All the wildest Philadelphia reactions to the Bryce Harper news
After months of anticipation and rumors, the Phillies and Bryce Harper agreed to a 13-year, $330 million contract on Thursday afternoon. Philadelphia confirmed the deal on Saturday morning.
Phillies fans had spent the entire offseason hoping the team would land one of the top free agents on the market. That means they had months of pent-up energy waiting to be released at the moment Harper decided where to sign -- and you better believe Philadelphia let that energy out.
It started out fairly tame:
Once the true import of the news settled in, the reactions got understandably more spirited.
The reactions also drew on recent success elsewhere in Philadelphia sports, from the Eagles' 2018 Super Bowl run to the Sixers' amassing of stars in recent months.
Even the naysayers had a change of tune.
The reactions weren't limited to fans. Other Philadelphia athletes expressed their excitement as well. Jake Arrieta didn't waste any time getting ready for Harper's arrival at Spring Training in Clearwater.
Even the Sixers are ready to bring him into the fold.
Of course, there remain segments of the fanbase who need to see a bit more before fully embracing Harper.
Facetious Philadelphian gatekeeping aside, the fans and athletes of Philadelphia are clearly excited to welcome yet another superstar to a city increasingly becoming crowded in that regard.