Sunday Again!!!
*****IMPLOSION!!!***** It's not quite official yet, but it looks like the heartbreak Eagles are about to lose their third in a row. The good news is I've created several marketing pieces for my Arbonne business and set up a tasting for my Mona Vie business. Just because the Eagles are determined to lose, doesn't mean I am not determined to win. TWO MINUTE WARNING!!! Can they tie it up???*****
For better or for worse, once a Philly fan, always a Philly fan, no matter how frustrating! Though I've lived in South Florida for 12 years, I've retained my fervent, devoted and sometimes -- harrowing -- loyalty for the guys in green, black and silver. The only difference is that now when they let me down, I can comfort myself by heading to a beautiful beach or taking a breathtaking ride down A1A, where magnificent homes line each side of the ocean and intracoastal.
Not so for my family, who cannot get away from the equally outraged local press, sports talk radio and cold temperatures (today they are dealing with 40 mile per hour winds, though it's only the end of October). I remember all too clearly what it was like to wallow in defeat after a losing game, especially when it was a critical division loss with the potential to come back to bite the Eagles, come play-off qualification time.
Conversely, there's nothing quite as exhilarating as watching your team overcome the odds, surrounded by fellow Philly-area dwellers. One of my very best memories is a brutally cold day at the Vet -- January 11, 1981 -- where along with Paul and Carolyn, I witnessed my team's blissful defeat of longtime nemesis, the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game. The Eags (as I sometimes call them affectionately) dominated the Cowboys and in sub-zero temperatures, prevailed 20-7. That euphoric victory almost rendered their heartbreaking performance in the Super Bowl, where they succumbed to the Raiders 27-10, irrelevant.
I say "almost" because obviously, a Super Bowl win would have lifted Championship-starved Philly fans to new heights, and would've at least provided some sort of comfort for the lack of a Super Bowl victory after 4 straight NFC Championship Games in a row, under Coach Andy Reid. Not that that's anything to sneeze at mind you, but to be so close, for so many years and still miss the prize is kind of like being nominated for a Daytime Emmy 19 years in a row and coming away empty, all the while having to smile and graciously congratulate the less experienced winner, and deal with an intrusive media. At least Susan Lucci finally got her just reward (though I haven't watched "All My Children" since adolescence). I believe it's about time for Philly fans to reap theirs, too.
Today the Eagles face the Jaguars on their home turf. My sister's 8 year-old won two tickets to today's match-up at the Linc, on the 100-level, no less, so perhaps Carolyn and Greg's presence will bring them luck. Given the $500 value of the tickets, the least the Eagles could do is put on a good show.
It makes me wonder how many of the Birds' blue-collar faithful can even afford to cheer on their team in person. Back in the day when our three season tickets at the Vet were valued at $33 bucks apiece, we surmised that countless Eagles fans were forking over their entire weekly paychecks for the chance to see Ron Jaworski, Wilbert Montgomery, Harold Carmichael, Bill Bergey and the rest of the gang on the field. Our goalpost seats in the 200-level were among the priciest in the 70's and 80's, yet today, $33 barely covers the cost of a parking place and a Game Day Program. Sadly, professional sports has become an elite luxury, instead of a vehicle for bringing residents of all socio-economic backgrounds together in one shared experience. And many of today's players have lost touch with the city they represent, thanks to excessive salaries and contract loopholes.
My brother Mark wrote an excellent post on Quad Squad, celebrating the life of one of his childhood heroes, former Philadelphia Phillie, Johnny Callison. In it he draws a striking contrast between professional sports players of yesteryear and today:
Now I have my own son who has his own baseball hero, who also happens to wear number 6. While today's # 6 ,Ryan Howard is a great young player as is Chase Utley, my son's boyhood baseball experience will sadly be different from mine due to today's changing times. The players today make so much money that they're mini - corporations, each with their own posse and entourage. They live in million dollar mansions and are cut off from the average fan.
Not so with Johnny. While born in Oklahoma and raised in Bakersfield, CA he was a true Philadelphian. Since 1960, he and his family lived in the modest suburb of Glenside. While Johnny undoubtedly made more than our dads, it wasn't that much more. He was a regular guy who lived in a regular neighborhood. He knew his neighbors and they knew him. For years he sold used cars in the off season. Can you imagine an MVP caliber player doing that today? Not a chance. It's kind of reminiscent of those old film clips of Willie Mays playing stickball with kids in the streets of Harlem, before heading off to the Polo Grounds to star for the old NY Giants. Sweet memories from a bygone era.
