So i'm sitting here rooting on the phillies as they take a 2-0 lead in what could be the deciding game of the world series. Philadelphia's first championship in 25 years; the phils' first in 28 years. i'm stoked, really ... but i'm thinking, "damn, why couldn't it have been the eagles?"
i moved to the Philadelphia area in the mid-70s and followed the phils religiously when i was a boy - 1980 was pretty much my introduction to baseball and i was hooked. after the '83 series, the phils became awful and like any good fare weather fan, I lost interest until '93. i was captivated again - could it be? a title? a parade? Hello, Joe Carter. falling prey to a clever marketing scheme, I was persuaded to split a sunday season tix package in '94 - the year of the strike. but tickets went unused weeks before that happened.
It was about that time that my passing interest in the eagles moved into something more - i won't say obsession, but Gina might. I went in on season tickets, which were easy to get then because the birds were just awful. It was more about spending time with friends and family. and having a reason to party on sunday, too, i guess.
and as big 5 and Andy came on the scene, they ascended. like a meteor. and i poured every ounce of my fandom into the birds. the highs were really high, but man, you didn't want to be around me after a loss. I was unapproachable, physically and mentally beaten down.
and they made the super bowl. i can remember digging my car out of the snow on Parrish St. - after a snow plow plowed me in - and listening to WIP, bursting with excitement. how could it really be two weeks away? we can take NE, right? my brother zack and I were two of those crazies who made the trek to Jacksonville on the off chance we would get tickets. we didn't but it was still a great experience.
but right now, it's all about the phils taking us to the mountain top. GO PHILS! Can't wait for the parade, which we're taking our kids to - because you just never know when the next one will happen!
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I was 7 though 13 when the Phils were last really good. As a 10 year old I struggled to stay awake as Tug got Willie Wilson. I am a Phillies die-hard for life.
I enjoy the rest of the Philadelphia teams, but with nothing that touches my devotion to the Phils. I can skip an Eagles game in favor of a beautiful fall day taking photos. I watch playoff hockey, but not many regular season games. I'm more likely to watch a college hoops game than the 76ers.
A lot of that has to do with the fact that the Phils were so good when I was a kid. My son John is 8 now. Tonight we're gonna stay up and watch the champagne fly. And he'll be hooked for life.
Nice post. It got me thinking!
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