On Being In Love With A City

I probably shouldn't get near a keyboard right now, nor should I operate heavy equipment, but since I don't own a bulldozer I should be able to pull this off. As usual I am not responsible for any errors in spelling, grammar, syntax, facts, or anything that makes no sense at all.

I have been fan of the Phillies for nearly 60 years and in most of those years, it wasn't a whole lot of fun watching the team. They really sucked, were poorly managed, and no one, including the team even pretended that the team would do well 3 hours after spring training started.

There were of course the magic years of the late 70's concluding with the 1980 season, but the magic didn't last and the magic went away leaving us with our Phillies.

What we have seen over the past few years is absolutely surrealistic to a fan who remembers when Pancho Herrera was our 1st baseman. Pancho, who bears a likeness to a young Ryan Howard (in being a power-hitting, strikeout prone first baseman with a less-than-stellar glove) was going to be the next home run king. (That worked out real well) It is so hard for me to accept that my team - a team that I loved when they sucked - had the possibility to be in 3 series in a row. The Yankees do that, not the Phils - but they are doing it.

Please enjoy this- savor it- because when the run ends - and it will - we may never see it again.

The Reds just got no hit in game one. They will try their best to win game two, but how must they be feeling Oswalt who owns a career 23-3, 2.81 era against the Reds . And when they play game three in the Queen City they have to face Hamels who is 6-0 against them with a very sick era of 1.18. The Reds could find a way to win this series, but I don't know anyone who can show mw how.

I have had enough of pundits and writers who keep writing about the 'Philly" fans. We can certainly be tough, but only when offended by sloppy stupid playing and especially when our players don't hustle. We do however have their backs. We fill the stadium every night- something that the Yankee's, Mets, and those storied franchises in LA and STL can't do. If we aren't there we are watching or listening. We give a shit.

I have absolutely no problem defending our fans - none at all. Jimmy Johnson deserved getting pelted with snow balls. Those who threw snow balls at him were only dispensing justice to a flaming asshole. They should be commended. Yes Virginia, we did boo Santa Claus. Any white guy stupid enough to wear a red suit trimmed with white fur in Philly is lucky that all he was was booed. In certain neighborhoods he would be shot, so the idiot got off light.

And finally - the NY Post wrote that they want the Mets to be just like the Phillies. Stick that up your ass Rupert!