The Flyers went into the second period with a 2-0 lead and looking
much better than the Canadiens, but the #### was only beginning to hit
the fan when Alexei Kovalev used his stick to bat down the puck into
the net behind goaltender Marty Biron. Everyone who isn’t a Canadiens
fan could clearly see that it was a high-stick (above the crossbar)
simply by the fact that… his stick hit the crossbar. The referees’
whistles, however, were silent.
That stuff happens, karma, yada yada yada…
With about a minute left in regulation in the third period and the
orange and black up 3 to 2, center Mike Richards clearly knocked
Kovalev down with his shoulder, but the refs claimed that Richards
kneed him, and the Canadiens got a power play with 1:09 remaining on
the clock. Unsurprisingly, they pulled their goaltender to create a
6-on-4 advantage, and, as luck would have it, Jeff Carter’s stick broke
on the face-off — essentially making it 6-on-3 — and the puck glided
right over to Kovalev who promptly tied the game at threes with 29
seconds left in the third period.
The Flyers’ bad luck continued when Tom Kostopoulos scored 48 seconds into overtime.
So, we can say that the referees were responsible for two Canadiens goals and indirectly responsible for another (Kostopoulos’).
“You know what? I think the officiating is good,”
said Bettman. “I think it undergoes intense scrutiny this time of year.
Of all the people on the ice and surrounding the ice, our officials
probably make the fewest mistakes. This is a game of mistakes,
including the officials, and we hold them accountable.”
It’s not just the labor issues that have the NHL lagging well behind
the other three major sports organizations — it’s the blatantly awful
officiating, and the commissioner of it all has not a clue.
HOWARD GIVES PHILADELPHIA SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT
If ever there was an accurate representation of "the winter of discontent," it will be Philadelphia circa 2006. The Eagles, following an embarassing loss to the Tennessee Titans and season-ending ACL tear for quarterback Donovan McNabb, are on damage control. Although the Flyers -- the second-worst team in the NHL points-wise -- have only completed one quarter of their season, it would take a veritable miracle to revive them following an upper-management shakeup that saw the firing of coach Ken Hitchcock and resignation of general manager Bob Clarke. And the Sixers... well, they're the Sixers: bound for mediocrity. Although they may make the playoffs with the unconscionably easy playoff system the NBA has in place (50% of the teams make it), this season will be nothing special. No one seems to want to play defense consistently (Andre Iguodala, this concerns you), and Chris Webber apparently isn't happy with his role on the team.
So another winter goes by where Philadelphians will have to wait until next year for the long-awaited championship (23 years, actually) and parade down Broad Street. However, the sun came out, if only for one day when Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard was named Most Valuable Player of the National League on November 21, 2006. The award could have been given to Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols just as easily, but the Sosian homerun and RBI totals, and the King Kong-esque way Howard put his team in the palm of his hand in August and September was enough for the Baseball Writers Association of America to give him 20 first-place votes, eight more than Pujols received.
For Howard, he is only one of two players -- Cal Ripken, Jr. being the other -- to win the Rookie of the Year and the MVP awards in consecutive seasons. He is also only the fourth Phillie to win the honor, behind Mike Schmidt (three times in 1980, '81, and '86), Jim Konstanty (1950), and Chuck Klein (1932).
Almost ironically, or as in an attempt to jinx, a video played during Howard's MVP award presentation featured McNabb, Schmidt, Allen Iverson, Mike Knuble, and Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell offering their congratulations to Howard, but only Rendell is enjoying any current success, as he was re-elected on November 7. Jimmy Rollins, as per usual, cracked a few jokes along with offering his congratulations to Howard in the video, noting that with the bigger paychecks in Howard's imminent future, he could help Rollins out with his rent.
The amount of the bigger paychecks remains a mystery, as the Phillies seem wont to wait until after the 2007 season to talk about signing Howard long-term. Given the current market trend where average players like Juan Pierre, now of the Los Angeles Dodgers, get lengthy, pricy deals -- Pierre's was $44-45 million over five years. Soriano is the current jackpot winner of MLB free agency thus far, having signed an eight-year deal worth $136 million, the fifth-largest in MLB history. Howard should get a deal like that of Soriano's, but likely less lengthy. The NL MVP has earned every penny he gets.
