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Puking Phillies Fan Gets Jail, Must Clean Stadium Bathrooms
By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 30, 2010
Modified Jul 30, 2010
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By
John Del Signore
Published Jul 30, 2010
Modified Jul 30, 2010
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The charming young man who was arrested after he induced vomiting onto a man and his daughters at a Phillies-Nationals game in April has been sentenced to 30 to 90 days in jail, Philly.com reports. Matthew Clemmens, 21, will also have to perform 50 hours of community service, which the judge suggested should involve cleaning bathrooms at the very stadium where he shoved his fingers down his throat and hurled all over an off-duty police officer, earning him the sobriquet "Pukemon."
To recap, the incident started when off-duty police captain Michael Vangelo asked Clemmens and his buddy, who were sitting one row behind him, to stop cursing and spitting in the direction of Vangelo and his daughters. When they wouldn't cut it out, Vangelo complained to security, and Clemmens's friend was ejected. But boys will be boys, and soon Clemmens decided to get some payback. He was heard on his cell phone saying, "I need to do what I need to do. I'm going to get sick." That's when he stood up, stuck a finger down his throat and vomited on to Vangelo and his family.
Fists flew, and Clemmens was dragged out by security while flipping everyone the bird. In court yesterday, friends and family testified for an hour about how polite the lad normally is and how he volunteers for charity work. Then Clemmens rose and read a statement of apology to the family, and tears reportedly filled his eyes as he explained, "My parents did not raise me in this manner."
But Kevin Dougherty was not persuaded, and decided to deliver a sentence that "reeks with justice," to punish Clemmens for invading "[the Vangelos'] opportunity to enjoy the American pasttime" of baseball. "Your apology, I believe, was feigned," Judge Dougherty said. "I don't know if you were trying to hit a home-run with your friends that day... but you struck out."
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Matthew Clemmens
phillies
pukemon
vomit
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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