Phil Kirkman (Necessary Roughness)

Phil Kirkman is a one-off character in the American sports series Necessary Roughness

Biography
Phil has been obsessed with the American football team the Hawks since childhood, and his dream was to become a player with them one day. Although this does not happen, he does become a mascot for the team up until the faithful day when he accidentally trips one of the players, causing them to lose the game. The team - and the entire city - start to believe in the Kirkman curse (the Kurse for short), which supposedly prevents the Hawks from ever entering the play-offs. Phil is cast out by both the team and the city.

Years later, he demands to see a representative from the Hawks by standing on the edge of a roof. The Hawks send their therapist, Dani Santino, to talk with him. She tries to show him that he is not as hated as he thinks he is, but a quick trip through the city shows that the people still recognise him and hate him for the supposed curse. She manages to convince the team to meet up with him (despite their superstitions) and forgive him. However, Phil is still upset because he assumed that being forgiven meant he could be the mascot again, which the team didn't allow. Phil is on the verge of committing suicide by jumping off the edge of a roof, because he feels so isolated and without a purpose if he can't be the mascot. Dani talks him down and suggests that he has undiagnosed Asperger's, and that he isn't alone, he just hasn't found his people.

Appearance
Phil is a heavy-set man who appears to be around mid-thirties.

Autism
Psychiatrist and therapist to the New York Hakws Dani Santino says that Phil probably has undiagnosed Asperger's. Although he does not receive an official diagnosis on-screen, Dani does mention that Phil will keep seeing her as a therapist, as well as join a social skills group for people with Asperger's.

Phil is greatly interested in the New York Hawks team, and collects items related to the team. On the flipside of his passion, when he is not allowed to become mascot again, he becomes so desparate that he resorts to stalking Marcus (the player he initially accidentally knocked over) and eventually contemplate suicide due to the lack of a group to which he belongs.

He is not great at reading social cues.

Episode list

 * season 1, episode 10 - "A Wing and a Player"