Thanks for Four Years of Awesome
So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
Blogged Around Philly: Farewell Edition
Photoist
Here’s the scenario: It’s a beautiful summer day at Citizens Bank Park. The sun is shining, the air is still, and the scent of hot dogs, peanuts, and beer wafts through the crowd. There’s really not much to complain about on such a picturesque afternoon. Our beloved Fightin’ Phillies, however, are down by one run in the 6th inning and we all know what comes next.
“E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!!”
It pierces the mood like a knife.
We, as Philadelphians, have suffered the longest championship drought of any city with teams in all four major sports and, as such, have little patience for games in the “Loss” column…even if those games are not complete yet.
At least, that’s how it always used to be. But it would seem a new era is dawning. The Eagles chants have been scarce this summer and Chase Utley couldn’t pay for a drink in this town if he tried. Vitriol for the Mets seems to be more of the norm than the usual anti-Cowboys fervor. Fewer and fewer fans are showing up at Lehigh to watch the Birds run drills. After all these years of futility, mistreatment, brush-offs and drama, the question must be asked, does Philly still bleed green?
The answer, in short, is no. A combination of things happened to knock the Eagles off the pedestal, some the fault of the franchise itself, some the natural evolution of a championship-starved town. The first and most obvious is that the Eagles no longer represent the best hope for a professional sports team that matters (sorry, Soul) to bring home a trophy. That distinction currently belongs to the Phillies. Secondly, the attitude of the franchise has ebbed further and further away from the personality of the city. Basically the ownership does not value the city as much as the city always valued the team. The front office is loaded with arrogant and self-congratulatory frat brothers who wallow in their own genius while having nothing (but a hefty profit) to show for it. The recent Brian Westbrook escapade was a prime example. Add to that an off-putting, secretive coaching staff with little to nothing in common with their fans and you’ve got a perfect storm of elitism and fan-alienation. Third, and most damning, the team itself suffers from a severe lack of likable stars. Philly can stomach losing; we’ve done it for 25 years. But a losing team with a bunch of jackasses on it is another animal. And, to be fair, not all of them fit the bill, but when it comes to football, it’s the skill players who get the press and end up being the face of the team. We still love Westbrook and Brian Dawkins, but the receiving core are a vanilla and mediocre bunch, and Donovan McNabb wore out his welcome when he began to play the poor martyr.
In direct contrast, the other three Philly teams are enjoying a dynamic and exciting Renaissance. The Phillies, obviously, have taken the city by storm, making stars out of Utley, Ryan Howard, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels. The Flyers have arguably the most loyal fan base in the city, attaining a 98% home attendance rate while finishing dead-last in the standings during 2006-2007. They then proceeded to get one of the most dramatic facelifts in the history of the NHL, rocketing to the Eastern Conference Finals the very next year. This precipitated the star-turn for Mike Richards who is the face and future of the Flyers. Oh, and lest we forget, Elton Brand will align himself with a young and affable group to make the Sixers more than just relevant, but contenders as well.
Basically, there’s more and more to love about the Phillies, Flyers, and Sixers and increasingly less to love about the Eagles.
So maybe we’re not a football town anymore. Maybe we never were. But that’s a good thing, and here’s why. Boston will always be a baseball town, just like Oakland will always be a football town and Los Angeles will always be a basketball town. When the New England Patriots won Super Bowl XXXVI, Boston cheered. Everyone seemed happy, but they could’ve been happier. If only their beloved Red Sox had won instead. If only the Raiders could have won the Super Bowl instead of the A’s winning the World Series. The point is, Philly is a sports town. Period. And we’re one of the best. And when that championship does come (and it will), it won’t matter what sport it is, because it’ll be our favorite team.
Image Credit: Flickr user moneyjk89man
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