Shortly before 12:30 this morning, the Phillies completed a dramatic comeback after being down 7-0 against the New York Mets to capture 1st place in the National League East. The 13-inning marathon was punctuated by Chris Coste who came off the bench to go 4-4 and cap off the 8-7 victory with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 13th. An exciting game and a terrific catalyst for the stretch run for a team......

Any good hero is defined by his/her villain. Spider-Man and the Green Goblin. Batman and the Joker. John Locke and people who tell him what he can’t do. Mary-Kate Olsen and a grilled cheese sandwich. Pacman Jones and NOT making it rain. From Moby-Dick and Ahab to Amy Winehouse and Rehab, the great characters of our age are defined by their foes and struggles. We Philadelphia sports fans are no different. This weekly section will......

In case you hadn't already noticed, we have a new sportswriter on staff here at Phillyist: Mike Muller. Mike spends his days working at a local law firm while he prepares to start law school himself. He also enjoys guacamole. Welcome, Mike! Mark Antony came to bury Caesar, not to praise him. Today, we’re doing the exact opposite for Jimmy Rollins. By now everyone has heard the comments made last week on The Best Damn......

It's hardly newsworthy, but leave it to the Daily News to put a blurb out there that we just can't pass up. Jimmy Rollins was a guest on The Best Damn Sports Show Period when he was quoted as saying, of Philadelphia sports fans, "When you're doing good, they're on your side. When you're doing bad, they're completely against you." The DN writer who posted the story seemed to be fishing for an undercurrent of......

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.......

Philly local pop punk band Valencia is putting out its second album, We All Need a Reason to Believe, on Tuesday, August 26th. The band is celebrating this auspicious event with a record release party on the balcony at the Trocadero, with The Great American Soundtrack and Single File. That show is already sold out, but fear not! We're partnering with Punknews.org and Columbia Records to offer you a chance to have an even more......

Friday is for lovers. OPENING RECEPTION FOR MICHELLE SOSLAU: THREADS IN THE CURRENT Why just paint? Why just sculpt? Why just manipulate fabrics and paper to get your point across? Soslau embraces all of these and more in her attempt to engage her audience in the simple questions regarding a piece's origin. A quick look at some of her work reveals textures and palettes that drive entire conversations. Her work will be on display at......

Come on... can you blame the guy?......

The Daily News reports that Chase Utley has apologized for dropping an F-bomb at last night's All-Star Home Run Derby. The obscenity was caught by the ESPN microphone Utley was wearing as he took the field, an apparent response to the cacophony of boos that met the second baseman when he was introduced.......

If only the folks at My Home 2.0 could use this technology to teach people how to play ball.........

...We still knew how to lose a ballgame.* *Yeah, we know they're in first place. But we've learned that that can change.......

Photo by Anthony Macaluso/AnimalNY Gothamist was shocked when someone scaled the 52-story New York Times building's exterior on Thursday. And then Gothamist was shocked again when a second person scaled the building six hours later.Shanghaiist was amused by a wild and wacky publicity stunt by a Chinese acupuncturist who stuck 2,008 needles in his head to welcome the Olympics.Torontoist featured dozens of dramatic photos from Newmindspace's downtown pillow fight.Phillyist encouraged its readers to foster......

Camden Riversharks vs. Lancaster Barnstormers Sorry, but we like our Phillies on the TV. We look across the pond to the Camden Riversharks to get our ballpark fix. With cheap tickets, marginally cheaper beer, and the blessed relief of not being too invested in the game’s outcome, the Sharks offer a good night out. Parking is cheap too, but if you have to hoof it PATCO and the Riverlink aren’t too far away. If you......

Have you been outside yet? It's raining Mondays! BASEBALL: THE MELTING POT It's as good a day as any to discuss some baseball. The National Constitution Center will host this event, emceed by Jayson Stark and including speakers on topics including the Negro Leagues and Japanese baseball. With the summer creeping up on us, it's not a bad idea to look back at the beginnings of a sport that has displayed many of the......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: New Play Reading: Commonwealth Classic Theatre Company stages a reading of company member Paul Parente’s Rage of Achilles at the Philadelphia Art Alliance (251 S 18th), 7PM. Free If You Didn’t Get Enough Baseball This Weekend:The National Constitution Center presents baseball historians discussing the place of the game in American culture at the Kirby Auditorium (525 Arch), 6:30PM. Free Digital Leather: Digital Leather, Faux Slang, El Diablos Blancos,......

So much for David; it seems the Sixers awoke a sleeping Goliath. The Pistons, who lacked their trademark intensity in game one, responded last night with a 105-88 rout at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Philadelphia shot a dismal 39.5%, trailed big the entire game and had their top scorers held in check by Detroit's stifling defense. We love Lou Williams, but when a bench player is your top scorer in a playoff game, it's......

Friday The much-ballyhooed match-up between Cole Hamels and Johan Santana took place at a sold-out Citizens Bank Park. Santana baffled the Phils bats, fanning 10, and David Wright went 4-4 with 2 RBI’s as the Mets nipped the Phils 6-4. The Good - Greg Dobbs’ pinch-hit, three-run homer brought the Phillies to within a run in the bottom of the eighth. Santana may have had an answer for the Phils offense, but he only......