Bygone, but not forgotten.
For better or for worse, once a Philly fan, always a Philly fan, no matter how frustrating! Though I've lived in South Florida for 12 years, I've retained my fervent, devoted and sometimes -- harrowing -- loyalty for the guys in green, black and silver. The only difference is that now when they let me down, I can comfort myself by heading to a beautiful beach or taking a breathtaking ride down A1A, where magnificent homes line each side of the ocean and intracoastal.
Not so for my family, who cannot get away from the equally outraged local press, sports talk radio and cold temperatures (today they are dealing with 40 mile per hour winds, though it's only the end of October). I remember all too clearly what it was like to wallow in defeat after a losing game, especially when it was a critical division loss with the potential to come back to bite the Eagles, come play-off qualification time.
Conversely, there's nothing quite as exhilarating as watching your team overcome the odds, surrounded by fellow Philly-area dwellers. One of my very best memories is a brutally cold day at the Vet -- January 11, 1981 -- where along with Paul and Carolyn, I witnessed my team's blissful defeat of longtime nemesis, the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Championship Game. The Eags (as I sometimes call them affectionately) dominated the Cowboys and in sub-zero temperatures, prevailed 20-7. That euphoric victory almost rendered their heartbreaking performance in the Super Bowl, where they succumbed to the Raiders 27-10, irrelevant.
I say "almost" because obviously, a Super Bowl win would have lifted Championship-starved Philly fans to new heights, and would've at least provided some sort of comfort for the lack of a Super Bowl victory after 4 straight NFC Championship Games in a row, under Coach Andy Reid. Not that that's anything to sneeze at mind you, but to be so close, for so many years and still miss the prize is kind of like being nominated for a Daytime Emmy 19 years in a row and coming away empty, all the while having to smile and graciously congratulate the less experienced winner, and deal with an intrusive media. At least Susan Lucci finally got her just reward (though I haven't watched "All My Children" since adolescence). I believe it's about time for Philly fans to reap theirs, too.
Today the Eagles face the Jaguars on their home turf. My sister's 8 year-old won two tickets to today's match-up at the Linc, on the 100-level, no less, so perhaps Carolyn and Greg's presence will bring them luck. Given the $500 value of the tickets, the least the Eagles could do is put on a good show.
It makes me wonder how many of the Birds' blue-collar faithful can even afford to cheer on their team in person. Back in the day when our three season tickets at the Vet were valued at $33 bucks apiece, we surmised that countless Eagles fans were forking over their entire weekly paychecks for the chance to see Ron Jaworski, Wilbert Montgomery, Harold Carmichael, Bill Bergey and the rest of the gang on the field. Our goalpost seats in the 200-level were among the priciest in the 70's and 80's, yet today, $33 barely covers the cost of a parking place and a Game Day Program. Sadly, professional sports has become an elite luxury, instead of a vehicle for bringing residents of all socio-economic backgrounds together in one shared experience. And many of today's players have lost touch with the city they represent, thanks to excessive salaries and contract loopholes.
My brother Mark wrote an excellent post on Quad Squad, celebrating the life of one of his childhood heroes, former Philadelphia Phillie, Johnny Callison. In it he draws a striking contrast between professional sports players of yesteryear and today:
Now I have my own son who has his own baseball hero, who also happens to wear number 6. While today's # 6 ,Ryan Howard is a great young player as is Chase Utley, my son's boyhood baseball experience will sadly be different from mine due to today's changing times. The players today make so much money that they're mini - corporations, each with their own posse and entourage. They live in million dollar mansions and are cut off from the average fan.
Not so with Johnny. While born in Oklahoma and raised in Bakersfield, CA he was a true Philadelphian. Since 1960, he and his family lived in the modest suburb of Glenside. While Johnny undoubtedly made more than our dads, it wasn't that much more. He was a regular guy who lived in a regular neighborhood. He knew his neighbors and they knew him. For years he sold used cars in the off season. Can you imagine an MVP caliber player doing that today? Not a chance. It's kind of reminiscent of those old film clips of Willie Mays playing stickball with kids in the streets of Harlem, before heading off to the Polo Grounds to star for the old NY Giants. Sweet memories from a bygone era.
Bygone, but not forgotten.
posted by Muzz @ 10/29/2006 10:36:00 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home