Almost winners

Today I had the privilege of discussing the dreams and fatalism of the Philly sports fan with someone who has studied it carefully. A sports writer for a paper of record who lives in our very own suburbs, he is a longtime student of our unrequited love for our teams-none of the four major sports teams in the city have won a championship since 1983. That was the year the Sixers won the NBA championship. According to this writer (I think I'll preserve his privacy) the collapase of the Phillies in 1964 (losing a World Series) was one of the most famous in the history of baseball. Only 16 more games and the Phillies will have lost 10,000 games, making them the losingest team in pro baseball history.

There are all sorts of theories to explain the fans byzantine relationship with the Philadelphia teams, but it boils down to this. Expect the worse, even when thing are going well-it almost always occurs, according to this journalist. Demonstrating the mania connected with local sports in the five county area, he retailed anecdotes aplenty. Priests refused to baptize babies when the Eagles were playing. Our governor, Ed Rendell has post game show after each game on CN8. A few years ago, Sen. Arlen Specter phoned WIP, the local sports station, to say how worried he was about whether the Eagles could win.

This veteran calls us "the biggest small town in America."


Growing up in NYC, I don't carry the psychological baggage of being a fan who walks the line between hope and fear, aware that defeat will most likely be snatched from victory's jaw. When it comes to sports, as to so many other things in this wonderful area, fans are cursed with an incredible inferiority complex that makes us the "almost" city-the Broad Street parade just out of sight-beyond that next basket, or home run, or goal.

Song that has been inspiring me recently

For a NYC babe, I've got a shamelessly honky tonk heart. Check out this song by Martina MacBride...even if that means having to tune into a country music station for the first time in years...or in forever!


You can spend your whole life buildin'
Somethin' from nothin'
One storm can come and blow it all away
Build it anyway
You can chase a dream
That seems so out of reach
And you know it might not ever come your way
Dream it anyway
God is great, but sometimes life ain't good
When I pray it doesn't always turn out like I think it should
But I do it anyway
I do it anyway
This world's gone crazy and it's hard to believe
That tomorrow will be better than today
Believe it anyway
You can love someone with all your heart
For all the right reasons
And in a moment they can choose to walk away
Love 'em anyway
You can pour your soul out singin'
A song you believe in
That tomorrow they'll forget you ever sang
Sing it anyway
Yeah sing it anyway
I singI dream
I love anyway

© 2006 Delemmava Music Publishing (BMI) © 2006 Bucky and Clyde Music adm by L’ile Des Auteurs Music / L’ile Des Auteurs Music (BMI). All Rights Reserved.

Mystery solved

I am thrilled to say that I can now return to this blogspot, and my "faithful" readers, with great joy!

Please continue to keep our family in your prayers-it's a rough time for us. I particularly would like prayers for my children and for my ex husband, a very good man. I can't tell you why right now, but please lift him up before God, with, as Sian's principal said to me today, "special intentions."

Perhaps tomorrow I will fill you in on the bird who built a nest, as she did last spring, in our breezeway...the rabbits who chomp on my flowers, and the squash starting to open their flowery buds in our yard.

Love boldly, love always, love foolishly, and with your whole heart-love without fear.