It was almost fitting that the MVP award was announced on Tuesday, as it gave the Philadelphia media one day to grieve over the Eagles' (and McNabb's) now-defunct season before moving on (yeah, right). For one day, Howard parted the clouds looming over Philadelphia, threatening to rain mediocrity at least until the Phillies break for spring training in March. Philadelphians now ashamed to wear their Flyers and Sixers jerseys, and too superstitious to wear those of the Eagles, the Ryan Howard jerseys, pinstripes and all, were proudly worn in the City of Brotherly Love. Instead of wasted power plays, missed free throws, and torn ACLs, Howard put a pacifier in Philadelphia's mouth. If only for one day.
Ryan Franklin after giving up a homerun to the Mets' Jose Reyes.
Philadelphia has, for about the last 45 years, been the Mecca of uncouth fan behavior. At least, according to hyperbolized reports from journalists.
Booing Santa Claus. Booing Donovan McNabb on draft day. Throwing batteries at J.D. Drew. Cheering a potentially career-threatening injury to Michael Irvin. The Flyers fan jumping into the penalty box to fight with Tie Domi. Booing Kobe Bryant, who grew up in Philadelphia, before, during, and after the 2002 All-Star Game. Mitch Williams, the closer for the Phillies who gave up the infamous three-run, World Series-winning homerun to Joe Carter in Game 6 of the 1993 World Series, receiving death threats from Phillies fans in the offseason.
Unabridged fandom in Philadelphia is popular folklore among out-of-towners, the media, and even many of the athletes who pass through the city. Young athletes are forewarned by veterans that consistent failure will be rewarded with obstinate boos and sarcastic cheers -- perhaps worse. Veterans know well enough the risk to sign with a Philly-based team whose fans do not easily let memories gently fade into oblivion.
On consecutive nights May 26 and 27, 2006 against the visiting Milwaukee Brewers, Phillies reliever Ryan Franklin was given a taste of both the good and the bad the Philly phaithful have to offer. While Franklin was warming up in the bullpen during the top-half of the eighth inning on the 26th, one sober fan with his friend silent at his side, stood over the railing overlooking both the home and visitors' bullpens and yelled, "Franklin sucks! Franklin sucks!" Franklin gazed up grudgingly at the fan, who did not use foul language, and motioned for him to come down and repeat the accusation within arm’s reach. He then gestured for security to have the man removed.
Aaron Rowand and his broken nose at a press conference.
Franklin was watching a teammate receive the inverse treatment from that same fanbase on the 27th. The recipient of the fans' good graces was centerfielder Aaron Rowand, he of the broken nose circa May 11 after robbing New York Mets right fielder Xavier Nady of three RBI and extra bases. Rowand was honored with a standing ovation from the crowd at Citizens Bank Park during the announcement of the starting lineups when he trotted out to centerfield in the first inning. The ovation grew louder when Rowand took his first at-bat. Rowand was 0-4 but was cheered and clapped for vehemently each and every time he went up to the plate. Franklin apparently failed to learn his lesson, as he pitched the eighth inning, gave up three runs on two homeruns, and was saddled with the loss, leaving his record a paltry 1-4 and his ERA at 5.32.
There is not one athlete will never be on the short end of the fan appreciation stick eternally; likewise, there is no athlete who will always be on the long end of said stick at all times. Athletes go through peaks and valleys, and fans tag right along for the ride. If an athlete is in a slump, the fans will let him know they do not particularly care for his recent and continued failure. If an athlete gives up his body to make a play and help his team, the fans will also let him know how much they appreciate it. Such is the case be it Philadelphia, New York, or even the more docile Florida.
Philadelphians did boo Santa Claus -- well, what was a sad excuse for one, anyway. The original Claus (not Kris Kringle) failed to report, and the replacement was a skinny, drunken fan from the crowd at an Eagles game. Philadelphians did not boo Donovan McNabb because they did not like him; they booed McNabb because he was not Ricky Williams (in hindsight, it worked out particularly well). J.D. Drew was booed because he sat out the 1997 season (because the Phillies would not pay him upwards of $10 million), essentially wasting the second-overall pick the Phillies had in the draft. The fans were not cheering Michael Irvin's injury; they were cheering the hard tackle made by their defense on a player on a rival team. Tie Domi was the instigator in the penalty box-brawl by dumping water from a water bottle onto a heckling fan. Kobe Bryant was booed because the Lower Merion High School graduate said he was "an L.A. guy." Mitch Williams, while the death threats are indeed excessive, deserved everything else -- he handed his opponents the knife, which was sunk into the hearts of Phillies fans.