Photo credit: Mat Honan Shanghaiist covered anti-China Olympic torch relay protests in London, Paris and San Francisco.Gothamist marveled as the NY State Assembly killed NYC's controversial congestion pricing plan without even holding a vote.SFist reported live on the only U.S. leg of the Olympic torch relay, which was a disaster for Mayor Gavin Newsom. DCist was tickled to see that Heroes star Hayden Panettiere filmed a short PSA to support voting rights and statehood......

Don Tollefson...

Don't you wish you were headed there, to the paradise pictured below? Well, you're not. Unless you are. Anyway, it's Friday, so you can close your eyes and picture the paradise of two full days away from work and everything it stands for. In the meantime, there are a few interesting goings-on, uh, going on tonight. So Happy Friday! LAST FRIDAY AT THE PHILADELPHIA ART ALLIANCE You heard all about First Friday, but what......

Biodegradable beer cups were the news of the day over at The Illadelph, which lauded Aramark's move toward more environmentally-friendly containers for the liver- and waistline-destroying treats served at Citizens Bank Park. Also, did you know that on opening day Phillies fans will eat, among other things, 15,000 hot dogs, 6,000 soft pretzels and 5,000 cheesesteaks? With bikini season just around the corner, we shudder to think of the implications. Attytood discussed the Tonya Harding......

We sure do love Pennsylvania politics. Someone started a fire at the Mount Carmel office of State Rep. Robert Belfanti Jr. Belfanti is unopposed in the primary and general elections, and had no idea why someone would try to burn his office down. Meanwhile, the South Philadelphia campaign office of Pennsylvania state House candidate Christian DiCicco, the son of City Councilman Frank DiCicco, was burglarized yesterday. There's a little disparity between the two Inquirer articles......

Who says there is nothing to do on Tuesday? I’ll tell you who. I DO. Had to dig deep for these 3 diverse displays of Philly fun-having. Never-the-less, faithful readers of all stripes have their pick of distractions today. THE MANHATTAN ROOM: ALSO KNOWN AS THE CLASH The AKAs look to burst the doors off of Fishtown’s newest music venue today with a sound that is all things British anarchist punk. Feast on vegan......

Fun around town, for $10 or less: There Goes That Spielberg Again: “Sharks, Spaceships and Spectacles: The Films of Steven Spielberg,” a presentation by Dr. Lester Friedman, with hors d’oeuvres and drinks, at the Prince Music Theater Independence Black Box (1412 Chestnut), 6PM. $10 As We Look Forward: Author Mitch Nathanson discusses his new book The Fall of the 1977 Phillies: How a Baseball Team's Collapse Sank a City's Spirit at the Penn Bookstore (3601......

The Sixers are still motoring along, posting a win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night (101-89), and fueling… playoff fever? We’ve felt this before, haven’t we Philly? Breathe through it. It’s not worth the morning after remorse. They’re not home again until March 7; hopefully they’ll keep up the winning away against Golden State (tonight 10:30PM), Phoenix (tomorrow 9PM), and the LA Clippers (Monday at 10:30PM); you can catch all on SportsNet. The Flyers......

A tall, icy glass of our favorite internet junk, just for you. The upcoming print edition of Empire Magazine has a couple of cool new pictures from The Incredible Hulk. Looks like William Hurt makes a kick-ass General Ross! Rumor is that a sequel to The Last Starfighter is on the way, focusing on the son of the titular character from the first movie, and featuring the talents of the original writing, directing, and acting......

The Sixers spanked the Knicks (124-84) on Wednesday night at the Wach. Tonight they will be in Orlando, then they’ll turn around and host the Magic on Wednesday at 7PM (get tickets or watch here). Here’s hoping that’ll be two for two. Tomorrow they’ll match up with the Miami Heat, against whom they are 2-0 this season. Flyers aren’t doing too good: their loss to the San Jose Sharks (3-1) last night at home was......

What's new and/or interesting on TV this week. Antiques Roadshow (Mon, 8PM-9PM, WHYY & WLVT) First part of a three part series set in San Antonio, Texas. One of the items examined is a World Series program for the 1905 series between the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Athletics. Good Eats (Mon, 8PM-8:30PM, Food Network) Our favorite cooking show takes a look at our favorite vegetable: broccoli! History of the Joke (Mon, 9PM-11PM, History......

Ah, it's a bad photograph of a car! And that can mean only one thing: the Philadelphia International Auto Show is almost here! We're finding it hard to believe that it's already that time again, but it must be true, because whenever we go within a four block radius of the Convention Center, we see dozens of large trucks full of cars. And we snapped this shot this morning of one classic specimen already......

After losing to the Pacers Monday (110-103), and the Pistons Wednesday (86-78), the Sixers are hoping to beat the Knicks tonight. They’re hoping that snaps them out of the losing funk they’ve been in, which has seen them lose 10 of their last 12 games. The Flyers lost out big time to the Devils this week (7-3), but conquered the Penguins last night (4-3). Everybody’s eye is on the Atlantic Division, which is in a......