In light of the Philadelphia Phillies making some pretty big trades (veteran star players Cole Hamels and Chase Utley, to name a couple), many sports analysts have been talking about the "changing nature" of Philadelphia sports, and countless fans have been expressing heartfelt adorations of their heroes departing the city.

This got me thinking - how did these people, these fans, get such a bad rep? It seems that everyone who thinks of Philadelphia sports fans thinks of the loud, obnoxious, drunk guys ready to knock someone out, but almost no one sees the unwavering dedication and passion these people have held to their teams for decades. Sure, there's the infamous story of Eagles fans throwing snowballs at Santa Claus, but come on, that was 1968! Can't we catch a break?

Being a hardcore Philly sports fan is something that my out-of-town friends have never really understood. "Why do you care so much?" they always ask. "They're not even that good." And honestly, they're right. Philly isn't exactly known for a decorated mantle or a slew of championships. But that's part of the appeal of it all. Look, Philly isn't like New York or L.A. People don't move here with their aspirations of becoming a star or making it big. We're mostly a city of your roughed-up average Joes who wake up in the morning, grab Wawa coffee, and go to work. And our teams, our players, identify with that. They fight the good fight daily, and though you won't find them with many trophies and they don't have much to show off, they're as hardworking, loyal, and good-hearted as they come.

And yes, believe it or not, this city is filled with good-hearted people. Sure, we're a little rough around the edges. We become a little bitter when we see the Yankees or Giants win another world series, and the Patriots win another Super Bowl, and we just barely miss the championship. But you can bet your last Septa token that when next season rolls around, we'll be at the bar in our jerseys and caps ready to root the boys on again. Why? Because through the ups and downs, the wins and losses, our guys give these average Joes something to believe in.

For many of us, loyalty to our teams has been instilled in us since we were kids. Growing up, Sundays in my family were exclusively reserved for church, followed by the weekly family gathering to watch the Eagles game. It was tradition. When the Eagles lost the 2005 Super Bowl to the Patriots, my little cousin wouldn't stop crying. She was too young to even really understand football. On the flip side, three years later, when I stayed up late with my dad to watch the Phillies win the World Series, the city flipped upside down. Everywhere you looked was a sea of red and white. Strangers were embracing each other in the streets. At school, tests and project due dates were pushed back for weeks to allow proper celebration. My dad ran out at midnight to grab us World Series Champion shirts. And Philadelphia idol Chase Utley shouted the three words that will forever ring in the hearts of Philly sports fans, "World F*****g Champions."

My favorite Philadelphia sports story to tell happened in 2010. After a disappointing trade the year prior took away our monster machine that was pitcher Cliff Lee, we were pretty upset. But on the morning December 15, 2010, my dad excitedly shook me awake. "Jax, Jax wake up! Cliff Lee is back!" he shouted. In my half asleep state, I grumbled, "You just want me to get up for school." But my dad is even less of a morning person than I am and is very rarely awake before me. He would never be this awake, and attempt to get me up too, on an ordinary day.

I turned on the news and opened Facebook. It was plastered everywhere. "CLIFF LEE IS BACK!" I scrolled down my Facebook news feed to hundreds of statuses, every single one teeming with excitement over the news that our favorite pitcher had signed a five-year contract with the Phillies. Music played in the hallways at school between classes. Everyone was squealing. The re-addition of Lee to Cole Hamels, Roy Halladay, Roy Oswalt, and Joe Blanton made what commentators called "the best pitching assembly ever." And when asked why he came back to Philly, despite a higher salary offer from the Yankees, the first thing Lee cited was the regular sellouts and passion of the fans, saying, "I never wanted to leave in the first place."

This is the image I get in my head when I think of Philly's sports fans. This is the true face of the city of brotherly love. Sure, we don't sparkle in lights. But the next time you think of us as a city of nasty sports fans, I encourage you to hop on the Broad Street Line to AT&T station, take a gander at the sports complex that millions have come to call home, and watch as they root on the boys. You just may surprise yourself.