffs in '95.]

Former Phillies fan Hickenlooper now a Rockies diehard

'DENVER - Everyone who knows Mayor John Hickenlooper, knows he was born a Philadelphia Phillies fan and he's been pretty intense in his passion for them.

That said, he also led the push to build Coors Field in LoDo and bring the Rockies to Denver.

So, where does his allegiance lie? Here's what the Mayor had to say about it all the day after the Colorado Rockies punched their ticket to the National League Divisional Series against the Phillies.

"This is the whole dream. I've been inoculated with Rockies fever. I've got the fever. You can't go back to the old roots," said Hickenlooper.

He was in Texas last night during the game, receiving text messages every half inning from his executive assistant Tony Young.

His prediction is the Rockies in five, tight, well-played games, but he wanted us to know he's not cheering for the Phillies at all.

Hickenlooper is not alone in his conflicting allegiances. Pat Neeley lives in Colorado, but this week he says he is rooting for his hometown team, the Phillies.

Neeley says he does not want to be alone.

Neeley decided to move to Colorado 10 years ago because of a sandwich.

"When I came out to visit a friend, I saw that there was no real authentic Philly Cheesesteak, so I saw it as an opportunity for me to bring a little slice of Philadelphia to Denver," said Neeley.

He's been making a mean Philly Cheesesteak since he was 12, almost as long as he's been a Phillies fan.

"I love the Phillies, I'm not going to lie, I love my Philadelphia Phillies," said Neeley.

So do his customers.

"I've loved Philly my whole live and I love it out here too," said Daniel Thier, a Phillies fan and Colorado resident.

"I was born and bred in PA. I've been here for 15 years in Denver, but I'm still a Phillies fan," said Michael Bortz.

Neeley has three restaurants in the metro area. The restaurants are not only there to give people great food, but are also place to root on their home teams.

"There's a large contingency of Philadelphia fans out here," he said.

You don't have to be a PA fan to hang out at Pat's Philly Cheesesteaks. Some Rockies fans find it hard to resist.

"You can enjoy a cheesesteak and still be a Rockies fan," said John Zeps, a Pat's customer.

No matter who wins this week, Neeley will still be at the grill.

"The way I look at it, either the Phillies make it and I'm happy, or the Rockies make it and the fans in Denver are very happy. So it's a win-win situation," he said.'