Unbelievable ExperienceFollow

I was at the game last night, three rows from the top on the third base side. From the start the crowd was electric and intense. Nobody sat down the entire game, and each pitch was followed like it was life or death. When the Philies scored that first run there was a sense of ecstatic jubilation and when Tampa came right back it became more like grim determination. Never have I been in a place where 45,000 people were so intensely trying to will something to happen. The feeling of "we just have to win this one" was palpable. I've been to my share of sporting events and this may well have been the loudest and most intense game I ever saw.

Then Lidge struck out the final batter and the entire place erupted. People were high fiving and hugging each other. The screaming seemed to go on forever. More than one person found themselves crying tears of joy. Soon they were set up and ready for the ceremony. As the big screen showed Bud Selig walking up next to the trophy, we showed we were still Philly with a nice rousing boo for the commish. We may have won, but he is still a bonehead. It ended with the entire place singing "We are the Champions" in unison. Queen never sounded to good. By the time people started to leave the stadium the emotion that had set in the most with the fans was stunned disbelief. I heard more than one person mumble "I can't believe we're the world champs" over and over to himself.

After so much excitement, the crowd was almost subdued as we walked out of the stadium thinking that our world series experience was over. Little did we know what to expect next. We exited out of the stadium onto a Pattison avenue teaming with screaming fans. People had poured out of their houses and headed to the stadium to celebrate. Cars were honking their horns with people leaning out the windows chanting lets go Phils over and over. Everyone was high fiving everyone else and hugging total strangers. Fireworks were going off all around the city. Some fire trucks went by honking their horns with the firemen waving Phillies banners. It was like an entire city full of people had thrown off all their worries, fears and problems and simply embraced a single moment of happy celebration.

But that was not even the most amazing thing. My friend and I decided to leave our car in the lot and catch the subway to center city to have a couple beers. We got off at Walnut street and started to head up the stairs of the subway exit. As we started up we could hear a continuous loud roar that got louder and louder as we neared the top of the steps. Near the top there were hands thrust through the barier high fiving everyone walking up the stairs. Then we got to the top and just stopped in stunned amazement. In front of use was a street full of literally hundreds of thousands of people just celebrating. Out of nowhere a young girl grabbed me and hugged me and said "welcome to the party".

I have never seen anything like that in my life. From city hall back for at least 6 city blocks there were people everywhere. You could barely get around. Any elevated space had someone sitting on it. Someone kept shooting fireworks over the street and each time they went off everyone would cheer. Chants of "Let's go Phils" reverberated up and down the street. Total strangers were hugging each other and clapping each other on the backs. Flash bulbs were going off everywhere as people tried to record this amazing event.

After taking it all in for a while we made our way down Walnut street. The police had blockaded off the entire City Hall area and were redirecting traffic. That didn't matter to most of the drivers. Most of the cars were blowing their horns and had people either standing on top of them or leaning out of the windows screaming. These streets too were teaming with people. It seemed like the entire city of Philadelphia had come outside to party. At one place a street musician was playing his drums and a whole group of people were just dancing next to him in the street. Everywhere we went were people in Phillies gear laughing and having a good time.

I have to credit the Philadelphia police. The celebration was very happy and never felt threatening at any time. People were climbing on street lights and light poles and building roofs and instead of confronting them and perhaps making a scene, the police just sat back and let everyone enjoy the moment. Their presence was reassuring instead of threatening. I contrast this with the police in State College last weekend when a similar celebration happened after Penn State beat Ohio State and the police there instead showed up in riot gear, threatened the students who were climbing on things and eventually ended up maceing a bunch of people and killing of the celebration. At one point some idiot set fire to a dumpster and when I saw it I walked down a half block and pointed it out to the police. They just calmly said they knew about it and were taking care of it. So I tip my Phillies cap to the police.

After wandering around for a while we tried to get into a bar and have a couple beers, but every bar in town was jammed full of people. I imagine that was the best Wednesday night of business the local bars ever had. Instead we decided to head back down to the stadium area where my car was. Even at midnight the party was still going strong down there. Pattison avenue was packed with people drinnking, dancing and having fun. Again nothing dangerous or threatening. Just a whole bunch of people enjoying the moment. We finally decided it was time to come home and drove back to my house to finally get that beer and watch the repeat of the post game on TV.

All in all, it was an amazing night. I just hope it doesn't take us another 25 years to have another moment like this one. I am guessing that there is not a whole lot of work getting done in Philly today. And tomorrow is the parade.

The only real World Champions

Winning a competition that only teams from one country can enter does not make you "World" champions.

The asylum: The only forum where you can abuse the guy running the site in his moment of triumph and not get banned.

I would like to take a moment to thank Alla for not banning me and congratulate the MLB winners

Did you get a new hat to remember it by?

About a third of the players in major league baseball come from countries other than the United States. Among the coutries that love baseball, which includes North and South America and most of Asia, the best players all head to the US to play.

Exactly. I don't consider Northwest New York a part of the 'world'.

You can say the same about the English premier league only that they come from every continent and that doesn't make Manchester United "World champions"

So are the Cubans.

You could always get them and Japan and, oh well, nevermind.

I have experienced something similar when the Sox won it back in 2004. Just complete pandamonium on the streets with people celebrating. Then some aholes got out of control and some poor girl got shot in the eye with a pepper spray ball by a policeman.

Reason number 436 why Boston can really suck sometimes.

I haven't looked it up but were there a boatload of arrests in Philly?

Grats, that sounds exactly like Boston in '04. It's nice to see an entire city come together like that, even if it's just for one night. Enjoy the lingering feelings of euphoria for the next week or so :).

Haha, give it up Canada.

Cool Experience Alla - Pic or it didn't happen.

I was waitressing in a big sports bar in Mpls during the late 80's early 90's. The Twinkies won two world series during my tenure cocktailing. I worked most the games. The collective will was there in the bar, though on a smaller basis, it was still very tangible.

Yeah, that was Athens in 2004 after the dawgs won the SEC championship. The entire town from Broad to Alps was a giant party.

Too bad we're sucking this year.