Philadelphia’s history is full of firsts and ferment—it provides context for understanding how Philly’s sports fans are characterized which influences how they perceive their sports teams. When analyzing Philly sports fans, there is more at work that just rowdiness. A rhetorical analysis of what we identify as Philadelphia’s “Gritty Identity” reveals the power of myth to drive action and behavior. This paper employs a mythic criticism to deconstruct Philly’s “Gritty” Identity to interrogate its impact. More specifically, we contend the Gritty Identity: 1) functions as an ideology to differentiate Philadelphia from other cities and 2) underscores how belief is more valued than logic. The Gritty Identity’s emphasis on belief characterizes our (un)reality and undermines meaningful dialogue in our contemporary society.
Key words: mythic criticism, Gritty Identity, Philadelphia sports fans, ideology, belief
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