Sal Fasano and his Fu Manchu mustache.
All Philly fans ask for their unadulterated love is that athletes give their best effort in each and every game, and that they don't bash the city and its fans publicly, or, in Phillies backup catcher Sal Fasano's case, a Fu Manchu mustache. A seasonal .303 batting average, 23 HR, 93 RBI, and 29 stolen bases are wont to make a collective fanbase forget about a reluctance to dive for balls or to back into the outfield fence, as is the case with Bobby Abreu. And if a player is not good enough to win the team games throughout the season, he better not cost them any. After all, the phans really are gracious people, but one would not know because all it takes is one bad egg to spoil the omelet. Don't believe it? Here is a list of other cities' phans' transgressions (also note the Gary Sheffield incident in Boston, repeated Milton Bradley scenes, and Barry Bonds in every other city outside of San Francisco, as well):
August 26, 1986: A knife with a five-inch blade was thrown at rookie Wally Joyner of the California Angels after beating the Yankees. Joyner was grazed on the left arm but was not seriously harmed.
September 24, 1999: A fan jumped out of the stands and tackled Astros right fielder Bill Spiers in the bottom of the sixth inning. Spiers had a welt under his left eye, a bloody nose and whiplash.
November 24, 1999: Broncos fans throw snowballs with batteries in them at Raiders.
May 16, 2000: Backup Dodgers catcher Chad Kreuter was hit in the head by a fan, who also stole his cap. Kreuter and several Dodgers went into the stands and a brawl followed.
August 29, 2002: In the Majors' final game before the strike deadline, fans threw foul balls back onto the field and chanted "Don't Strike! Don't Strike!'' as the Anaheim Angels beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays 6-1.
September 19, 2002: Kansas City coach Tom Gamboa was attacked by a father and son who came out of the stands at the same stadium, then called Comiskey Park.
April 15, 2003: A fan ran on the field at U.S. Cellular Field and attempted to tackle an umpire during a game between the White Sox and visiting Kansas City.
April 19, 2003: Texas Rangers right fielder Carl Everett was beaned in the back of the head with a cell phone in Oakland.
April 24, 2003: A fan was charged with misdemeanor reckless conduct for throwing a cell phone, which hit San Diego Padres third baseman Sean Burroughs, during a Chicago Cubs game.
April --, 2003: A fan almost bit off a police officer's pinkie finger when the officer tried to help Coliseum security break up an argument between fans.
June 10, 2003: One Orioles fan threw cork at Sosa from the stands and another ran onto the field throwing cork at him.
July 8, 2003: An 8-year-old boy at the Oakland Athletics' game against Tampa Bay had burns on one of his legs when another fan tossed a cherry bomb from the upper deck of the Coliseum.
September 20, 2003: A Giants fan in the Dodger Stadium parking lot shot a Dodgers fan. "Apparently we have multiple suspects who are Giants fans who got into an argument with a Dodger fan," Officer Adriana Sanchez, a police spokeswoman said.
December 24, 2003: Two fans at an Islanders game, dressed up as Santa Claus due to a promotion which invited fans to dress up as Santa Claus for free admission to the game against the Philadelphia Flyers, were permitted to parade across the ice between periods, along with the almost one thousand other Santa-fans. The two removed their red jackets to reveal jerseys of the rival Rangers, and were knocked to the ice and had their shirts ripped off by Islanders fans.
September 11, 2005: Baltimore Ravens fans cheer quarterback Kyle Boller reeling in pain due to a hyper-extended left toe, after being tackled by Larry Triplett.
September 15, 2005: Ohio State tight end Ryan Hamby received hate letters since dropping a sure touchdown pass during the Buckeyes' loss to Texas.
September 22, 2005: Several Giants fans spewed New Orleans Saints fans with taunts about Hurricane Katrina during a game at Giants Stadium. "Where's your swimmies? I hope you have your swimmies!" one fan asked a New Orleans resident. "You deserve what you got," another said. "New Orleans people are stupid."
October 16, 2005: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Tommy Maddox fumbled a snap, threw three interceptions, including one in overtime that was returned for a touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Fans subsequently threw trash on his lawn.
October 25, 2005: Houston Astro Craig Biggio’s wife Patty was slapped by a White Sox fan after Scott Podsednik hit a game-winning homerun.
March 22, 2006: Philadelphia Flyer R.J. Umberger was hit from behind and spent considerable time on the ice before getting to his feet and skating off under his own power while being booed by New York Rangers fans.
