Sarge and Wheels Rubbing It In

I do...I really, really do.

We takin' over! (One ballpark at a time!)

Sunday will mark a monumental occasion for me. I've never been to a ball park outside of Philadelphia. I remember my first game at Veterans Stadium. I went with my championship Little League team Dig'm Installers. There was an Oreo eating contest and we all got mini oreos when we came in ("we all" couldn't have been more than 10,000 fans). I remember seeing Bobby Abreu and Scott Rolen. I think the Phils won that game but to be honest, I'm not sure.

Then I said goodbye to the ole' Vet and said hello to the new fangled Citizen's Bank Park. And it has been a lovely journey ever since. I'll admit I haven't explored all the subtle nuances of "The Bank". I've yet to have a Schmidter. I've yet to get a ball signed during BP. I've yet to boo Jayson Werth when he takes his old position back in right field, only this time during the wrong at bat.

"Yet" being the main word in that last one.

Sports Centered: The Phillies Fall and its Effect

Well it happened. The scary possibility I couldn't shake since the beginning of the Post season. The best team in baseball lost an elimination Game 5 to a team who had to claw and scratch to make its way to where they are. The Phillies, in a 3 hit debacle, lost their hopes to become World Series Champions. I really can't explain directly how I feel right now. I'm thinking this is the mood many Philly fans find themselves in now. Let me do my best to list just how I think I feel.

September Rush: The last night of 2011

There are few excuses for not acknowledging September 28, 2011 as the most exciting night of your life:

1. You don't like sports ( Which is completely unacceptable if you're a guy. I have a huge beef with you. Ladies: still unacceptable, but less beef. More like a side of beef.)
2. You don't like baseball (C'mon! Now you're just being dumb. Everybody likes baseball! Get on the bandwagon, jerk!)
3. At some point in your life you have found the cure for a disease. (I am fine with this night being second place for people like Marie Curie and Will Smith)
4. You have no pulse ( This is a bigger problem then just not liking baseball. I would get in touch with Marie and Will to see if they could cure that for you.)

Otherwise, you have no excuse.

Home Team Bias

The 2008 World Series win for the Philadelphia Phillies was the greatest sports related moment in my life. Come to think of it, maybe the best non sports related moment as well. The drama, the excitement, the sight of Brad Lidge falling to his knees and Carlos Ruiz embracing him. It still gives me chills watching it to this day. But I always wonder if the Phillies were not my home team would I feel this way? If Citizens Bank Park wasn't just a short drive down 95 South, would I have felt years of losing seasons and missing the playoffs was finally worth it? If I was a Phillies fan from lets say, Kentucky, would I really have had the same feeling? I do not think I would have, but that raises this question. Is it really ok to be a fan of a non-home team?

Before I give you my answer to that question I would like to give a break down on different types of Sports fans.

Home Team Across The Board: They like every pro sports team from their home city. They hate every rival team, and display their colors proudly. The best type of fan. This one gets a thumbs up.

The Different City Allegiance Fan: They, or their parents are from a different area but their allegiance remained. My friend's father is from New York, he likes the Jets and the (please hold your laughter to the end) Mets even though he lives in the Philadelphia Area. This type of fan is totally acceptable in my book. If I were to move, my allegiance would remain with Philadelphia. This fan also gets a thumbs up.

A look back: MLB Best in Bro

Those of you who have been with us since the early days will remember the sports pro, the average bro, and the beans made their picks for the MLB playoff picture. Now that we are about 3/4 of the way through the MLB season, let's look back on the MLB Best in Bro and see how we would do if the season ended today.

A Double Play Double Standard

As I watched last nights Phillies vs. Marlins game, I was hoping for the same thing many in the city of Philadelphia were. A sweep of the Marlins. It wouldn't have meant much. The Marlins have taken a sharp nose dive since they were competing for the division lead. The Phils' whomped them the night before scoring the most runs they have all season. But we haven't been able to close on a sweep for some time since the four game stand against the same team in mid June. I'm not complaining. You have to go a week back before that to find a series they've lost.

The sweep would have been nice but that's not the subject of this post. It's more something that could have caused the sweep. Let me take you through my night of watching the game.