The Phillies took the "less is more" approach Thursday on Twitter in responding to New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's "criticism of the franchise, fans and atmosphere at Citizens Bank Park," according to Joe Giglio of the Newark STAR-LEDGER. The Phillies said, "We love our fans and appreciate their unwavering support as we 'bridge' to a bright future!" The tweet, which alludes to the controversial George Washington Bridge lane closure in '13, comes after Christie on Wednesday appeared on SNY's "Baseball Night" to "talk about his favorite team: the Mets." When the Phillies were mentioned -- specifically the team "using Tug McGraw's 'Ya Gotta Believe' slogan at their spring training complex" -- Christie "unloaded" on the Phils. He said, "The Phillies suck. Let's just start with that. They're from Philadelphia. They're an awful team. They're an angry, bitter fan base and it's not safe for civilized people to go to Citizens Bank Park if you want to root for the other team. Ya gotta believe what? Ya gotta believe we're awful people!"(Newark STAR-LEDGER, 2/17). In DC, Marissa Payne noted this is the "second time within a month that he's tried." Christie, a noted Cowboys fan, in January, "went off on Eagles fans, whom he called 'generally angry, awful people,' during an interview on the 'Boomer and Carton' show" on WFAN (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 2/16).