So, the next time they bash Philadelphia fans for their behavior, set them straight. Remind them of how they cheered Moises Alou when he was carted off the field after spraining his right ankle chasing a foul ball in an 8-3 loss on May 5. Remind them of how graciously and frequently Aaron Rowand was applauded in his return 16 days after his face met the outfield fence in centerfield. Explain to them that Philadelphia is a city just like any other, whose denizens have watched their four collective major sports teams fail to win a championship for twenty-two years running. More importantly, make the comparison that booing a drunk, emaciated Santa Claus pales in comparison to shooting a fan of a rival team or tossing a cherry bomb in a stadium full of people. Philadelphia fans have been misreprestented for nearly forty-five years, it's time to set things straight.
Ten years ago, the thought of having a Philadelphia sports team winning it all was mere wishful thinking. 1995 saw the departure of beloved Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham, who brought the Eagles to the playoffs five times in 1988, '89, '91, '93, and '95, establishing a mere 2-5 playoff record in that time. 1995 also saw the loveable bunch of Phillies, who reached the World Series in '93 (for the first time in ten years), decline in talent, and eventually retired or were traded by the time 1997 rolled around. The Flyers were actually competitive between 1995-1999, making the playoffs in each of those years, which was unfortunately highlighted by the four-game sweep by the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanely Cup Finals in 1997. The Sixers only recently started being a playoff contender in 1999, when Allen Iverson had a couple years' experience under his belt. They made the playoffs every season from 1999-2003, interrupted by a mediocre 2004 season, and resumed again in 2005, only to be squashed by the Detroit Pistons in five games.
That leaves us where we are today: almost one year removed from the Eagles' first Super Bowl appearance since 1980; almost a quarter year removed from the Phillies one-game-short postseason push; a half-year removed since the NHL resumed play after a 310-day lockout; almost nine months removed from the Sixers' early playoff exit at the hands of the Pistons. Besides the seemingly endless theme of coming up short, what do all of these teams have in common? Their eventual rise into the playoffs was started by young players. Examples? For the Phillies: Kevin Stocker, Curt Schilling, Tommy Greene. For the Eagles: Charlie Garner, Mike Mamula, Bobby Taylor. For the Flyers: Eric Lindros, Garth Snow, Mikael Renberg. For the Sixers: Allen Iverson, Jerry Stackhouse, Derrick Coleman.
The story is just now beginning to come full circle, as those players that gave those teams the initial push that led to the playoff momentum are reaching the peaks of their careers if they haven't retired already. Iverson currently is having one of the best seasons he's ever had, but he's 30 years old and all but packed his bags to get out of Philadelphia, especially after leaving the court in frustration several seconds before the game with the New Jersey Nets officially ended on Wednesday. Curt Schilling is near his twilight, a season removed from his bloodied-sock, Game 6 win over the New York Yankees in the most unforgetable playoff series in baseball history. Eric Lindros cried his way out of Philadelphia, and Charlie Garner hasn't played in the NFL since he started in 3 games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2004, gaining an unspectacular 111 yards.
Pat Gillick, the general manager of the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays that defeated the Phillies in the World Series, was recently handed the general maning duties of the Phillies following the dismissal of Ed Wade. Yes, the story truly is coming full circle, and the luminaries we have come to love -- and hate -- over the last ten years will dim into retirement, or exile from Philadelphia, whichever comes first. Five-tool rightfielder Bobby Abreu has been the subject of scantily-clad trade rumors and could be wearing a different uniform by the time the 2006 trading deadline passes. Terrell Owens, in a sad twist of Philadelphia lore, has worn out his welcome in Philadelphia after miraculously coming back from an ankle injury to lead the Eagles to a near-victory in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots. Jeremy Roenick has already left Philadelphia in a trade that returned Peter Forsberg, the Flyers prospect that originally brought us Lindros, to Philly. And, as previously mentioned, Iverson could very well be on his way out of the City of Brotherly Love.
Philadelphia Sports Circle
Scott Rolen, Jim Thome, Billy Wagner, Duce Staley, Troy Vincent, Dikembe Mutombo, Eric Snow, Eric Desjardins, Rod Brind'Amour, John LeClair. We have seen talented player after talented player come into Philadelphia and tease us into joining in the excitement of a potential Broad Street victory parade. They left when the curtains closed for intermission, and now the tragic play that is recent Philadephia sports history is about to come to a close. There will be no celebratory bow; there will be no roses thrown upon the stage. Fans will look forward while shedding a tear, knowing that the cycle is about to start again.
