Philadelphia Weatherman Sounds Off on Sixers' Ben Simmons

Is Philadelphia a tough town to play sports professionally in? Pretty much every athlete who's had a playing stint in the City of Brotherly Love will tell you

Is Philadelphia a tough town to play sports professionally in? Pretty much every athlete who's had a playing stint in the City of Brotherly Love will tell you that it's not easy. Some embrace the challenges that come with the often difficult criticism. Others, not so much.

Lately, it seems Sixers guard Ben Simmons might fall under the latter category. As the three-time All-Star officially begins his training camp holdout on Tuesday, the young guard continues to have no intentions of showing up and playing with his team. 

While Simmons' actual reasoning for sitting out and demanding a trade remains unclear, there has been some speculation that his unwillingness to face the tough Philly crowd after a rough second-round playoff series could play a significant part in his absence this week.

And the longer Simmons continues to make it clear he's not coming back to Philly, the more the criticism he draws from fans, radio hosts, writers, and. . . Weathermen.

🏀 Our own @HurricaneNBC10 doesn't hold back on Ben Simmons. "What is wrong with that guy?" https://t.co/d9J1MR2VNg pic.twitter.com/GkPcYAW3yS

— NBC10 Philadelphia (@NBCPhiladelphia) September 27, 2021

Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz has been a meteorologist in Philadelphia since 1995. Being a Philly native, the legendary broadcaster roots for the local teams just like any ordinary fan would. On Monday, Schwartz didn't hold back as he wanted to dish in his two cents on the Ben Simmons situation on-air before giving viewers the weather.

"Unlike Ben Simmons, we got to show up today," Schwartz joked before doing his segment. "We're glad to work for our employers! What is wrong with that guy? I was at that last game. He doesn't want to play in front of the Philadelphia fans? The Philadelphia fans really treated him great! We gave him every break, every encouragement. There wasn't booing. Wait 'till you come to Philly with another team! Then you'll get to see a Philly welcome."

Yikes. 

Will Ben Simmons play for the Sixers again? While the team wants him back, the All-Star seems pretty much set on moving on. His teammates and coaches might welcome him back with open arms if he changes his mind, but the longer the holdout ensues, the chances of Simmons ever getting back on the good side of Sixers fans again diminish by the second. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.