This I Believe.. in Phillies Games
It might be seem weird to believe in a baseball game, but when you experience one in Philadelphia at Citizens Bank Park you may understand. Born and raised right outside city limits, my blood was born the color of the Eagles, Flyers, 76ers, and Phillies. When I was younger I never understood football while ice hockey and basketball weren’t that interesting. Only rooting for the Phightin’ Phils was both easy to understand and enjoyable. At young age, my Dad started taking my brother, my sister and myself to Veterans Stadium (later Citizens Bank Park) every summer. Taking the Broad Street line to Pattison Ave meant a soda, a hot dog, and ice cream in a Phillies helmet. It was a tradition and I loved it.
It wasn’t until this past year that I realized what Phillies game meant so much to me AND to the city of Philadelphia. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the woes of my championship-deprived city. Before my trip to James Madison, I ventured down for one last game with my brother. We drove in and parked in the endless sea of concrete around Citizens Bank Park. I assumed this game would be like others I attended, great food and great entertainment, on the field and in the stands. Sitting in our seats surrounded by the many in toxicated and not intoxicated, but dedicated fans, we all shared our passion for our team, and our city, in unison. It felt like a sense of belonging, a fleeting but comfortable feeling. I looked beyond the scoreboard to the skyline and saw the spirit of Philadelphia embodied in a moment. For those couple hours we forget about the outside world and come together as one city. Your address, your job, the stress of day-to-day life evaporates under the glow of those shimmering lights.
Together, there are more than 20,000 people cheering for a team that hasn’t won a World Series since 1980. That’s dedication. Notorious for throwing batteries at Santa Claus and cheering on injured opponents, Philadelphia has been accused of many things. But we will never be accused of being fair-weather fans. Good or bad, playoff contenders or basement dwellers; we are there for our team through thick and thin. We are passionate. We may boo the opposing team but we also boo our own team when they don’t meet expectations. We just to want to win. I have never noticed this side of Philadelphia until now. I am glad I got to experience this feeling and it makes me love the city even more.
Our dedication, our passion, the unity, draws us together and lets us leave our worries at the door, and to do that for three hours together as one makes me love cheering for those Phillies. This I believe in Phillies Games.