The cycle has already begun for the Flyers, led by youthful goalie Antero Niittymaki, who is filling in for the injured Robert Esche. He is joined by fellow young contributors Jeff Carter, Mike Richards, and Simon Gagne. The 2005-06 Flyers are eerily reminiscent of the 1993 Phillies in that they are not led by any true superstars, but by the collective effort of all the members of their team. The Flyers recently enjoyed abundant success while on the longest road trip in NHL history (tied with the 1968-69 Canadiens) with a record of 8-2-1 and found themselves first in the league with 62 points. They earned 17 of those points on that road trip, which spanned three weeks and ten cities.
On the other side of the spectum of the Flyers are the Eagles, whose cycle is beginning anew. They will rely on veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb the same way they did Randall Cunningham, as well as keen draft picks and surprising outlets of production until they can once again have a dominating team of veterans, as they did when their postseason streak started in 2000. Their Troy Vincent and Bobby Taylor may very well be Sheldon Brown and Lito Sheppard; their Charlie Garner may very well be their Brian Westbrook.
CHAMPIONSHIPS
Team
Amount
Phillies
1 (1980)
Eagles
None
Flyers
2 (1974, 1975)
76ers
1 (1983)
Also with a cycle on rerun are the Sixers, who have a young nucleus of Andre Iguodala, Kyle Korver, and Samuel Dalembert. Iverson, who averages almost 68 games per season and over 41 minutes per game, has been injured plenty of times throughout his career. The 6'0" point guard has played through the majority of his injuries -- which have been plenty -- and at 30, his ability to play through injuries will decrease with every season. Similar to the Abreu situation with the Phillies, the Sixers are at the point where they should maximize on Iverson's value and trade him in an effort to complement that young nucleus. Considering his public showing of frustration in leaving the court less than 10 seconds away from the official end of regulation on Wednesday against the Nets, Sixers GM Billy King may have been designing Iverson's exit plan.
That leaves the Phillies, who posted back-to-back-back winning seasons from 2003-2005 for the first time since they had nine straight winning seasons from 1975-1983. Catcher Mike Lieberthal, the longest-tenured athlete in Philadelphia, will enter his thirteenth season -- all with the Phillies -- which is presumably his last. The Phillies' Minor League system is ripe with prospects that can potentially replace Lieby, such as Carlos Ruiz and Jason Jaramillo. David Bell, another over-the-hill veteran, is also likely to switch locales after the '06 season, if not before. Abraham Nunez can fill his spot until prospect third-baseman Mike Costanzo progresses enough to earn the trip to the big show. The aforementioned Abreu situation could come to a head at any time in the '06 calendar year, and if he is not replaced as a direct result of a trade, youngsters Shane Vicorino and Michael Bourn could take his spot in right field, especially if Jason Michaels is also unloaded. Victorino has already seen Major League action and Bourn still needs to define himself in the Minors. As for the starting rotation, if the rotation of Jon Lieber, Brett Myers, Cory Lidle, Ryan Franklin, and their #5 starter yet to be named (and Randy Wolf in mid-August), there could be a dramatic shift in the composition of the rotation. "Untouchables" Gavin Floyd and Cole Hamels could soon find themselves as Major League constants, with Scott Mathieson not far behind. Robinson Tejeda and Eude Brito, who both filled in rather well last season when injuries took a bite out of the rotation, are next in line. Ryan Madson will definitely become a fixture in the Phillies' rotation within the next two years; however, he is currently the Phillies' setup man for Tom Gordon until further notice.
The Phillies are in a peculiar situation. They are almost at a level where they can give it a go with the cut-and-pasted Mets, but if they falter, they have a rich farm system to fall back on. They are neither high nor low in their status, and won't be for years to come. Their peculiar situation may be the one that breaks the cycle of highs and lows, successes and failures, but no championships, and it can be done either by a team of familiar faces, or by a team of fresh faces.
2006 will be a telling year of where Philadelphia's sports teams stand. Whether they continue to play in that continuous loop is up to the puppeteers pulling the strings. Will they notice the patterns that have led to the eventual sinking of the proverbial ship? At some point, the compass will need to be tossed aside and the team navigated on instinct alone.
Written by Bill Baer on January 20, 2006. All written content on this page is Copyright 2006. Images are copyright to their respective owners. Back to The Binder
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