2008 Woodie Awards
Same old disappointment for new generation of Phillies
Brian Lapp '08
Issue date: 10/10/07 Section: Sports
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The Phillies season is just a distant memory, just like the "MVP" chants for Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard's 47 home runs, and Chase Utley's .332 batting average. All were erased in four short days at the hands of the upstart Colorado Rockies, the team that has simply forgotten how to lose.
It is almost inconceivable to accomplish what the Phillies did in the span of a week. Their improbable NL East Division Championship ignited the imaginations of Philadelphia baseball fans who had been yearning for a taste of October baseball since that fateful night in Toronto 14 years ago. Well, October baseball came back to Philadelphia, but if you blinked an eye, you probably missed it. It was certainly not pretty. Losing to a team playing the kind of baseball the Rockies are would have been no shame, but to be swept is very disheartening for a team who fought so hard to get there. But in a way, it is almost fitting.
After all, this is Philadelphia, where sports and misery are synonymous. Seasons come and go, but the end result is always the same. The result is the fact that no team in Philadelphia has won a championship since 1983, when the Sixers defeated the Lakers. Since that year, every team in town has reached the final round of their respective playoffs only to be left out in the cold, while another team hoists that elusive trophy. The thing that makes this particular ending so disappointing is what the Phillies did to make it this far.
A furious 13-4 run to the finish the season, coupled with the Met's historic collapse, made fans believe that for once this might be our year. I certainly believed this time would be different. And there was my mistake: I got too emotionally invested. In a town that never quite goes all the way, that is a recipe for disaster. I always find it laughable when I hear fans of other cities complain about their pain and suffering. The Cubs never win the World Series? I am sure it was real brutal watching the Bulls win six championships. The Curse of the Bambino? The Celtics won three rings in the 1980's and the Patriots two Super Bowls this decade before the Red Sox finally broke through. And then right after the Red Sox won, who did New England beat in Super Bowl XXXIX? That's right, the Philadelphia Eagles.
It is almost inconceivable to accomplish what the Phillies did in the span of a week. Their improbable NL East Division Championship ignited the imaginations of Philadelphia baseball fans who had been yearning for a taste of October baseball since that fateful night in Toronto 14 years ago. Well, October baseball came back to Philadelphia, but if you blinked an eye, you probably missed it. It was certainly not pretty. Losing to a team playing the kind of baseball the Rockies are would have been no shame, but to be swept is very disheartening for a team who fought so hard to get there. But in a way, it is almost fitting.
After all, this is Philadelphia, where sports and misery are synonymous. Seasons come and go, but the end result is always the same. The result is the fact that no team in Philadelphia has won a championship since 1983, when the Sixers defeated the Lakers. Since that year, every team in town has reached the final round of their respective playoffs only to be left out in the cold, while another team hoists that elusive trophy. The thing that makes this particular ending so disappointing is what the Phillies did to make it this far.
A furious 13-4 run to the finish the season, coupled with the Met's historic collapse, made fans believe that for once this might be our year. I certainly believed this time would be different. And there was my mistake: I got too emotionally invested. In a town that never quite goes all the way, that is a recipe for disaster. I always find it laughable when I hear fans of other cities complain about their pain and suffering. The Cubs never win the World Series? I am sure it was real brutal watching the Bulls win six championships. The Curse of the Bambino? The Celtics won three rings in the 1980's and the Patriots two Super Bowls this decade before the Red Sox finally broke through. And then right after the Red Sox won, who did New England beat in Super Bowl XXXIX? That's right, the Philadelphia Eagles.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
jim
posted 10/10/07 @ 1:50 PM EST
hey, great article that really hits the nail on the head in terms of Philadelphia sports frustration. i am from the Philly area, bleed green, orange and black, red, white, and blue, but now live in Colorado, about 35 min. (Continued…)
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