NLCS

[Ivytalk]

Cole Hamels - center stage tomorrow, I like it.

Me, too. I have good vibes!

[93henfan]

[BlueHen86]

[Gil Dobie]

Awesome, just need Michael Irvin photoshopped into the picture and it would be perfect.

[blukeys]

I have been fortunate enough to see professional sporting events throughout the East Coast. (This includes Pittsburgh)

Sports fans along the I-95 corridor are very passionate about their teams and very knowledgeable. They express their approval or disapproval instantly and this is so if you are in Boston or Washington.

Philly fans fit into this perfectly. I defy anyone to tell me that Philly fans are better or worse than Baltimore fans. I defy anyone to show me anything more obnoxious than drunken Washington fans singing "Hail to the Redskins" in a Dewey Beach Bar. I can go on and on about dumb Boston or New York fans.

The fact is every intense and successful fan base has its share of idiots and losers.

There is also a positive side to this passion. Philly fans show up not only in Philly but every place they play. (Ditto for Boston.)

Philadelphia is as of today probably the safest place to go to a sporting event. The sporting teams are serious about providing a good experience for all fans. Bad behavior is not tolerated and season ticket owners can be yanked and forfeit their tickets for misbehavior. Citizen's Bank Park is a beautiful and safe venue.

Some of the anecdotes constantly repeated are hilarious. The Santa Claus story when told in its entirety reveals a knowledgeable fan base totally ticked off by an on field attempt to divert attention from a failing Eagle's team.

[Gil Dobie]

I have been fortunate enough to see professional sporting events throughout the East Coast. (This includes Pittsburgh)

Sports fans along the I-95 corridor are very passionate about their teams and very knowledgeable. They express their approval or disapproval instantly and this is so if you are in Boston or Washington.

Philly fans fit into this perfectly. I defy anyone to tell me that Philly fans are better or worse than Baltimore fans. I defy anyone to show me anything more obnoxious than drunken Washington fans singing "Hail to the Redskins" in a Dewey Beach Bar. I can go on and on about dumb Boston or New York fans.

The fact is every intense and successful fan base has its share of idiots and losers.

There is also a positive side to this passion. Philly fans show up not only in Philly but every place they play. (Ditto for Boston.)

Philadelphia is as of today probably the safest place to go to a sporting event. The sporting teams are serious about providing a good experience for all fans. Bad behavior is not tolerated and season ticket owners can be yanked and forfeit their tickets for misbehavior. Citizen's Bank Park is a beautiful and safe venue.

Some of the anecdotes constantly repeated are hilarious. The Santa Claus story when told in its entirety reveals a knowledgeable fan base totally ticked off by an on field attempt to divert attention from a failing Eagle's team.

I've always heard Pittsburgh and Philly phans are very passionate. Just having a little fun with the old stories. Minnesota fans are probably the worst, they show up if a team is winning or there is a new stadium built, but once a team has a bad season or 4, the fans dissappear aka Timberwolves. Minnesota was the only stop on the Beatles tour that did not sellout. There are many passionate fans, but the population base is not as big as the metropolis on the east coast. Green Bay has a smaller population and sells out win or lose.

[BlueHen86]

I have been fortunate enough to see professional sporting events throughout the East Coast. (This includes Pittsburgh)

Sports fans along the I-95 corridor are very passionate about their teams and very knowledgeable. They express their approval or disapproval instantly and this is so if you are in Boston or Washington.

Philly fans fit into this perfectly. I defy anyone to tell me that Philly fans are better or worse than Baltimore fans. I defy anyone to show me anything more obnoxious than drunken Washington fans singing "Hail to the Redskins" in a Dewey Beach Bar. I can go on and on about dumb Boston or New York fans.

The fact is every intense and successful fan base has its share of idiots and losers.

There is also a positive side to this passion. Philly fans show up not only in Philly but every place they play. (Ditto for Boston.)

Philadelphia is as of today probably the safest place to go to a sporting event. The sporting teams are serious about providing a good experience for all fans. Bad behavior is not tolerated and season ticket owners can be yanked and forfeit their tickets for misbehavior. Citizen's Bank Park is a beautiful and safe venue.

Some of the anecdotes constantly repeated are hilarious. The Santa Claus story when told in its entirety reveals a knowledgeable fan base totally ticked off by an on field attempt to divert attention from a failing Eagle's team.

Great post.

The Santa story is pretty funny. The guy that was supposed to be Santa was a no show, so the Eagles recruited a guy in a Santa suit that had been tailgating before the game. He was drunk when he took the field, by his own admission he deserved to have snow balls thrown at him.

[BDKJMU]

It would have made A LOT more sense to have an East Coast Game the 1st game, and the West Coast Game 2nd. Now you have a game starting in San Fran on a work day a little after 1 PM local time, and an east coast game on work day that likely isn't going to end till close to midnight. Makes no sense.

[BlueHen86]

It would have made A LOT more sense to have an East Coast Game the 1st game, and the West Coast Game 2nd. Now you have a game starting in San Fran on a work day a little after 1 PM local time, and an east coast game on work day that likely isn't going to end till close to midnight. Makes no sense.

Isn't Glee on Fox tonight?

[93henfan]

I have been fortunate enough to see professional sporting events throughout the East Coast. (This includes Pittsburgh)

Sports fans along the I-95 corridor are very passionate about their teams and very knowledgeable. They express their approval or disapproval instantly and this is so if you are in Boston or Washington.

Philly fans fit into this perfectly. I defy anyone to tell me that Philly fans are better or worse than Baltimore fans. I defy anyone to show me anything more obnoxious than drunken Washington fans singing "Hail to the Redskins" in a Dewey Beach Bar. I can go on and on about dumb Boston or New York fans.

