FAN: When It Rains.....

Prior to last month, I had not been to a Phillies game since the first year Citizen's Bank Park opened. Prior to that, it may have been 1993 when I went to about 10 games. I've been to PNC Park a few times but not to really watch a game...lol. I went more so to hang out with my brother-in-law and my nephew (who is graduating soon and going to Seton Hill to run track).

So I did grow up liking the Phillies once Mike Schmidt was there and established and since the team is doing well and Still A Stroke likes them, I wanted to take her to a game this year. As I was searching Stub Hub for seats a few weeks ago not believing that all weekend games were sold out already - our CIO handed me 11th row seats right past the dirt of first base. It's where my Nikon and me took this photo of the exact split second Shane Victorino blasted a homerun to deep right center.

My company is going to a Phillies game this summer and even though the seats aren't great, it's free, the family can come and there is a huge tent with food and drinks for us in the parking lot. As if that wasn't enough - the owners of my wife's company just granted her a pick of games and we took a Labor Day weekend game. Their seats are FOURTH row, right inside fair play right field. So, I went from sobbing about weekend prices on Stub Hub to seeing 3 games for free, twice within 11 rows of the field. Not a bad summer. I won't have Dog's food, but I can get the Bull's Bar-B-Q.

FAN: Language At Games Is Totally Out of Line

We were so close at the game tonight it was like being on the field. We saw a lot of runs scored and I think it was 7-7 after 3 innings which took FOREVER. I thought sitting that close we would be immune to language but Gen Now or whatever just don't care. We had 4 mid 20's "kids" one row back and a few seats down and the one guy starts screaming "EAT SHIT KENDRICK" as he's walking off the mount after the first inning. 2 guys 2 girls in the group. It only got worse from there. I heard most of what they said but Stroke was too focused on the game and her food since she just got her expander cemented in today. Finally a mother said something to him around inning 6 and he started to point and get angry at the mom and he stood up for emphasis. Not a single guy around us backed up the mom. The tool was probably 6'2" and pretty solid. This was a job for Still A Fan. Still A's Dad, Dog and Sis have probably all seen me go off. I yelled at him to get his attention off the woman who went to get security. He turned around real slow to stare at me and looked like he wanted to kill me. He was wearing a big cap that fit over his ears and he should have his ass kicked just for wearing it like that. Ear rings...tats....low jeans...... "Sit down and shut up" came out of my mouth as he was looking at me. Silence. "I have a 10 year old with me, this kid is younger than her (pointing at lil dude in front of me) and these kids are ALL younger than her (pointing to kids by Stroke). Sit down and shut up, we're all sick of it." "Yeah? Are you sick of it?" That was the tool talking. "Daddy stop it, let's go." That was Stroke talking. "Shut up and sit down, I'm not kidding." That was me talking. Finally other people got a little brave and started yelling "Yeah, sit down" and "Yeah, shut up". Security showed up to loud applause. He sat down, shut up and disappeared at the next half inning. The mom in front of us thanked me and Stroke actually said she was proud of me but I scared her.

Truth is, this guy would have probably taken my lunch money. I knew though that we're in a public place with adults all around us and everyone was sick of him and his group. I knew he couldn't get to me unless he followed me out and I had a little girl with me. PLUS, it was 2 guys and 2 girls and the girls looked mortified and probably made them leave. It's probably the 10th time I've complained about language around my daughter in 10 years. I have to be really pushed and this guy was getting aggressive with another mom. Still A Dad will remember a time at Idlewild Park when I lost my shit on an extremely rude woman who was trying to get to someone else in the line and put her hands on my daughter to move her arm bar which was blocking her from proceeding. Her husband walked over to assess the situation and assessed it correctly and walked away.

People are pretty mild-mannered until you mess with their kids. Then it's on like ketchup on kielbasi.

With superb superb luck, I caught Shane Victorino's home run swing! I probably only took 10 pictures of people batting and if you look at the raw version and blow it up this is a real keeper.

...and yes, I looked over my shoulder 5 times while walking out and going to my car and I know I have to be more careful when she's with me. Mouthing off to 2 males mid 20 wanna be's when you are 41 and don't even like to get your hands dirty makes you wish you would get your head examined every once in a while to determine why you act out.

Phillies

I used to be the commissioner of a Rotisserie baseball league in college. I was a baseball freak. I collected cards. I owned APBA. During the 1993 season when the Phillies went to the World Series I went to at least 10 games that year. I've been a Phillies fan since 1980 or so. I've been to Camden Yards and Fenway. For God's sake I used to sit on the can as a kid and read the baseball section of The Guinness Book of World Records. I loved Mike Schmidt growing up even though I was a die hard Steelers fan. Why does this matter? Well, the Phillies are about to be the World Champions and I can't even watch a complete game. I haven't watched one yet! Not against the Brewers, Dodgers or Rays. I watched most of some, 3 innings of a few before falling asleep on the couch. I even changed the channel on Sunday to watch True Blood and Entourage on HBO even though I could have DVR'd them. True Blood is starting to take the place of The Sopranos for me....filling a void of good television. Tonight's game will be easy to watch - maybe only 3 innings. You want to know why I love football so much? Just try to watch an entire baseball game. The strike lost me. I'm not back yet. If my own team in the World Series can't bring me back, I guess I never will be fully back in the fold.

Only If It's White, Stupid

I was walking out of The Vet in Philadelphia in the early 90's when some chucklehead called out to me "Go Cry In Your Stupid Towel" after the Eagles beat the Steelers in a preseason game. Good one, Copernicus, I'll have to remember that one. I've been living in Eagles country since 1991 and I've heard about how stupid The Terrible Towel is about 3,428 times. "What's the deal with that towel?" they say. All Steeler fans remember from Super Bowl XL (well, besides the fact that we won) is that in an NFC city, 80% of the crowd was waving a beautiful golden yellow symbol of loyalty. To show how balanced I'm going to be here, I can tell you that I've been a Philadelphia Phillie's fan since I was about 11. I loved Mike Schmidt and Steve Carlton when Dave Parker and Co. ruled the 'Burgh. I went to see them often when I moved out here and followed them very closely in 1993 when "The Dude", Schil, "Dutch" and "The Krukster" took over the city. Where am I going with all of this? Here....Here is where I'm going....

{{{Daily News had a great headline on the Phillies game story, “TOWELELUJAH!” Fans were waving them throughout the night, including when the scoreboard posted five runs for Washington for a 7-6 lead in the fifth inning. The roar of the crowd at that time was something special. The fans are really into it and it certainly adds to the home field advantage.}}}

Hah Wah? Rally Towels? Rally Towels? So let me get this straight....Steeler fans waving towels gets ridiculed....until the Phillies have a chance of making the playoffs and then they COPY the idea and it's no longer stupid....if it's white. Riiiiiiight. Ok. Whatever. My God, at least try to be creative and don't blatantly rip someone else's team off. Every team wants something like the towel to last 35 years...every Sunday. Not some silly promotion that will last frickin' 4 games! Lots will imitate, none will succeed. Suck it, wanna-be's.