Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Why the Phillies deserve to lose the World Series

I generally have no problems with the fine folks in Philadelphia. It's a "great, historic" city that gets a bad rap. (It's subway does stink, though). But I don't want the Phillies, who beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 Wednesday in the opening game of the World Series, to win the championship.

The Phillies, one of baseball's "great, historic" franchises, have boasted fine employees such as Hall of Fame players Chuck Klein and Mike Schmidt. But the entertainment crew working the game on June 1, 2005 at Citizen's Bank Park forever sullied my opinion of the team.
Me and Ian at the Phillies-Giants game in Philadelphia on June 1, 2005.

Claire, Ian and myself went to the game that night, right when Ian was at his cutest. I pleasantly enjoyed the ballpark, especially after taking a walk around the facility with the boy on my back. When we got back to our seats, it was just as the scoreboard cameraman -- who had been putting cute kids on the screen all night -- was walking by.

We held Ian up, resplendent in his little baseball outfit. The cameraman came right up to us, saw Ian in his Giants jersey, and walked off. Claire was livid.

I was upset, but figured at least we didn't risk haven't the Philadelphia crowd boo a little kid. Below: Denied by the cameraman!

One funny story: Philly fans are, of course, notorious for their heckling, yet Claire and Ian were in their Giants gear. Apparently, as Claire tells it, while Ian and I were on our walk around the stadium, she cheered some Giants success. The Phillies fans to her right gave her a glare, to which Claire jokingly responded "Are we gonna fight?" (Such aggression!) The Philadelphians laughed, and said, "Oh, you've heard about Philadelphia fans." Respect earned all around.

Go Tampa Bay!

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