The fact is every intense and successful fan base has its share of idiots and losers.

There is also a positive side to this passion. Philly fans show up not only in Philly but every place they play. (Ditto for Boston.)

Philadelphia is as of today probably the safest place to go to a sporting event. The sporting teams are serious about providing a good experience for all fans. Bad behavior is not tolerated and season ticket owners can be yanked and forfeit their tickets for misbehavior. Citizen's Bank Park is a beautiful and safe venue.

Some of the anecdotes constantly repeated are hilarious. The Santa Claus story when told in its entirety reveals a knowledgeable fan base totally ticked off by an on field attempt to divert attention from a failing Eagle's team.

Great post.

The Santa story is pretty funny. The guy that was supposed to be Santa was a no show, so the Eagles recruited a guy in a Santa suit that had been tailgating before the game. He was drunk when he took the field, by his own admission he deserved to have snow balls thrown at him.

He also was under 200 lbs and had no stuffing under the suit. Think Don Knotts as Santa. Pathetic.

[Gil Dobie]

Have to say, AT&T Park is one of the nicest venue's in MLB, with the bay in the background.

[clenz]

AT&T, Target Field, Coors Field, and The Ballpark at Arlington are the best ballparks in the league...IMHO

[GannonFan]

It would have made A LOT more sense to have an East Coast Game the 1st game, and the West Coast Game 2nd. Now you have a game starting in San Fran on a work day a little after 1 PM local time, and an east coast game on work day that likely isn't going to end till close to midnight. Makes no sense.

Isn't Glee on Fox tonight?

Just a rerun actually - I don't think MLB wants anything significant to run against the baseball and since FOX is a partner you get a rerun.

[GannonFan]

Phils down 2-0 going into the 5th - Phils don't take advantage of several baserunners in the early innings and then Giants do take advantage of thie opportunity in the 4th. Grrr.

[Gil Dobie]

Giants win 3-0, fear the beard.

[DJH]

AT&T is by far the best ballpark in all of baseball.

[Grizalltheway]

Hmm, where are all the "best fans in sports" after this game??

[93henfan]

Hmm, where are all the "best fans in sports" after this game??

Probably went wherever all the Montana fans went after the championship game last year.

Honestly, what are you supposed to say after your team got smoked? "Yay, we really played like shit today!"

Phils are down 2-1. It's a seven game series. Tomorrow is a must-win.

[BlueHen86]

Hmm, where are all the "best fans in sports" after this game??

Right here. What would you like me to do? Tell you how much I don't care about sports after my team losses?

Sucky game today. I knew the Giants would be tough, but I'm not panicking. The Phils will probably pitch Halladay tomorrow (4-2 lifetime on 3 days rest) followed by Oswalt (6-1 lifetime on 3 days rest).

Of course, none of this will matter if the bats don't wake up.

[Ivytalk]

Hmm, where are all the "best fans in sports" after this game??

Right here. What would you like me to do? Tell you how much I don't care about sports after my team losses?

Sucky game today. I knew the Giants would be tough, but I'm not panicking. The Phils will probably pitch Halladay tomorrow (4-2 lifetime on 3 days rest) followed by Oswalt (6-1 lifetime on 3 days rest).

Of course, none of this will matter if the bats don't wake up.

Zactly, 86. The Phils usually do well against Cain, but not today. I guess the Blanton start is out of the question now!

[Grizalltheway]

Hmm, where are all the "best fans in sports" after this game??

Probably went wherever all the Montana fans went after the championship game last year.

Honestly, what are you supposed to say after your team got smoked? "Yay, we really played like shit today!"

Phils are down 2-1. It's a seven game series. Tomorrow is a must-win.

Hey, I was on here giving props to Sczexzxer and company.

[93henfan]

The Phils will probably pitch Halladay tomorrow (4-2 lifetime on 3 days rest) followed by Oswalt (6-1 lifetime on 3 days rest).

Uncle Chuck has already said Blanton will start game 4 and reiterated that last night after the game. Starting Halladay and Oswalt on short rest is not so much a concern as having to start Hamels again on short rest in game 6, something he's never done.

Gotta keep our fingers crossed with Blanton tonight. If he can get it done, we're set up real nice for the final three games. Lose and.. ...well, I don't want to talk about that.

Bats just need to come to life tonight, and I think they will. Yesterday may have been Utley's worst game ever as a Philly, and I know he doesn't like being a clown. I expect Uts to destroy the ball tonight.

[Gil Dobie]

It won't get much easier for the Phils, after tonight it's Lincecum, Sanchez and Cain in games 5,6,7.

[93henfan]

It won't get much easier for the Phils, after tonight it's Lincecum, Sanchez and Cain in games 5,6,7.

Tonight is just a huge game. If the Phils win, I like Halladay-Oswalt-Hamels against those three, especially with Halladay and Hamels now with chips on their shoulders after their last two outings.

Blanton pitched well in the second half (after some first half injury issues) and has big game experience. Is Bumgarner up to the task of facing a Phils offense due to wake up? Should be interesting to watch.

[GannonFan]

Going down 2-1 isn't the end of the world. Going down 3-1, however, would be. Phils have to win tonight (very much like how they had to win Game 2). Blanton's actually been a pretty good postseason pitcher so it's not like they're throwing AJ Burnett out there. But, if the bats don't wake up (and let's face it, the bats have been pretty much away for most of the year) they could be in a lot of trouble. However, still in this thing as long as we win tonight.