Oct 30 2008
Phillies Win Series
The Philadelphia Phillies won a World Series, not just for themselves, but also for their fans and sister franchises in the city. We’ve been inundated with reminders that Philly hadn’t won a major sports title since the Sixers in 1983. Philly is a city desperate for sports success which has never had any franchises have consistent, dynasty level success. The great Sixers teams of the late 70s, early 80s only won the ‘83 championship. The Eagles of the early new millienium failed in their only Superbowl. The Broad Street Bullies of the 70s basically won two and have been silent since. So no doubt last night was a ridiculous night in Philly lore.
But was it all about the partying and chaos that ensued? Surely not, for many children and teens, they were able to establish their own memories. A championship like this ensures a new generation of Phillies fans, who now have their own heroes, not their parents’. I had my 6 year old daughter watch the final inning last night. Did she understand much? No, not really, she’s never watched much baseball. The point was, that even if she remembers only the Phillies players jumping on top of each other at the mound, she does have a memory of this. And while the rain suspension left fans with a long period of anticipation, the resumed game allowed the children of Phillies fans to see the game finished at a reasonable time.
All sports have to some extent sold out to the mighty TV dollar, and the result has been games which end far past children’s bedtimes. The NFL has the best scenario, being able to have their championship game start at about 6:30 on a Sunday. MLB more than any of the pro leagues usually needs to capture their fans very early, before the more action packed sports become attractive to preteens. Thanks to the rain suspension, baseball may have gotten lucky and developed some new fans (at least those in Philly as no other city apparently watched).
For the city of Philadelphia, this was obviously a big deal, and Philly fans can only help the good feeling spreads to the other franchises. A similar thing happened to Boston, when the Patriots broke through for a Superbowl. It had roughly been 16 years since a Boston team won a title, and the Patriots first win was followed by a dynasty for them, and championships for the Red Sox and Celtics. Will it happen in Philadelphia? Who knows, but the Sixers and Eagles both should be in playoff contention and at that point, anything can happen.
For fans in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Washington, Seattle, Kansas City etc., I as a Philadelphia fan, feel your pain. You’ve all had varying success at different times, but it now seems like it’s been forever. Your time will come, be patient, and hopeful that your children are able to witness a championship that will embed fandom into them.
Thank you Phillies, you’ve gained at least one new fan.
