Sarah Madson says she didn't know she was talking to a reporter when she made unflattering comments about Philllies fans. The Phillies sent out a statement on behalf of the Madsons Thursday afternoon addressing the report by Philadelphia blogger Laura Goldman.
"Sarah did not consent to an interview, but rather was approached by Ms. Goldman who did not identify herself as a reporter. She began to ask many personal questions about the life of a wife of a professional baseball player. The comments reported by Ms. Goldman were taken completely out of context, and as a result, Sarah is extremely upset and feels violated by the situation."
Goldman (pictured to the left), who blogs for Naked Philadelphian, not only defends her story about Sarah Madson's fan hater comments, Goldman said when contacted by NBC Philadelphia:
"She's five months pregnant, she just moved back here, maybe the start of the season was overwhelming for her and I can understand that," Goldman said.
Goldman posted the story on her blog on Wednesday, saying that when she talked to Sarah recently at a charity event, the wife of the Phillies reliever spewed some fan hate:
"I hate the fans. It is bad enough that they bother us during the season, but they will not leave us alone in December when we go out to eat."
Crossing Broad blogger Kyle Scott fired back with a post questioning Goldman's credibility – alleging that she's on probation after pleading guilty in an extortion case involving a billionaire and his son.
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Goldman confirmed she is on probation after pleading to guilty to two counts of extortion in a case dating back eight years. The terms of her probation don't allow her to talk in detail about the case, she said.
Goldman vehemently defends her Madson story, telling NBC Philadelphia, "They can say whatever they want about me. She absolutely said it and I identified myself as a reporter. I have witnesses that she said it. I told people at the time that she said it."
In the statement by the Phillies, Sarah is quoted as saying, "For every one fan that may upset us, there are 99 Phillies fans that we love. We have lived here for years, have many friends, neighbors and acquaintances -- who also happen to be Phillies fans -- for whom we have the utmost respect."
Before the Phillies released that statement, NBC Philadelphia told Goldman that critics were questioning whether Sarah would say anything of the sort and asked what her demeanor was like that night.
Goldman said the comments surprised her. "She's pregnant, so I know she wasn't drunk, but I almost thought it was coming from a drunk person," Goldman said. "I also think that when you're five months pregnant and women are throwing themselves at your husband, that can't be a lot of fun," Goldman said.
Goldman says she never expected her story to cause such a furor, but she welcomes it, saying, "I've done stories here and in Israel that have caused furor and I've never been retracted."
