But it's true. It's not good enough that the Phillies do in fact have one of the most talented teams in
Major League Baseball this year and deserve to win the World Series. The baseball gods (and, I suppose in part, the "de facto commissioner" and mother nature as well) have found fit to postpone what we hope and expect to be the end of the current major championship drought in Philadelphia. I've tired of the talking and debating of last night's debacle, so I'll leave it at that...because, in reality, it is what it is and I can only hope that baseball manages to learn something from this unfortunate turn of events to prevent further erosion of the popularity of this great game.
After all of the kvetching about where to go last night, Dennis the LanCo correspondent,
Lloyd the football brain, and I headed to
South Philly Tap Room. Everything was working out so well. Traffic into the city, not too bad. Parking? Barely a block away from SPTR. Arrived around 6pm and the joint was only half full; helping to find ourselves at a hightop ten feet from the large screen television. Excellent food to lay the base and more than a dozen taps pouring quality beer. Check, check, double-check. Yay, we're on our way.
The place fills up to standing-room only for the Phillies Phaithful (yeah, I know...I hate gratuitous use of 'ph' too, but sometimes...well...) Standing on chairs for a better view, leaning up against strangers...all fine on this night. Skipping out on a big check, not cool at all. You know who you are and I don't envy having to live with yourself when that's the way you choose to live your lives. Pretty ballsy, I've gotta say, considering the size of your group. Oh, and thanks for the offer of buying us a round of drinks, considering you didn't have any intention of paying your tab. Mighty big of you. Anyway...
How much fun was our time at SPTR last night, game outcome notwithstanding? Let's just say that this is exactly how I want to experience the next championship in Philadelphia...whether it comes before or after Thanksgiving is another question! But, seriously, being in a quintessential Philadelphia neighborhood pub with well-made food, great beer, and passionate fans as we all cheer, chant, and high-five our way to Broad Street is exactly how I want to, and believe all fans should, experience the winning game.
If you know me, I'm normally the type that would prefer my TV, my couch, my "facilities," my beer cooler, and a few close friends for most games...even playoff games...even if it means watching alone. But, when it comes to the biggest of the big games, I want to be out in the streets with the crowd, celebrating as one big bunch of friends and family. Adding some
Sly Fox (Black Raspberry & Oktoberfest),
PBC (Kenzinger, Fleur de Lehigh, Newbold),
Russian River (Damnation),
Monk's Flemish Sour,
Founder's (Harvest, Breakfast Stout),
Stoudt's Pils,
Legacy Midnight Wit, and
Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter to the mix makes for the absolutely perfect environment.
So what does that mean for where I'll be for the conclusion of game 5? Dunno yet. It took a while to finally settle on SPTR for innings 1-5.5, it won't be easy deciding whether to head to
Memphis Taproom,
Jose Pistolas,
For Pete's Sake,
McMenamin's or any of the numerous other pubs in the city that I wouldn't mind being "stuck" at. We shall see....nothing's ever easy in Philly.
UPDATE: With the conclusion of game 5 not scheduled for any earlier than 8:37pm on 10/29, it now means that I likely won't be at any of these joints. More important events must be attended to. I'll likely be watching and celebrating with Patty's family somewhere in far Northeast Philly or lower Bucks County. There are a lot of Phillies fans in her family and I'm sure that after we celebrate her mother's life at the evening's viewing, we'll gather together to celebrate the Phillies, albeit something relatively less important.
But it's true. It's not good enough that the Phillies do in fact have one of the most talented teams in Major League Baseball this year and deserve to win the World Series. The baseball gods (and, I suppose in part, the "de facto commissioner" and mother nature as well) have found fit to postpone what we hope and expect to be the end of the current major championship drought in Philadelphia. I've tired of the talking and debating of last night's debacle, so I'll leave it at that...because, in reality, it is what it is and I can only hope that baseball manages to learn something from this unfortunate turn of events to prevent further erosion of the popularity of this great game.
After all of the kvetching about where to go last night, Dennis the LanCo correspondent, Lloyd the football brain, and I headed to South Philly Tap Room. Everything was working out so well. Traffic into the city, not too bad. Parking? Barely a block away from SPTR. Arrived around 6pm and the joint was only half full; helping to find ourselves at a hightop ten feet from the large screen television. Excellent food to lay the base and more than a dozen taps pouring quality beer. Check, check, double-check. Yay, we're on our way.
The place fills up to standing-room only for the Phillies Phaithful (yeah, I know...I hate gratuitous use of 'ph' too, but sometimes...well...) Standing on chairs for a better view, leaning up against strangers...all fine on this night. Skipping out on a big check, not cool at all. You know who you are and I don't envy having to live with yourself when that's the way you choose to live your lives. Pretty ballsy, I've gotta say, considering the size of your group. Oh, and thanks for the offer of buying us a round of drinks, considering you didn't have any intention of paying your tab. Mighty big of you. Anyway...
How much fun was our time at SPTR last night, game outcome notwithstanding? Let's just say that this is exactly how I want to experience the next championship in Philadelphia...whether it comes before or after Thanksgiving is another question! But, seriously, being in a quintessential Philadelphia neighborhood pub with well-made food, great beer, and passionate fans as we all cheer, chant, and high-five our way to Broad Street is exactly how I want to, and believe all fans should, experience the winning game.
If you know me, I'm normally the type that would prefer my TV, my couch, my "facilities," my beer cooler, and a few close friends for most games...even playoff games...even if it means watching alone. But, when it comes to the biggest of the big games, I want to be out in the streets with the crowd, celebrating as one big bunch of friends and family. Adding some Sly Fox (Black Raspberry & Oktoberfest), PBC (Kenzinger, Fleur de Lehigh, Newbold), Russian River (Damnation), Monk's Flemish Sour, Founder's (Harvest, Breakfast Stout), Stoudt's Pils, Legacy Midnight Wit, and Tröegs Dead Reckoning Porter to the mix makes for the absolutely perfect environment.
So what does that mean for where I'll be for the conclusion of game 5? Dunno yet. It took a while to finally settle on SPTR for innings 1-5.5, it won't be easy deciding whether to head to Memphis Taproom, Jose Pistolas, For Pete's Sake, McMenamin's or any of the numerous other pubs in the city that I wouldn't mind being "stuck" at. We shall see....nothing's ever easy in Philly.
UPDATE: With the conclusion of game 5 not scheduled for any earlier than 8:37pm on 10/29, it now means that I likely won't be at any of these joints. More important events must be attended to. I'll likely be watching and celebrating with Patty's family somewhere in far Northeast Philly or lower Bucks County. There are a lot of Phillies fans in her family and I'm sure that after we celebrate her mother's life at the evening's viewing, we'll gather together to celebrate the Phillies, albeit something relatively less important.
No comments:
Post a Comment