Ah, New Year's Day... a new beginning, a time for family and merriment, a time for... hockey. That's right, New Year's Day 2010: the day of the Winter Classic - sorry, the Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic. Two teams, vintage uniforms, outdoor arena, one winner... all in all very cool. The Flyers and Bruins faced off in this year's classic on an outdoor rink built in Fenway Park. Again, very cool.
What was not cool, however, was the insipid need of the producers to stage some ridiculous "entertainment" during each intermission. I won't even comment on the fiasco that was the usually-too-cool-for-words Denis Leary and his Rescue Me co-star Lenny Clarke pathetically wingeing through Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline from center ice. I still don't know what that was about. No, what really got my panties in a bunch was the "face off" during the first intermission break, which posed the question: "Which is the better sports town - Boston or Philadelphia?"
Um, seriously? SERIOUSLY?!?! How can this be a question even worth asking, let alone taking up valuable air time during an otherwise fabulous sporting event? It's not. And here's why: Boston does not even have a football team. I don't care *where* the Patriots play, they are the New England Patriots, not the Boston Patriots. People in New Hampshire claim the Patriots as "their" team. New Hampshire! Yes, people in an entirely different state root for their Patriots. Why? Cause the entire region has one flipping football team that's why. AND the Patriots are an AFC team... AFC! Gimme a break. A city that cannot even get the capital, or fan base, to have its OWN team is not even worthy of consideration as a "great sports town." End of.
Yes, both Boston and Philly are blue collar towns whose citizens cling to their sports teams with feverish zeal. In Philly, we live and die with our teams. We bleed Eagles green, tout the Phillies as the number one team in baseball, while secretly hoping they don't finish in the basement (again), jeer Ed Snider, and wonder just what the hell is up with the Sixers and when basketball will matter in Philly again. In his entire 18-year illustrious career - spent entirely with the Phillies - Mike Schmidt was booed in exactly one stadium - his hometown stadium (aka The Vet) in Philadelphia. Philly sports fans pelted Santa with snowballs, and the Dallas Cowboys with ice. We are not a pretty town. We are crude, rude and demanding. We live and die for our teams, and we (foolishly perhaps) expect them to do the same for us. We demand it. It's who we are and what we do, and our sports figures know this, which is exactly why so many of them want to play here. With the bad comes the good, and if you're a Philadelphia sports figure, no one loves you when you're on top like a Philly sports fan.
SO, perhaps you can understand that when Bob Costas appeared on my T.V. asking in his most-serious broadcaster voice "Which city is the better sports town?" I threw a clot. At least have the decency to compare us to New York - a city with TWO hockey teams, TWO baseball teams and TWO football teams, one of which has the decency to play in the NFC East, the toughest division in football. Yes NY Giants, we hate you but at least you're not a pu**y AFC team coached by a cheating, uni-bomber look-alike.
So listen up Boston fans: Bruins jerseys and Celtics caps may look cool on-screen in the latest Matt Damon/Ben Affleck production, and the Patriots may have clinched the AFC East for the zillionth year (again, is this really an accomplishment? A-F-C), but you've got nothing on Philly. Come on down to South Philly for a tour of our sports stadiums and we'll show you what you're missing... right after you're done taking your picture next to the Rocky statue that is.
Haha, just caught up on your blog and loved this. Nice to see a stalwart fan of a *city* - we don't get that so much on this side of the pond as our problem is exactly the reverse of the Pats; too many teams in too small an area.
ReplyDeleteS'pose I'd better out myself now as a Giants fan, so enjoy your momentary superiority while it lasts. Once McNabb goes off sulking and you realise that Vick's not actually much good except as a novelty player, the normal order in the NFC East will resume. Now, about those f*cking Cowboys...
Happy new year to you, I hope it's a good 'un! x
Gav, is this you?! Giants fan??? I hope they're enjoying their time golfing. They got an extra week in before the Eagles showed up to crowd the links.
ReplyDeleteYep, it's me. For explanation, I offer this; football came to this side of the pond in '83/'84 I guess and my Dad, a rugby nut, picked up on it during the '84/'85 season. We had no clue about the rules, but the sight of those huge guys dressed in armour beating seven bells out of each other every Sunday evening was fantastic. I was "too young" to stay up and watch the Superbowl that year, which is just as well because I'd have ended up a Bears fan if I had.
ReplyDeleteWe got a bit more clued up the next year, and I did watch the Superbowl, and guess who won?
Been hooked on the game ever since, played a few years at University too. Just been thinking about giving one last hurrah before age takes over... Maybe next year ;-)